Lingering drought has Edwards Aquifer low and waterways drying up - San Antonio Express-News

Lingering drought has Edwards Aquifer low and waterways drying up

By the time the area's drought reached its third year, the creeks and rivers of South Central Texas had long dried up. For most, it happened slowly, shrinking over time until just a puddle remained. For others, it was a shock. One summer, there was water. The next, there was none. Either way, the waterways that normally flowed through the Hill Country had dried into the rock beds and the time for swimming was over.

The ongoing drought's repercussions are clear in the San Antonio area. River and creek flows are at the slowest they have ever been, lakes are dried up or are drying up and, from January to March this year, the Edwards Aquifer's water levels reached their lowest levels since the record drought of the 1950s. Without normal rainfall, the agency that manages the aquifer could find itself implementing Stage 4 restrictions earlier this year than any time in its history.