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| View the U.S. Drought Monitor for Texas - Updated Mar. 2 |
The Drought of 2007-2009
The severe to exceptional drought conditions, which had gripped the Hill Country and Central Texas since autumn 2007, finally eased and diminished last fall when widespread rains returned to the region.
By most accounts, the drought of 2007-2009 was the most severe drought to affect the region since the all-time record drought of the 1950s. 2008 was one of the driest years on record, with rainfall some 17 to 20 inches below normal. And rainfall between September 2007 and August 2009 was among the driest such periods on record. However, the development of El Niño in the summer of 2009 helped produce widespread, soaking autumn rains, significantly improving drought conditions.
For most locations across the Hill Country and Central Texas, calendar year rainfall in 2009 was very close to normal, if not above normal, thanks to the plentiful autumn rains. Despite heavy fall rains across the Middle Texas coastal plains region, rainfall for 2009 still ended up about 8 to 10 inches below normal.
Despite recent rains, drought is not over
The National Drought Monitor map shows the drought has ended across the region. Rainfall has returned to normal. Soil moisture is adequate to wet, and vegetation is no longer stressed due to the dry weather.
However, the hydrologic component to drought has only shown a moderate improvement since the rains began last fall. The recent rains have caused some rises on area lake and aquifer levels, but the rain has not been of a sufficient magnitude to cause them to refill. As a result, the hydrologic component to the recent drought continues.
It will likely take several additional periods of sustained heavy rains to refill area lakes and eliminate the lingering hydrologic drought.
Plentiful January rains
A maturing El Niño helped steer several storm systems across Central and South Texas during January. Each of these storm systems produced widespread soaking rains.
The wettest system occurred Jan. 28-29 when moderate to heavy rains of 2 to 3 inches fell across most of the Hill Country. Totals in excess of 4 inches fell in the watershed above Lake Buchanan. Rain totals with this system were considerably less across the rest of the region.
Rainfall for the entire month of January was above normal across the Hill Country and the Interstate 35 corridor with some locations more than 3 inches above normal. Across the remainder of Central Texas and the coastal plains region, rainfall was near normal.
Highlights of the 2007-2009 drought
The drought’s effects in 2009:
Looking back at the height of the drought this past summer, the month of June was the second hottest June on record for both Austin and San Antonio. The month of July was the hottest July on record and the hottest month ever recorded for both cities. The month of August was the hottest August ever recorded in Austin and the second hottest August for San Antonio.
Austin recorded 16 days with temperatures at or above 100 degrees in June, 26 days in July and 25 days in August. Although the temperature has not risen above 106 degrees all summer, the long stretch of triple-digit heat has been the hottest on record. In Austin, the average temperature between June 1 and Aug. 31 was 88.4 degrees, making this the hottest summer ever recorded. This summer beat the previous hottest summers of 2008 and 1998 by 1.7 degrees.
Rainfall in Austin of 35.23 inches from September 2007 to August 2009 was the third driest two-year period for Austin, dating back to 1856. Rainfall in San Antonio of 24.83 inches was the driest two-year period on record, dating back to 1885.
The drought's effects in 2008:
2008 turned out to be one of the driest years on record and the driest year since the mid-1950s. Rainfall was generally 16 to 20 inches below normal.
Austin at Camp Mabry: 2008 was the driest year since 1956 and the fourth driest year on record since 1856. Total rainfall of 16.07 inches was about 48 percent of annual average of 33.65 inches.
Austin at Austin-Bergstrom International Airport: 2008 was the driest year since 1956 and the fifth driest year on record since 1943. Total rainfall of 15.98 inches was about 46 percent of annual average of 34.72 inches.
San Antonio: 2008 was the third driest year on record since 1871. Total rainfall of 13.76 inches was about 42 percent of annual average of 32.92 inches.
Victoria: 2008 was the fifth driest year on record since 1900. Total rainfall of 27.71 inches was about 69 percent of annual average of 40.10 inches.
Inflows into the Highland Lakes during 2008 were the lowest since LCRA began keeping records in 1942. So far in 2009, inflows remain well below average.
Has it been this dry before?
Yes. Our region has encountered more severe droughts, including the decade-long Drought of Record of the 1940s and ’50s. More recently, the lower Colorado River basin underwent severe droughts in the mid-1980s, 1996, 1999-2000 and 2005-2006.
See historic lake levels.
What will it take to refill the lakes and end the drought?
Lots of rain – more than scattered showers. Only a series of heavy storms over the Hill Country, producing several inches of rain, will resaturate the soils and refill lakes Travis and Buchanan.
Recreation on the Highland Lakes is affected by the decline in elevations. As lake levels continue to drop, access to the Highland Lakes through a boat ramp at an LCRA park becomes more difficult. View the latest Boat Ramp information to learn the minimum lake levels for launching boats onto the Highland Lakes.
Why does LCRA continue making releases from the Highland Lakes when it isn’t raining?
A major reason why LCRA built lakes Travis and Buchanan was to provide the lower Colorado River basin with a reliable source of water, especially during periods of drought. The releases serve a variety of customers throughout the basin, such as communities (including the City of Austin), industry (including electric power plants), and agriculture. LCRA's state-approved plan for the operation of the Highland Lakes includes requirements to provide water for river habitat and water quality along the lower river and for the health and productivity of Matagorda Bay. During droughts, when LCRA must release more water than the rains are replenishing, the levels of Travis and Buchanan will drop. Even so, the lakes are performing their intended jobs of providing the basin with a reliable source of water.
LCRA follows a state-approved plan to manage the region's water supply
LCRA’s Water Management Plan is approved by the state and is designed to ensure a dependable source of water for LCRA water customers even during the worst drought on record. The plan calls for curtailment (or reduction) of water supplies to interruptible customers and reducing releases for environmental needs when the amount of water in lakes Travis and Buchanan drop below certain levels, or ”trigger points.” LCRA has successfully managed water resources during previous droughts and floods.
The latest from Bob Rose, LCRA Chief Meteorologist
Weather trends and long-range weather forecasts indicate a pattern of normal to above-normal rainfall will continue through late spring.
A moderate El Niño remains in place across the Pacific. El Niño patterns typically cause wetter-than-normal conditions across Texas during the fall and winter months. In fact, most El Niños cause about a 30 to 40 percent increase in rainfall across Central Texas during the winter months.
El Niño peaked in intensity in late December, and the latest forecasts indicate the El Niño will slowly weaken in intensity between now and June. Despite the weakening, El Niño will continue to influence on our region’s weather through spring, causing continued normal to above normal rainfall.
Temperatures are forecast to be average below normal during February and March and near normal during April and May. The early outlook for this summer calls for near normal rainfall and slightly above normal temperatures.
More information is available at Bob Rose's weather blog.
How to save water
Since 1999, LCRA has adopted a Water Conservation Plan that provides for water conservation to be a part of normal, day-to-day water use. Learn more about these water saving tips.
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