Brian Smith is is with the Barton Springs Edwards Aquifer Conservation District, the Senior Hydrogeologist there. He spoke with News 8 Austin’s Paul Brown about the new restrictions.
Q: Let me ask you first of all. We’re talking about critical stage drought. What brought us to this point?
Smith: Well, we just went through a period of alarm stage of drought. The Board of Directors of the Barton Springs Conservation District declared in February of this year 2006, and essentially what lead us into the alarm stage of drought was a lack of rainfall in 2005 and continued low rainfall in 2006. And that low rainfall brings about lack of flow in the major creeks across the recharge zone of the aquifer, and without that flow, we get very little recharge. Therefore, we have draining out of Barton Springs and being pumped out of the aquifer by the users and we ended up with decreasing water levels in wells and decreased spring flow at Barton Springs.
Q: Now, you are trying to get a 30 percent reduction in use. So, what does that mean to the general customer or what can they not do now?
Smith: Well, now that we are asking for 30 percent reductions from the users, and this is our permitted users and their end users who are typically a household with a lawn they like to keep green, but at this point, they basically are prohibited from watering their lawn, other than using a hand-held hose with an automatic cutoff device, and they can water minimal amounts just around the house in order to keep the foundation, the soil around it moist and perhaps for fire concerns and minor watering of some vegetation near the house.
Q: And you’re prepared and anticipating continued dry conditions?
Smith: Well, from what the weather people say, not much rain on the horizon. Now, that might change in a few months, it might not. If we don’t get some of the rains that we typically have in the fall, winter and early spring, we could be heading into another hot, dry summer in 2007, much deeper into drought in much worse condition, too.
Q: And the area and region that is affected, because a lot of people sometimes don’t realize what their supply is, what area are we talking about?
Smith: Well, within the Barton Springs Aquifer District, which starts at Colorado River and goes toward Kyle, most of the people in the northern part get their water from the city. So, it’s really southern Travis County and on into northern Hays County. It depends on the aquifer for their drinking water. | 
