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The purpose of this website is to
provide a central source of data and resources concerning water issues of the Texas Hill
Country. The primary concern is welfare of the Trinity Aquifer (which includes
the Glen Rose and Cow
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THE HILL COUNTRY IS 5
MONTHS INTO A SEVERE DROUGHT
WHEN IS A DROUGHT OVER?
The graph below shows the drought of 1950-1960 (http://hillcountrywater.org/water available.htm ) and a flood occurred in 1952 that would have brought the lake up 13 feet had it existed at that time. (The lake was completed in the mid 1960's) The drought continued and the lake would have gone dry in mid 1954 taking 90,000 acre ft/yr, July-August of 1956 and all useable water would have been gone when the big flood came in 1957 taking just 50,000 acre ft/yr. When the lake was designed the Corp of Engineers projected a sustainable supply from the lake taking 50,000 acre ft per year in addition to riparian rights and natural loss using the same data base used for this graph. We will have to wait and see what mother nature has in store. GBRA is presently releasing much more water than the release used to calculate these curves.
I have always found it an amazing coincidence that the 40,000 acre feet added to the GBRA permit a few years ago equaled the amount of water they were NOT delivering in the 1990s. From 1996 to 2000 the average water delivered against the GBRA permit for Canyon Lake was 10,000 acre ft/yr. The permit at that time allowed an annual diversion of 50,000 acre ft/yr. 50,000 - 10,000 = 40,000. Could GBRA be selling the same water twice? I am sure they plan to be retired or dead before the next major drought when they will be forced to anti up the water that will not be there. I have visions of people storming the GBRA castle with torches and pitch forks after they have had to board up their homes and leave. I am one of those people on Canyon Lake water.
People contemplating a move to the Hill Country any where in the Guadalupe River water shed upstream from Canyon Lake should be aware of the severe water problems in this area. Depletion of the Trinity Aquifer in times of drought is already a fact of life and is getting worse as the population grows. It is the Aquifer that feeds water to the river in the absence of rain - not snow capped mountains. Floods fill the aquifer usually in May-June and Sept-Oct periods.
Some wag suggested the Hill Country climate is one of perpetual drought interrupted by the occasional monsoon. Our floods are legendary but so are our droughts. In the 1890s there was a drought comparable to the 1950s drought and one year droughts are common in recent history.
 | Canyon Lake as a Water Resource - an analysis showing how the lake level will drop during drought if GBRA delivers the water. Click on the "Canyon Lake" button then Water Resource button. If the lake had existed and been full in 1950 it would dry up by 1954 and stay dry 3 years if water is used at a rate of 90,000 acre feet per year. At 50,000 acre feet per year it would dry up in 1957 and stay dry for a few weeks. The consequences of such a drought will be catastrophic with a large number of people dependent on the water. We cannot haul 124 cubic feet per second in trucks. |
| See pictures of Guadalupe River water level on the Hwy 311 and Hwy 281 bridges at different times during the flood of 2002. The Spring Branch gage is on the Hwy 311 bridge. Click the "Stream Flow Data" button. |
| Sewage Plants are Not Compatible with Hill Country Groundwater, Rivers and Lakes. If we have to have them we should build the best. Click the Sewage Plant button and see why. |
| How much water does one golfer use when he plays one round of golf. Would you believe over 2200 gallons. Click on the Golf Course Impact button above for more detail. |
| How much water does a golfer use. How does that water use compare with the amount of water you and your neighbors use. Click on the Golf Course Impact button above. Also, read an expose on Audubon International (paid for by the US Golf Association - Audubon must be turning in his grave) and the Cibolo Canyon (PGA Village) statistics on water use. |
| Ground Water Districts for the Hill Country - Check the Ground Water Button to find out why. Also easy links to USGS water well data. Hit the Stream Flow button. |
| Stream Flow Data - How is your river doing? Click the Stream Flow Data Button and go to the real time USGS site of your choice. Data is updated at least once each hour. We recommend at least 300 cfs for tubing on the Guadalupe - slow ride but still fun. Canoes hit more rocks. |
| Flow Rates - What do the numbers mean. Click the "Canyon Lake" button for an explanation and tables. |
| Find useful links to websites of water districts, county, state and federal governments by clicking the "Government Links" button. |
| Find useful water saving tips and water solutions by other cities by clicking on the "Commentary" button. Also read summaries of the technical reports on unprecedented recharge of the Trinity Aquifer by the Guadalupe River |
| Get instant stream flow data or historical data for any gage in the Hill Country by clicking on the "Stream Flow Data" button |
| Find the website of your favorite organization under "Non Profit Groups" Follow the link to Jerry Parsons' website http://PlantAnswers.com for water saving ideas. |
Click on Small Image for a larger Picture
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Hungry Doe on Rebecca Creek |
Guadalupe River at Rebecca Creek Rd Bridge Summer 2000 - Will it look like this again? |
Summer 2001 - Hard Times |
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Updated 09/04/2008.
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This site is maintained by email scgrigory@grigory.com for technical
comment or questions |
