3.5 to 5.25 inches in some parts of austin, what does it mean for the drought and the lake levels Unfortunately most of the rain fell over the Austin and the lower basin, meaning the Highland lakes system of dams really did not get that much acccumulated runoff to fill the lakes that supply the Austin and Central Texas water supply. Don't expesct much impact on water restrictions for our area.  

The good news, soil in Central Austin are at moisture capacy. One of our Cougar installed local soil moisure sensors read 43.6% soil moisture in Rosedale this morning. This same sensor was in the single digits and teens all last summer even with a watering schedule of 2 times a week. Since Nov/Dec rains have hit, this sensor has never been lower  than 20% soil moisture. So what does all this mean.... well it is a wetter and therefore better winter than last year, which means trees and plants and grasses should have a chance to recover and actually come out stronger this Spring than they did last winter, which was drier and colder..

I was pleasantly surprised while running the Shoal Creek and Town Lake trails this morning. The creek was full and there was very little tree damage. Very good sign that trees are pliable and not brittle like they were last summer.

Downside of all this rain and mild weather, weeds and mosquitos will probably be back with a vengence.

Thanks,

Cougar Matt

On Thursday January 19, residents and businesses are invited to attend a workshop to discuss how the City should regulate water use in times of drought and review specific restrictions like the watering schedule and limits on car washing. The workshop will be held from 6:30 to 9 p.m. in Room 104 of Austin Water’s Waller Creek Center located at 625 E.10th Street.

The regional drought has created unprecedented challenges for Austin Water and the residents of Austin. After discussions with the City Manager and City Council, Austin Water is beginning the process of revising the current Water Conservation Code to better align with long-term drought conditions.

At stake is striking a balance between conserving our available water supply for the safety of our citizens and sustaining our local economy and the natural surroundings so unique to Austin.

On Tuesday, December 13, representatives from a broad list of stakeholders met to discuss the current situation and worked on devising a public process to revise the current codes.  As meetings are scheduled, they will be announced at the following web site as well as a variety of other mediums.