Posted: Thu, 6 Aug 2009 08:52 PM - 8,771 Readers
By: Jared Fields
Lake Fort Phantom Hill’s water level may be the reason Abilenians can only water twice a week, but many lakes are in much worse shape than those in the Big Country.
Drought conditions in the central and southern parts of the state have some lakes experiencing all-time low levels.
But Lake Fort Phantom Hill, just five feet below the spillway, would have to endure months more without rain to drop to a level that would warrant more conservation actions, said John Grant, general manager for the Colorado River Municipal Water District.
Lake Travis, near Austin, is at its third-lowest elevation on record because of two years of severe drought and restricted inflow, according to the Lower Colorado River Authority.
The National Drought Mitigation Center shows 18.7 percent of Texas to be experiencing “exceptional” drought — the most severe on the scale.
The area ranges from the southern tip of Texas up to the Austin area. Drought conditions in that area are usually experienced every 50 years.
“They have only received 20 to 30 percent of normal rainfall,” said Jason Dunn, meteorologist for the National Weather Service.
Dunn said the past 23 months have been the driest on record in San Antonio. Corpus Christi has received just 3.65 inches of rain this year, almost 13 inches below normal.
Grant said the three water sources in the Colorado River district have plenty of water for its customers. He said the lakes — Ivie, Spence and Thomas — are holding 312,000 acre feet of water with a usage of 80,000 acre feet per year.
For the CRMWD, Grant said going through the spring without rain would be a cause for concern. However, worries about rain may not be a concern as winter approaches.
Dunn, citing forecast models by the National Weather Service, said the state could be entering into an El Niño weather pattern later this year.
That means the central and southern parts of the state have a chance to receive higher-than-average rainfall this winter, he said.
El Niño could also affect the Big Country, but not to the extent as more southern areas.
“It’s strongest in the central and southern parts of the state,” Dunn said. “It could mean wetter (conditions) for most of the state.”
Tommy O’Brien, director of water utilities for the city of Abilene, said residents are fortunate in regards to water levels.
“The whole state’s in a worse drought situation than we are,” O’Brien said. “I don’t think there’s any reason for people to panic.”
“Can it get worse? Yeah,” O’Brien said. “But it also could get better, too.”
