1. Texas Groundwater Summit
Austin, TX
August 29, 2012

2. The GCD Panel:
Drought Management by GCDs
Kirk Holland, P.G., General Manager
Barton Springs/Edwards Aquifer Conservation District
August 29, 2012

3. The BSEACD Context:
Small, karst aquifers prone to regular,
multi-year drought cycles
Public water supply is principal
groundwater use, in burgeoning growth
area
Major aquifer is already beyond its
Extreme Drought MAG

4. Other Types of Droughts Are Not
Necessarily Groundwater Drought
Aquifer water-level conditions may not reflect
meteorological or agricultural droughts
Consider drought acceleration potential in
looking at water demand during actual
groundwater drought
Need to base drought management on actual
aquifer water-level measurements and related
drought-stage triggers.

5. Aquifer Characteristics Define
Drought Management Program
Aquifer response to drought is dynamic;
look at it as a system using real data
Consider response times (to changes in
pumping) as well as amounts of
inputs/outputs, relative to triggers
Strategies must be tailored to aquifer and
regional conditions

6. “You can’t manage what you
don’t measure.”
Meter actual groundwater use for non-
exempt wells in some fashion
Reporting frequency depends on what is
required for effective management response
Consider higher frequency reporting as
drought deepens

7. Alignment of Regulatory
Requirements and GW Drought
Reference DFCs to at least DOR = greater defensibility
Well permitting is key:
Build-in mandatory drought contingency requirements
Renew permits with a drought-relevant frequency
Use water balance for permit term; exclude truly
speculative use
Consider junior/senior permits once drought MAG is
reached
Carrots (conservation/compliance credits and
rebates) and sticks (enforceable and significant fines)

8. The Take-away Points
1. Differentiate Groundwater Drought
From Other Types of Drought
2. Tailor Drought Management to Aquifer
Characteristics
3. Measure Actual Use On Relevant Time
Scale
4. Integrate Drought Management Into
The Regulatory Program

9. Contact Info:
W F (Kirk) Holland, P.G.
General Manager and COO
Barton Springs/Edwards Aquifer Conservation District
kholland@bseacd.org
(512) 282-8441