Updated 4/10/12 - Clearwater Declares: Drought Condtions have improved but conservation encouraged!

“Clearwater Underground Water Conservation District has taken a very cautious position on moving from the current Stage 4 Drought Declaration made last December” says Dirk Aaron, General Manager. Aaron stressed, “The District wants those businesses and utilities who have permitted wells to be supportive of this very conservative position”.

Unlike the surface water providers, the District does not feel the aquifers have recovered to the point that we can say “the crisis has past”, because facts do not support that position.

Aaron agreed that, “yes, the Edwards has responded due to the recent rains, but the District’s system of watching and recording rainfall averages over both the Edwards and Trinity Aquifers still shows that we are more than 9 inches (Trinity) and 8.4 inches (Edwards BFZ) behind the annual rainfall expected on a 365 day running total. Couple these facts to the positive increase in the Salado Spring Flow, Aaron states “Conventional wisdom says for the District Staff to be cautiously optimistic but measured”.

Looking at the positive moves the District made to reduce Aquifer pumpage last year and the 42 day required triggers for reducing the level of declaration shows that the District could make another positive move to the Stage 2 (Concern Level) in mid to late May.

The Board of Directors, in their monthly meeting, will review the General Manager’s position and declaration. Aaron states, “The need for continuing to ask well owners (both permitted and exempt well users) not to utilize this precious resource inappropriately and excessively for landscape purposes is the best way to conserve for a possible repeat of last year’s drought”.