Public Notice: A Drop in the Aquifer

This chart from the Barton Springs/Edwards Aquifer Conservation District resources page shows the flow of water in Barton Springs over the past five years

So, how about that rain, huh? Mother Nature set another record Monday, with up to 4 inches of rain at places in Austin and Travis County, but as you already knew in your heart of hearts (or from looking at the landscape around you), it may have been more than the proverbial drop in the bucket, but it wasn't enough to reverse a drop in the Hill Country's wells and springs and aquifers, or to come close to pulling Central Texas out of our current drought.

How bad is it? Wells all across Central Texas have seen levels drop well past the alarm stage and approach the critical stage we haven't seen in recent summers. Jacob's Well in Wimberley stopped flowing on July 27, for the first time since 2013, and has recorded zero average daily flow on about half of the days since then, according to data on the Barton Springs/Edwards Aquifer Conservation District Drought Information site. And as for Austin's crown jewel Barton Springs, on August 24 it was flowing at under 25 cubic feet per second, the lowest it's been in years. We've been below the Stage II drought trigger point of 38 cfs since June (see chart on the following page), and appeared to be on track for Stage III, which is triggered at 20 cfs. The rain caused a spike, but with runoff accelerated by the arid ground, that may be short-lived, and the long-term outlook remains troubling.

What can we do about it? On the individual level there's a lot, of course. The BS/EACD recommends a list of water-saving tips from the Texas Water Development Board, and you've probably seen a lot of these things before – things like turning the faucet off earlier, watering plants and yards more frugally, or taking shorter showers – but they do really make a difference that you can measure month to month in your utility bill. And on a civic level there's a lot we can do, too, like encouraging conservation practices, and not encouraging water-intensive industries and developments. Those actions are generally a lot harder to define and then pull off – there is no handy list of watershed-saving tips that everyone will agree on – but the payoff is the continued sustainability of the community, and maybe the continued flow of Barton Springs, so it's probably worth a shot. So, next time you're brushing your teeth, remember not to let the water run the whole time, and next time you read about someone needing a new pipe into the Edwards Aquifer, or a manufacturer needing incentives to bring their chipmaking plant here, remember to be outraged.

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Happy Labor Day! Here in Texas, labor unions face an uphill battle, and Texans may forget what a force they are and can be. But this weekend, the folks who brought you the weekend bring you the three-day weekend. Go do something fun. And remember, labor unions made it possible.

But don't take the Red Line. MetroRail service will be suspended all weekend (Friday through Monday) for construction at the future McKalla Station and additional double-­tracking all along the route. Also, Capital Metro will run "a Sunday-level of service" on Labor Day itself. As always, see details at capmetro.org.

And allow extra time if you're flying. In perhaps the least surprising press release of the year, Bergstrom Airport "expects busy travel days" this weekend and suggests you allow extra time if you're flying. Fortunately, you can spend that time perusing the current fruit of the airport's art program (see this week's cover story). Or if you're flying Frontier or Allegiant, check out the latest news on the South Terminal you'll be flying out of.

Oh, and Bergstrom would also like to encourage you to maybe "begin packing with an empty bag" so you don't accidentally pack firearms in your carry-on luggage. Helpful advice; they're so easy to lose track of and misplace.

As noted last week, the local candidate forums for this November's election are already underway. Next Thursday marks the first in the series of forums sponsored by the city, the Ethics Review Commission, and the local League of Women Voters: District 1's Natasha Harper-Madison and her challengers on Thu., Sept. 8, 6pm at the Asian American Resource Center, 8401 Cameron Rd. You can attend in person, online, on TV or radio, or by phone, and you can email [email protected] to propose questions to ask the candidates; for more info, see austintexas.gov/candidateforums.

The Punsters Live: That's the theme this year for the 45th Annual O. Henry Museum Pun Off World Championships, and registration is now open. You can apply for either the Punslingers or Punniest of Show contest, or both; a maximum of 32 entrants per event will be chosen via lottery. The Pun Off itself will be on Saturday, Oct. 8, from 11am to 6pm at the city's Emma S. Barrientos Mexican American Cultural Center, 600 River, while its traditional home at the O.Henry Museum in Brush Square is under renovation. Apply and get more event info at punoff.com.