HGTCD delays drought cutbacks

At the April 2 Hays Trinity Groundwater Conservation District Board meeting, District Directors voted to delay an order that would put the Jacobs Well Groundwater Management Zone (MAP here) into drought status.

“With folks sheltering in place in order to protect their families from to exposure to the Covid-19 virus, the District recognizes that water usage will go up in homes” said Linda Kaye Rogers, HTGCD Board President “The District continue to monitor the situation and act in the best interest of the public.”

The District recognizes that there will be much more residential use and less commercial use. In order to prolong the health of our critical aquifer resources, the District is asking that where possible everyone limit outdoor water uses in order to protect healthy indoor conditions at home.

“Summer is coming, and drought usually follows” says District Manager Charlie Flatten. “We may all be required to shelter at home for a while, and we don’t want wells going dry during this emergency. Please limit your water use to what you need indoors in order to stretch our limited supplies through the summer”.

“If we get the rainfall that has been forecast in the springshed in the coming week, we should get out of our current drought status,” said District Geoscientist Philip Webster.

The Texas Water Development Board recognizes that Hays County and much of south Texas is currently experiencing abnormally dry or are under drought conditions. Many residents in the Wimberley Valley are already under conservation restrictions.

Please visit the Hays Trinity Groundwater Conservation District website for more drought information and for tips on conservation at home.