NewsDrop-Dec-2024

GENERAL MANAGER’S MESSAGE

By: Roland Ruiz General Manager

WHEN IT COMES TO MANAGING, ENHANCING & PROTECTING THE EDWARDS AQUIFER, THE PROOF IS IN THE DATA.

Aquifer data are collected by the EAA in the form of water “levels” measured within two index wells – the J-17 in Bexar County and the J-27 in Uvalde County – and reported relative to mean sea level. The EAA, in partnership with the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), also monitors, records and reports the rate of springflows in cubic feet per second (cfs) emanating from the Comal and San Marcos springs systems.

means more pressure pushing water up and out of the system resulting in higher measured aquifer levels and higher rates of springflows.

measures implemented by the EAA are correlated to these aquifer condition data points.

and conservation measures over time. This gives us confidence that our programs – regulatory and non-regulatory – can be measured and evaluated for effectiveness and, if necessary, modified to achieve desired conservation while maximizing the availability of water from the Edwards Aquifer. It’s this robust monitoring and data collection system that enables a balanced approach to managing, enhancing, and protecting the Edwards Aquifer to the benefit of all users.

A rich database of historic readings from monitoring wells and surface flow gauges undergirds a regulatory regime designed to ensure continuous min imum spring flows through a modeled repeat of the drought of record – the historic drought of the 1950s that resulted in the Comal Springs ceasing to flow for five months. Drought-induced regulatory curtailments in water avail able for pumping from the aquifer coupled with incentive-based conservation

Having such data on record and under continuous monitoring provides a sci entific rationale for managing aquifer use the way we do. These data provide a technical basis for imposing pumping reductions and for triggering other conservation measures during droughts such as we are currently experienc ing. They also serve as benchmarks to validate the effectiveness of drought

Collectively, these data points serve as the key indicators of the state of the aquifer in terms of water pressure in the system. More water in the system

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