Stage 2 Water Restrictions And When You Water

By, Sierra King

The Edwards Aquifer has big news this week with updates on drought rules. San Marcos and the Edwards region lift Stage 3 and drops down to Stage 2 for drought rules. This will allow for watering once a week starting this week.

The rains in January and another four tenths of an inch downtown this past weekend helped life to stage 2. Showers from yesterday and today are helping the river flow with now another 10 cubic feet per second (cfs) to the total of almost 150 cfs. This results from the recharging of the Blanco River and is now dropping into the Edwards Aquifer since the recent 5-inch rains around the Blanco. The aquifer is up to 645 ft. in the J17 index where we are also getting some recharge from the western aquifer region.

The springs around San Marcos and the Comal Springs are still far below normal. The upcoming summer may bring the drought rules to Stage 5 by August with the normal dry heat of the season.

Conservation is critical right now with our rainfalls only lasting a few more months.

Tips on How to Conserve:

• Don’t plant anything if it cannot last through the summer
• Plant small drought-tolerant plants and trees
• Install rain barrels and gutters
• Remove water-wasting lawns and replace with mulch and tough shrubs
• Take care of trees in the summer 

We wanted to remind all residents what Stage 2 Water Restrictio9ns were and have included that information below.

City of San Marcos Stage 2 Water Restrisctions:

Thanks to recent rainfall and lower winter-time water demands, the City of San Marcos is returning to Stage 2 drought restrictions effective Sunday, Feb. 1 at noon. The Edwards Aquifer Authority returned to Stage 2 on Jan. 28. While the City is relaxing water restrictions, officials encourage residents to be mindful when using one of our most valuable resources.

“It is advisable that residents continue to conserve water” said Tom Taggart, Executive Director of City of San Marcos Public Services. “Both ground and surface water sources remain below average for this time of year.”

Stage 2 of the City’s Drought Response Ordinance sets the following restrictions:

• The use of hose-end sprinklers is limited to one day per week on a designated weekday before 10 a.m. or after 8 p.m.
• Irrigation with automatic sprinkler irrigation systems is allowed once per week between the hours of 8 p.m. on the designated weekday and 8 a.m. on the following day.
• Hand watering and soaker hoses or drip irrigation is allowed on any day before 10 a.m. or after 8 p.m.
• Limits at-home car washing to one day per week, and prohibit water waste, filling new pools, using outdoor decorative water features, and washing impervious surfaces.
• All other non-essential water use is prohibited.

Violators could face fines up to $1000 a day for each offense. Full text of the Stage 2 rules can be found on the City of San Marcos website at www.sanmarcostx.gov/drought.

San Marcos has been in drought restrictions almost continuously since April 2011, and was in Stage 2 or higher for all of 2014. The City began 2014 in Stage 2 restrictions and progressed to Stage 3 in April. Dry conditions prompted the City to go to Stage 4 restrictions for the first time ever in August 2014. The City remained in Stage 4 for several months then returned to Stage 3 in November, where it has remained until this time.