The Brazos River Authority has informed customers accessing water from Whitney, Aquilla, Granbury and Limestone lakes that a Stage 1 – Drought Watch has been declared. The watch is the result of the drier than normal conditions in this portion of the Brazos River Basin and is a response to drought trigger levels established by the BRA’s Drought Contingency Plan.
One of the trigger points for Stage 1 – Drought Watch for these reservoirs is the Palmer Hydrologic Drought Index (PHDI) being equal to or less than -2.4. The PHDI, which is a product of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, is an indicator for how wet or dry conditions are within a particular area.
Due to the drier than normal conditions in the Granbury, Whitney, Aquilla and Limestone lake areas, the monthly PHDI for each of these reservoirs has dropped below the -2.4 trigger.
The goal of the Stage 1 Drought Watch is to raise awareness of the developing drought situation and achieve a voluntary reduction of five percent in water use.
The BRA has requested that customers who obtain their water supply from lakes Granbury, Whitney, Aquilla, and Limestone consider implementing their individual drought contingency plans; increase public education efforts on ways to reduce water use; notify customers of actions being taken, and any other actions deemed appropriate for their individual situation.
The BRA’s Drought Contingency Plan provides for several lake-level triggering criteria, based on four levels of potential drought conditions. Should Stage II triggering criteria be met, both BRA customers and the general public will be notified. Customers will be asked to reduce water consumption by 10 percent or more depending on conditions at that time.
The BRA continues to monitor water supply and drought conditions within the basin and will notify both customers and the public when changes under the BRA plan are made or additional action is required.
The Lakelander 