August 4, 2022 -- Drought conditions throughout Texas continue with little relief. The Brazos River Authority has issued a Stage 2 Drought Warning declaration for Lake Proctor. The reservoir is the surface water supply for Upper Leon River Municipal Water District, which is a wholesale water provider, and several other agricultural users.
The BRA has notified each organization with water supply agreements from Lake Proctor that Stage 2 conservation efforts are now in effect. At the Drought Warning stage, the BRA requestsa10 percent reduction in water use from amounts that would have occurred in the absence of any drought contingency measures.
The Stage 2 Drought Warning is part of the Brazos River Authority's Drought Contingency Plan (DCP). This DCP, which is required by the state, is intended to help preserve and extend water supplies during drought conditions and includes recommended actions to achieve the water use reduction goal requested by the BRA.
The DCP has four conditions, or stages, ranging from 1-4 in level of severity. Each stage is tied to corresponding drought severity triggers.
When a reservoir drops below its Stage 1 trigger level, the BRA implements a Stage 1 Drought Watch Condition where customers and the public are made aware of potential drought problems. During Stage 1, there is a recommended 5 percent reduction in water use than would have occurred under normal conditions.
A Stage 1 – Drought Watch was established for Lake Proctor on March 17, 2022. Since that time, Lake Proctor has dropped below its Stage 2 Drought Warning trigger of 1156.1 feet mean sea level. At this level, the reservoir is about 63 percent full.
Should dry conditions continue to the Stage 3 trigger level, a Drought Emergency condition would be initiated with a water use reduction target of 20 percent or greater, depending on conditions that exist at that time.
Under Stage 4 Pro Rata Curtailment, the general process under which the BRA will make water available is in accordance with Texas Water Code §11.039.
There are many simple ways to conserve water at home. Most homes use the majority of water in four areas: bathrooms, the kitchen, the laundry room and outdoor use.
- Do not over-water your lawn. Set sprinklers for times when it is the coolest to avoid evaporation.
- Cover pools and spas to help against evaporation in the summer.
- Choose your plants wisely! Buy plants that are native and can take the heat waves.
- Don't cut your lawn too short. Longer grass absorbs water better than short grass.
- Use lots of mulch in your flowerbeds and around trees to help hold in moisture.
- If you wash your car at home, use a bucket of soapy water and a nozzle on the hose that you can turn on and off.
Tips for the bathroom: Replace showerheads with a more efficient model. This can save up to six gallons of water per minute.
- Place a plastic bag or bottle filled with water in your toilet tank to reduce the amount of water per fill.
- If you have a leak, fix it! Replace worn washers and valves on sinks and pipes. A leaking faucet can waste more than 3,820 gallons of water a year.
- Take showers instead of baths.
- Turn off the water when brushing your teeth or shaving. (Fill the sink with hot water instead of running it continuously.)
- Never run the dishwasher without a full load.
- Don't leave the water running while doing dishes; fill the sink with soapy water.
- Install faucet aerators; they cut the water use in half from the sink.
Tips for the laundry room:
- Wash only full loads and check to see if you have a high-efficiency washer. Some of these washers use up to 40 percent less water and energy than a conventional washer.
- If possible, use a short wash cycle.
A copy of the Brazos River Authority's Drought Contingency Plan can be found here or by contacting the BRA at (254) 761-3100.
About the Brazos River Authority
The Brazos River Authority, with headquarters in Waco, is the oldest river authority in Texas. Created by the Texas Legislature in 1929, the Authority's 42,000 square-mile territory includes all or part of 70 counties, extending from the Texas-New Mexico border west of Lubbock to the Gulf of Mexico near Freeport.
The BRA built, owns, and operates three reservoirs (Lakes Possum Kingdom, Granbury, and Limestone). In addition to these water supply reservoirs, the BRA contracts with the Corps of Engineers for the water supply storage space at eight federal multi-purpose flood control and water conservation reservoirs (Lakes Whitney, Belton, Proctor, Somerville, Stillhouse Hollow, Granger, Georgetown and Aquilla).
The Brazos River Authority operates a regional wastewater system for the cities of Temple-Belton. The BRA also operates wastewater treatment plants for the cities of Clute-Richwood, Sugar Land, and Hutto. The BRA owns and operates a potable water treatment system, the East Williamson County Regional Water System, for the City of Taylor.
The BRA engages in water quality monitoring activities throughout the Brazos River basin. As a member of the Texas Clean River Program, the BRA samples and tests water from more than 100 locations throughout the basin on either a monthly, quarterly or annual basis. For further information on the Brazos River Authority, please contact Judi Pierce, Public Information Officer at 254-761-3103.
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