Hays Trinity Groundwater Conservation District

Dear Trinity Aquifer users,

As the fourth year of Severe to Emergency Drought grips the Hill Country, the Hays Trinity Groundwater Conservation District would like to thank everyone going the extra mile to conserve water. The District recognizes the ongoing effort the community is making to help extend the water in the aquifer through the duration of this drought.

The District would like to feature the good efforts of several users. Driftwood Recovery has refurbished its water management to include enhanced rainwater harvesting and metered use that help swiftly isolate wasteful parts of the system for repair, which are then immediately repaired The Wimberley ISD and the Wimberley Library have incorporated “One-Water” construction methods to create new buildings that safely maximize water efficiency and greatly reduce the burden on the aquifer.

The City of Dripping Springs has created a water re-use system that provides irrigation-grade water to public green spaces, golf courses, and dust suppression on construction sites. That project has recaptured millions of gallons of irrigation-grade water that would have not gone to beneficial use, while conserving potable drinking water in the aquifer.

The Dripping Springs and the Wimberley Water Supply Corporations are demonstrating diligence in their leak detection and customer communications to improve efficiencies in each of their delivery systems. The District recognizes the hard work they and many other utilities are doing in their operations.

Homeowners, business, ranch and farm operations, and wildlife are all reliant on the same water source in Western Hays County -- groundwater from the Trinity Aquifer. The Hays Trinity Groundwater Conservation District will continue to gather hydrogeologic data to enhance aquifer resilience. We continue to work with the Hays County Commissioners Court to incentivize new developments away from aquifer pumping. We are exploring grants for small communities who lack the financial resources to quickly repair leaking systems. We welcome information you want to share about these types of programs or others.

We also work with local elected officials to identify additional sources of water and encourage the large utilities to do the same. The District actively supports alternate water supplies such as rainwater harvesting, atmospheric and condensate water harvesting, and re-use. Hill Country appropriate landscaping can reduce demand on the aquifer by as much as 50% per household. By incorporating native and drought-tolerant plants into your landscape, you could get additional years of life from your well, which could mean that your well makes it through the drought. With new wells costing from $30,000 upwards, these are serious choices. While we all pray for a return to normal (extra please) rainfall in the coming years, let’s continue to prepare for the worst by only using our precious, limited water resource as efficiently as possible. Please contact us at the District offices if you have any thoughts or questions.

Thank you,
Staff, and the Board of Directors at the Hays Trinity Groundwater Conservation District

Charlie Flatten, General Manager
Laura Thomas, Assistant General Manager
Radu Boghichi, P.G. Hydrogeologist
Keaton Hoelscher, Geo-Technician
Allie Nicoletti, Office Manager
District 1, David Smith, Treasurer/Secretary
District 2, Bruce Moulton, President
District 3, Carlos Torres-Verdin
District 4, Linda Kaye Rogers, Vice President
District 5, Marcus Gary

Flooding is a huge issue in the Hill Country, and in Texas as a whole. Looking to address this problem, the Texas Water Development Board recently approved changes to the first regional flood plans.

These changes included adding flood mitigation projects which could contribute to water supply development simultaneously. The alterations are anticipated to be included in this year’s State Flood Plan and were delivered to the legislature by September 1st.

The Hays Trinity Groundwater Conservation District represents western Hays County by participating directly in both the long-range Flood and Water Planning Processes.

More information is included in the article below. Additionally, the planning process can be looked into in-depth here.

Photo Credit: Texas Water Development Board

The 3rd annual San Marcos River Appreciation Festival will be held in downtown Martindale from September 20th-21st. The San Marcos River is one of the largest aquifer-driven spring systems in the world, and is fed primarily by the Edwards aquifer. This groundwater keeps the temperature of the river constant year-round, creating a unique and fragile ecosystem. The river holds eight endangered and threatened aquatic species, including the Texas Blind Salamander and Texas Wild Rice. The bald cypress trees which inhabit the river’s banks are some of the oldest in the world.

Community members interested in supporting the river’s protection, or simply wanting to hear more about it, should take advantage of this event! The festival will include educational information about the river, and its many benefits to the people of the Hill Country. The event will also include a River Stewardship Award ceremony to celebrate those who go above and beyond to protect the water way.

Details of the event: Date/Time: Sept. 20th at 5pm - 21st at 10pm Location: Martindale River Café, 174 Austin St, Martindale

More information: https://deceleration.news/event/san-marcos-river-appreciation/

Photo Credit: Rohit S. via TripAdvisor

Interested in learning about water? The Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service and the Texas State Soil and Water Conservation Board are offering a water quality training workshop September 24th- completely free for those interested!

The workshop will cover topics like watershed health, water pollution, waterway management, and more. The service also includes a free copy of the Texas Watershed Steward Handbook, continuing education credits (CEUs) for some professionals, and refreshments.

Details of the event: Date: September 24 Time: 1:00 PM - 5:00 PM Location: Wimberley Community Center, 14068 Ranch Rd 12, Wimberley

Link to Pre-Registration (space is limited): https://tws.tamu.edu/workshops/registration/ or call 979-321-5935

More information: Aaron McCoy: 512-393-2120, [email protected]; Michael Kuitu: 979-321-5935, [email protected]

Kyle was the second fastest growing city in the US last year, outpaced only by near-neighbor Georgetown. This rapid growth is something our district is familiar with, as are the water issues which come along with it.

The Wall Street Journal summarizes these strains in a recent article covering Kyle’s heat and water challenges. Limitations on communities’ ability to control growth make conserving and out-sourcing water a vital component of all of the Hill Country’s future. The article highlights that Hays County will likely experience annual extreme drought a quarter of the year by 2040. Facts like this make our work as a Groundwater Conservation District vital, and for our greater community to take up the water-conserving fight.

Read more about Kyle’s struggle here: https://www.wsj.com/us-news/climate-environment/kyle-texas-city-growth-heat-water-6660dc42; The Wall Street Journal

To celebrate National Water Quality Month a new, groundwater-focused website has been launched by the Greater Edwards Aquifer Alliance. Under Our Feet provides insight into the Edwards and Trinity aquifers, including details on karst systems, our Central Texas watersheds, and ways to get involved.

The site’s interactive design makes it an engaging resource for all ages to get to know our aquifers. Visit the Take the Pledge tab for comprehensive methods everyone can use to protect groundwater resources and the creatures which live within them.

Explore the website here: https://storymaps.arcgis.com/stories/cae5684d1dc0440090f0d576fec1cee9

Photo Credits:
- Greater Edwards Aquifer Alliance

Recent rains have drenched central Texas, but we still need to conserve water.

Although downpours last week were a welcome site, and a minor break from the July heat, aquifers in Central Texas, like the Trinity aquifer, are far from restored. Flash flooding and other above-ground flows of water are wonderful for plants and wildlife. But green landscapes can be deceptive, hiding still-dwindling levels of groundwater. Our drought triggers are still in effect at 30% curtailment district-wide and in the Jacob’s Well Groundwater Management Zone.

To learn more about aquifer recharge in regards to last week’s rain, check out this article by the San Antonio Express-News speaking about the Edwards Aquifer recharge zone. They touch on the recent weather’s benefit for the rest of summer, but point out that levels are not at ‘normal’ capacity. Conserving water is always to the benefit of our community, and the longevity of our natural resources, even when there seems to be a surplus of water.

San Antonio Express-News: https://www.expressnews.com/san-antonio-weather/article/edwards-aquifer-where-recharge-zone-19591522.php

Photo Information: A large sinkhole flowing into the Edwards Aquifer in May of 2016. Taken by William Luther

Interested in some cross-aquifer info? The Trinity and Edwards aquifers are iconic to Central Texas- but just how connected are they?

This study, conducted by the University of Texas at San Antonio and the Barton Springs/Edwards Aquifer Conservation District, tried to uncover how water flows vertically between the two aquifers. Working off of past information, which points to little horizontal connection, the investigation used chemical and physical indicators to measure vertical water connection. They found limited flow of water, which further supports the management of these two aquifers separately.

To learn more about the science they used in this study, visit this link; page 282, chrome-extension://efaidnbmnnnibpcajpcglclefindmkaj/https://digitalcommons.usf.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1080 context=kip_talks

Photo Credits:
Sierra Club groundwater image

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A great article about ongoing water issues and droughts in the Austin area.
💧CHECK IT OUT💧:

Is Austin Going to Run Out of Water? As Central Texas battles extreme drought, shrinking lakes, and overtapped aquifers, some communities find themselves in crisis.

Dr. Robert Mace, Executive Director of the Meadows Center for Water and the Environment at Texas State University, will be speaking about groundwater sustainability.
💧When: Thursday, May 9th at 7 pm
💧Where: the Sententia Vera Cultural Hub at 4002 E US Hwy 290, Dripping Springs, TX
💧RSVP to [email protected] if you plan to attend
💧There is limited space at this venue (especially parking), so please carpool if you can