Burnet County moves up to drought Stage 3
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Burnet County moved up to drought Stage 3- Severe on Wednesday, March 18. The decision was made by the Central Texas Groundwater Conservation District in light of increasingly dry conditions afflicting the county.
With the change made, well owners are encouraged to practice water-conservation measures and reduce overall water used by 20 percent. Under the previous Stage 2- Moderate drought conditions, well owners were encouraged to voluntarily reduce use by 10 percent.
This drought stage only applies to groundwater usage. It is not imposed upon surface water users that draw their water from Highland Lakes reservoirs.
The CTGCD had discussed changing the drought stage at prior meetings this year, but agreed to wait in hopes for wetter weather conditions that are typical of the early spring season.
While some scattered storms rolled in recently, none were significant enough to drastically alter groundwater levels in the area according to CTGCD representatives, prompting the drought stage change.
“I don’t think it’s a bad idea to be proactive about (the stage),” CTGCD Precinct 1 Director Kathy Griffis-Bailey said at the meeting. “We said ‘let’s see what happens in the next couple weeks,’ and not much has happened. We did get some rainfall but it hasn’t been enough to majorly impact groundwater.”
CTGCD General Manager Mitchell Sodek offered further explanation on the drought stage change, noting that the current drought restrictions are completely voluntary.
“The district has moved from drought Stage 2 to Stage 3, indicating that ongoing drought conditions continue to keep groundwater levels below average for this time of year,” Sodek told DailyTrib. “Stage 3 is currently voluntary, and the district encourages all well owners to practice water-conservation measures and reduce overall water use by 20 percent.”
The district is led by a five-member, elected board of directors and a hired general manager. Together, they are responsible for regulating groundwater usage in Burnet County.