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The heat wave across South Texas and the Hill Country continues to manifest itself in the form of drought, water challenges, and wildfires.
The National Weather Service reported on Thursday that there is no rain in sight.
The U.S. Drought Monitor added that the Hill Country and the San Antonio area have some of the worst drought conditions in all of Texas and the nation. Kendall County is ground zero.
The county is the only one in the region completely covered by the worst drought ranking — "exceptional." Kendall County this year has only received about half of the 33 inches of rain it usually receives during the first seven months of the year.
The Cow Creek Groundwater Conservation District, which manages aquifers within Kendall County, has implemented Stage 4 drought restrictions.
The district reported the Middle Trinity Aquifer has dipped 24 feet below its July average. It has dropped nearly six feet since June 30. Fifteen of the monitored wells were at record lows for July. The district also reports the water flow of the Guadalupe River has stopped at gauges at Comfort and Spring Branch.
Under Stage Four in the district, zero lawn or turf grass watering is allowed with groundwater at any time by any means. Filling of ponds, lakes, tanks, fountains, ornamental ponds, reservoirs or other surface impoundments with groundwater is prohibited. The use of groundwater to fill or refill pools, other than portable wading pools, is prohibited, according to the district's website.
The Edwards Aquifer Authority, which manages one of the main sources of water for the region, this week declared Stage 4 restrictions, which require permitted pumpers to reduce water pumping from the aquifer by 40%.
San Antonio
Residents in San Antonio are still under Stage 2 requirements, since the San Antonio Water System can turn to alternative sources of water when pumping limits are increased on the aquifer by the authority. Under Stage 2 in San Antonio, residents can use automatic sprinklers only once a week based on street address.
Rainfall at San Antonio International Airport for the year is about five-and-half inches below the average rainfall amount expected year to date.
New Braunfels
Residents in New Braunfels are also under Stage 2 restrictions with once-a-week watering rules like San Antonio. Nearby Canyon Lake is 14 feet below normal or 72% full, according to reports from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and Texas Water Development Board.
Alamo Heights
Residents in Alamo Heights are following Stage 3 landscaping irrigation restrictions. Landscape watering with automatic sprinklers is allowed only once every other week based on street address between the hours of 7 and 11 a.m. and 7 and 11 p.m.
Under current conditions, the Alamo Heights City Council may convene in emergency sessions to consider rules to further restrict groundwater use to protect public health and safety,
Blanco
The Hill Country town of Blanco, less than an hour's drive north of San Antonio on U.S. 281, this week issued a legal demand to the Texas Water Company, blamed by city officials for its recent water emergency.
The letter said the city's water emergency was not the result of a water shortage or equipment malfunction, but rather by the water company's decision to prioritize delivery to other customers.
The letter demands the company keep a minimum of 500,000 gallons in the water tank that serves Blanco and never again force Blanco to a higher level of restrictions than other communities in the same system.
The city has also called for a formal mediation with the company to permanently resolve those issues along with replacement of a water line, and ownership and water rights issues. The city wants the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality involved in the mediation.
The Texas Water Company released this statement to TPR.
"We understand the City of Blanco’s frustration. However, we dispute the statements in the open letter and look forward to formal mediation to find a mutually acceptable solution for The Texas Water Company and the City of Blanco," it read.
"The Texas Water Company remains committed to providing exceptional quality water and service to our customers and communities," the statement added.
Wildfires
All the dry weather has the Texas A&M Forest Service reminding area residents to avoid any activity that could cause sparks and start a grass fire, such as using construction tools at dry spots or chains left dangling on trailers that could spark against road pavement.
On Thursday, the forest service reported a wildfire of nearly 300 acres in Southwest Atascosa County near Highway 97 and County Road 356, was about 80 percent contained. The cause of the fire remains under investigation.
