For the first time in more than two years, the Cow Creek Groundwater Conservation District is in Stage 3 drought restrictions following extended stretches of rain.
Rain levels in June averaged 3.3 inches, slightly more than a historical 3.16-inch mark for June. That was recorded prior to the July 4-6 rainfall that resulted in extreme and deadly flooding along the Guadalupe River.
“We haven’t seen water levels go up like this in a while,” said Micah Voulgaris, Cow Creek general manager.
Cow Creek released its updated drought conditions information July 15, which showed the Stage Three declaration — July 18, 2023, was the last time the county was in Stage Three restriction.
The CCGCD monitors 47 wells throughout the county, 22 in “real-time” monitoring. What Voulgris and the CCGCD has seen is enough to trigger the stage reduction.
“My well, for instance, went up two feet. That’s not a whole lot but ... in the middle of July that’s significant,” he said. “That was a regional rain event, a widespread recharge.”
The entire county did not see the rain totals that inundated Kerr County and led to the massive flooding seen over the July 4 holiday weekend. But rainfall totals throughout Kendall County were enough to allow Cow Creek to move back to Stage Three.
Some wells closer to the river saw instantaneous movement, some as high as a 10-to-20-foot increase overnight.
Parts of the county saw a bigger increase, he said, but some are very deep wells, in the 800foot range, so it takes longer for water to get down to the aquifer.
Voulgaris is hopeful the county will see more recovery in wells, due to a lack of 100-degree days, and little need to water ground due to its current saturation.
“I look at the median flow in the Guadalupe River ... all of those have been flowing two-tothree weeks above median, so we’re seeing water levels increasing, across the board,” he said.
“I am in the southern part of the county, along Highway 46. Mine is pretty much average, close to that central elevation,” he said. “To see my water level go up in mid-July, that’s pretty rare. To see water levels going up now is a pretty good indicator for the entire county.”
He said Cow Creek approached the return to Stage Three rather cautiously, knowing a typical summer of “heat-high” days could be right around the corner, and push it back into Stage Four.
“All the weather blogs are talking about us having an active weather season,” he said. “I wouldn’t mind a good soaking rain again.
“But we’re getting recharge right now, so that’s a good thing.”
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