Small Town News

Alarm Stage

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Drought Alert

The rain won't fall, the grass won't grow, and the cities of Kyle and Buda are implementing "alarm stage" water restrictions.

Whatever happened to spring? Those April showers we were promised? They amounted to a measly .19 inches of rain, compared to 2.63 inches of rainfall in a normal year.

May is on pace to be even drier. So far this month, the Austin area has received .04 inches of rain. And the hot, dry Texas summer is right around the corner.

"Things are pretty bleak with

the lack of rain," said Brian Hunt, the senior hydrogeologist for the Barton Springs/

Edwards Aquifer ConserYatign District.

"We're on track to just get worse."

First, though, there's hope for some immediate relief. The National Weather Service is forecasting a 40 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms today and Thursday, before a return of sunny skies on Friday.

To protect water levels, the conservation district declared Stage II alarm drought conditions on April 28. The alarm stage triggers a mandatory 20 percent reduction for businesses and other entities - such as the cities of Buda and Kyle - who pump water from the aquifer.

Kyle actually began restricting water use a few days before the decision by the conservation district.

"Since we have multiple water sources, each with its own drought contingency, we have developed our water ordinance to address the most restrictive of the plans so that we are always in compliance with each of them," said Jerry Hendrix, city of Kyle spokesman.

Measures to reduce water consumption range from twice-a-week watering schedules to a ban on filling or refilling swimming pools. For specific measures for Kyle or Buda, visit those cities' websites.

A La Nina weather pattern is being blamed for the drought conditions.

"We had such a dry winter, such a dry spring, and now we're heading into our peak demand months," said Hunt.

"The rainfall we get in the summer is usually pretty spotty. We're not in a good situation right now. But we can certainly hope for the best. Getting the word out is certainly key.

"The things we can do are to try to educate folks and certainly not waste water," he continued. "That's something we do have control over." The landscape around Hays County is showing signs of the drought. At Five-Mile Dam south of Kyle, where people had been swimming only a month earlier, the water has all but receded into memory It left behind gravel, mud cake and the occasional downed tree limb.

The park was mostly deserted. One guy wandered along the empty riverbed with his fishing pole, and a couple of Texas State upperclassmen were sitting in the shade at a picnic table by the bank.

"We came last week, and there wasn't any water. It was all dried up," said Michelle Billigue, who was studying economic geography while her friend Maddy Moujaes drew a comic. "It's doubly depressing, because three weeks ago it was really full. The water went away really fast."

They used to come for the swimming, Billigue said. Now they come for the quiet.

"Things are pretty bleak with the lack of rain. We're on track to just get worse."



Copyright 2011 The Free Press, Buda, Texas. All Rights Reserved. This content, including derivations, may not be stored or distributed in any manner, disseminated, published, broadcast, rewritten or reproduced without express, written consent from SmallTownPapers, Inc.

© 2011 The Free Press Buda, Texas. All Rights Reserved. This content, including derivations, may not be stored or distributed in any manner, disseminated, published, broadcast, rewritten or reproduced without express, written consent from DAS.

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