Get TPR's best stories of the day and a jump start to the weekend with the 321 Newsletter — straight to your inbox every day. Sign up for it here.
The National Weather Service reported that recent light rains nourished the Edwards Aquifer Recharge Zone. But an expert at the Edwards Aquifer Authority said big downpours are still needed to reverse the effects of a long-term drought.
The porous-cavernous limestone aquifer that runs from west of San Antonio and through the Hill Country to south of Austin is a major underground storage source of water for a region pushing 2 million residents in population.
The recharge zone is full of cracks and crevices where water can enter the aquifer. The zone runs through upper Kinney, Uvalde, and Medina counties to the west, then across northern Bexar, southern Comal and Hays counties, and ends south of Austin.
Paul Bertetti, a senior director for aquifer research and modeling at the authority, said the aquifer is now sitting 30 feet below historic levels. He said the aquifer is in "dire straits" that have not been seen since the mid-1950s.
There has been a little rain over the Hill Country and perhaps a little more significant rain farther north over the Edwards Plateau. Bertetti said those rains over the plateau also find their way into the aquifer.
"Those are good too because they induce some runoff that gets into streams like the Nueces and the Frio, and then when that flow comes across the recharge zone it's very effective at helping the aquifer," he said.
He said El Nino weather patterns in the Pacific may bring some relief this fall.
"If the El Nino conditions continue to develop we would expect to hopefully have a little bit wetter than average fall and winter, so we have that to look forward to as well," he said.
The aquifer now sits at 629 feet. Permitted water pumpers using the San Antonio pool must reduce pumping by 40% until drought conditions ease.
Pumpers from the Uvalde Pool to the west of San Antonio must reduce pumping by 35% until conditions improve.
San Antonio's rainfall deficit for the year is about 10 inches when compared to historical annual averages.
