{"id":5821,"date":"2012-02-14T07:00:30","date_gmt":"2012-02-14T13:00:30","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/?p=5821"},"modified":"2013-11-15T20:36:02","modified_gmt":"2013-11-16T02:36:02","slug":"could-there-be-another-spicewood-beach","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/2012\/02\/14\/could-there-be-another-spicewood-beach\/","title":{"rendered":"Could Other Texas Towns Run Dry Like Spicewood Beach?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\t\t<style type=\"text\/css\">\n\t\t\t#gallery-1 {\n\t\t\t\tmargin: auto;\n\t\t\t}\n\t\t\t#gallery-1 .gallery-item {\n\t\t\t\tfloat: left;\n\t\t\t\tmargin-top: 10px;\n\t\t\t\ttext-align: center;\n\t\t\t\twidth: 33%;\n\t\t\t}\n\t\t\t#gallery-1 img {\n\t\t\t\tborder: 2px solid #cfcfcf;\n\t\t\t}\n\t\t\t#gallery-1 .gallery-caption {\n\t\t\t\tmargin-left: 0;\n\t\t\t}\n\t\t\t\/* see gallery_shortcode() in wp-includes\/media.php *\/\n\t\t<\/style>\n\t\t<div id='gallery-1' class='gallery galleryid-5821 gallery-columns-3 gallery-size-thumbnail'><dl class='gallery-item'>\n\t\t\t<dt class='gallery-icon landscape'>\n\t\t\t\t<a href='https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/2012\/02\/14\/could-there-be-another-spicewood-beach\/edited_2012_02_07_spicewood_silvercreek010\/'><img width=\"150\" height=\"150\" src=\"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/files\/2012\/02\/edited_2012_02_07_Spicewood_Silvercreek010-150x150.jpg\" class=\"attachment-thumbnail size-thumbnail\" alt=\"\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" aria-describedby=\"gallery-1-5882\" srcset=\"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/files\/2012\/02\/edited_2012_02_07_Spicewood_Silvercreek010-150x150.jpg 150w, https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/files\/2012\/02\/edited_2012_02_07_Spicewood_Silvercreek010-140x140.jpg 140w, https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/files\/2012\/02\/edited_2012_02_07_Spicewood_Silvercreek010-60x60.jpg 60w, https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/files\/2012\/02\/edited_2012_02_07_Spicewood_Silvercreek010-100x100.jpg 100w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 150px) 100vw, 150px\" \/><\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/dt>\n\t\t\t\t<dd class='wp-caption-text gallery-caption' id='gallery-1-5882'>\n\t\t\t\tThe Highland Lakes have come dangerously close to reaching historic lows during the drought.\n\t\t\t\t<\/dd><\/dl><dl class='gallery-item'>\n\t\t\t<dt class='gallery-icon landscape'>\n\t\t\t\t<a href='https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/2012\/02\/14\/could-there-be-another-spicewood-beach\/edited_2012_02_07_spicewood_silvercreek349\/'><img width=\"150\" height=\"150\" src=\"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/files\/2012\/02\/edited_2012_02_07_Spicewood_Silvercreek349-150x150.jpg\" class=\"attachment-thumbnail size-thumbnail\" alt=\"\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" aria-describedby=\"gallery-1-5885\" srcset=\"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/files\/2012\/02\/edited_2012_02_07_Spicewood_Silvercreek349-150x150.jpg 150w, https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/files\/2012\/02\/edited_2012_02_07_Spicewood_Silvercreek349-140x140.jpg 140w, https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/files\/2012\/02\/edited_2012_02_07_Spicewood_Silvercreek349-60x60.jpg 60w, https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/files\/2012\/02\/edited_2012_02_07_Spicewood_Silvercreek349-100x100.jpg 100w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 150px) 100vw, 150px\" \/><\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/dt>\n\t\t\t\t<dd class='wp-caption-text gallery-caption' id='gallery-1-5885'>\n\t\t\t\tThousands of gallons of water are trucked in each day to keep the taps flowing in Spicewood Beach\n\t\t\t\t<\/dd><\/dl><dl class='gallery-item'>\n\t\t\t<dt class='gallery-icon landscape'>\n\t\t\t\t<a href='https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/2012\/02\/14\/could-there-be-another-spicewood-beach\/edited_2012_02_07_spicewood_silvercreek393\/'><img width=\"150\" height=\"150\" src=\"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/files\/2012\/02\/edited_2012_02_07_Spicewood_Silvercreek393-150x150.jpg\" class=\"attachment-thumbnail size-thumbnail\" alt=\"\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" aria-describedby=\"gallery-1-5886\" srcset=\"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/files\/2012\/02\/edited_2012_02_07_Spicewood_Silvercreek393-150x150.jpg 150w, https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/files\/2012\/02\/edited_2012_02_07_Spicewood_Silvercreek393-140x140.jpg 140w, https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/files\/2012\/02\/edited_2012_02_07_Spicewood_Silvercreek393-60x60.jpg 60w, https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/files\/2012\/02\/edited_2012_02_07_Spicewood_Silvercreek393-100x100.jpg 100w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 150px) 100vw, 150px\" \/><\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/dt>\n\t\t\t\t<dd class='wp-caption-text gallery-caption' id='gallery-1-5886'>\n\t\t\t\tAlthough Spicewood Beach sits on Lake Travis, falling lake levels have led the community to run dry.\n\t\t\t\t<\/dd><\/dl><br style=\"clear: both\" \/><dl class='gallery-item'>\n\t\t\t<dt class='gallery-icon portrait'>\n\t\t\t\t<a href='https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/2012\/02\/14\/could-there-be-another-spicewood-beach\/edited_2012_02_07_spicewood_silvercreek132\/'><img width=\"150\" height=\"150\" src=\"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/files\/2012\/02\/edited_2012_02_07_Spicewood_Silvercreek132-e1329327598723-150x150.jpg\" class=\"attachment-thumbnail size-thumbnail\" alt=\"\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" aria-describedby=\"gallery-1-5884\" \/><\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/dt>\n\t\t\t\t<dd class='wp-caption-text gallery-caption' id='gallery-1-5884'>\n\t\t\t\tLongtime resident L.J. Honeycutt says TK.\n\t\t\t\t<\/dd><\/dl><dl class='gallery-item'>\n\t\t\t<dt class='gallery-icon landscape'>\n\t\t\t\t<a href='https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/2012\/02\/14\/could-there-be-another-spicewood-beach\/photo-2-2\/'><img width=\"150\" height=\"150\" src=\"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/files\/2012\/02\/photo-2-150x150.jpg\" class=\"attachment-thumbnail size-thumbnail\" alt=\"\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" aria-describedby=\"gallery-1-5838\" srcset=\"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/files\/2012\/02\/photo-2-150x150.jpg 150w, https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/files\/2012\/02\/photo-2-140x140.jpg 140w, https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/files\/2012\/02\/photo-2-60x60.jpg 60w, https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/files\/2012\/02\/photo-2-100x100.jpg 100w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 150px) 100vw, 150px\" \/><\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/dt>\n\t\t\t\t<dd class='wp-caption-text gallery-caption' id='gallery-1-5838'>\n\t\t\t\tReceding waters have ravaged communities in the Highland Lakes.\n\t\t\t\t<\/dd><\/dl><dl class='gallery-item'>\n\t\t\t<dt class='gallery-icon landscape'>\n\t\t\t\t<a href='https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/2012\/02\/14\/could-there-be-another-spicewood-beach\/edited_2012_02_07_spicewood_silvercreek100\/'><img width=\"150\" height=\"150\" src=\"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/files\/2012\/02\/edited_2012_02_07_Spicewood_Silvercreek100-150x150.jpg\" class=\"attachment-thumbnail size-thumbnail\" alt=\"\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" aria-describedby=\"gallery-1-5883\" srcset=\"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/files\/2012\/02\/edited_2012_02_07_Spicewood_Silvercreek100-150x150.jpg 150w, https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/files\/2012\/02\/edited_2012_02_07_Spicewood_Silvercreek100-140x140.jpg 140w, https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/files\/2012\/02\/edited_2012_02_07_Spicewood_Silvercreek100-60x60.jpg 60w, https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/files\/2012\/02\/edited_2012_02_07_Spicewood_Silvercreek100-100x100.jpg 100w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 150px) 100vw, 150px\" \/><\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/dt>\n\t\t\t\t<dd class='wp-caption-text gallery-caption' id='gallery-1-5883'>\n\t\t\t\tA volunteer &#8220;security guard&#8221; goes on patrol in Spicewood Beach\n\t\t\t\t<\/dd><\/dl><br style=\"clear: both\" \/><dl class='gallery-item'>\n\t\t\t<dt class='gallery-icon landscape'>\n\t\t\t\t<a href='https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/2012\/02\/14\/could-there-be-another-spicewood-beach\/sharp\/'><img width=\"150\" height=\"150\" src=\"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/files\/2012\/02\/sharp-150x150.jpg\" class=\"attachment-thumbnail size-thumbnail\" alt=\"\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" aria-describedby=\"gallery-1-5867\" srcset=\"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/files\/2012\/02\/sharp-150x150.jpg 150w, https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/files\/2012\/02\/sharp-140x140.jpg 140w, https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/files\/2012\/02\/sharp-60x60.jpg 60w, https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/files\/2012\/02\/sharp-100x100.jpg 100w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 150px) 100vw, 150px\" \/><\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/dt>\n\t\t\t\t<dd class='wp-caption-text gallery-caption' id='gallery-1-5867'>\n\t\t\t\tDr. Jack Sharp studies hydrology at UT&#8217;s Jackson School.\n\t\t\t\t<\/dd><\/dl><dl class='gallery-item'>\n\t\t\t<dt class='gallery-icon landscape'>\n\t\t\t\t<a href='https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/2012\/02\/14\/could-there-be-another-spicewood-beach\/edited_2012_02_07_spicewood_silvercreek480\/'><img width=\"150\" height=\"150\" src=\"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/files\/2012\/02\/edited_2012_02_07_Spicewood_Silvercreek480-150x150.jpg\" class=\"attachment-thumbnail size-thumbnail\" alt=\"\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" aria-describedby=\"gallery-1-5887\" srcset=\"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/files\/2012\/02\/edited_2012_02_07_Spicewood_Silvercreek480-150x150.jpg 150w, https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/files\/2012\/02\/edited_2012_02_07_Spicewood_Silvercreek480-140x140.jpg 140w, https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/files\/2012\/02\/edited_2012_02_07_Spicewood_Silvercreek480-60x60.jpg 60w, https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/files\/2012\/02\/edited_2012_02_07_Spicewood_Silvercreek480-100x100.jpg 100w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 150px) 100vw, 150px\" \/><\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/dt>\n\t\t\t\t<dd class='wp-caption-text gallery-caption' id='gallery-1-5887'>\n\t\t\t\tWill Silver Creek Village be the next town to run dry during the Texas drought?\n\t\t\t\t<\/dd><\/dl><dl class='gallery-item'>\n\t\t\t<dt class='gallery-icon landscape'>\n\t\t\t\t<a href='https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/2012\/02\/14\/could-there-be-another-spicewood-beach\/nelson-brock\/'><img width=\"150\" height=\"150\" src=\"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/files\/2012\/02\/nelson-brock-150x150.jpg\" class=\"attachment-thumbnail size-thumbnail\" alt=\"\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" aria-describedby=\"gallery-1-5868\" srcset=\"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/files\/2012\/02\/nelson-brock-150x150.jpg 150w, https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/files\/2012\/02\/nelson-brock-140x140.jpg 140w, https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/files\/2012\/02\/nelson-brock-60x60.jpg 60w, https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/files\/2012\/02\/nelson-brock-100x100.jpg 100w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 150px) 100vw, 150px\" \/><\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/dt>\n\t\t\t\t<dd class='wp-caption-text gallery-caption' id='gallery-1-5868'>\n\t\t\t\tNelson Brock works for the community water system in Silver Creek Texas, He&#8217;s watched wells dry up as nearby lake Buchanan recedes.\n\t\t\t\t<\/dd><\/dl><br style=\"clear: both\" \/><dl class='gallery-item'>\n\t\t\t<dt class='gallery-icon landscape'>\n\t\t\t\t<a href='https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/2012\/02\/14\/could-there-be-another-spicewood-beach\/edited_2012_02_07_spicewood_silvercreek526\/'><img width=\"150\" height=\"150\" src=\"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/files\/2012\/02\/edited_2012_02_07_Spicewood_Silvercreek526-150x150.jpg\" class=\"attachment-thumbnail size-thumbnail\" alt=\"\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" aria-describedby=\"gallery-1-5888\" srcset=\"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/files\/2012\/02\/edited_2012_02_07_Spicewood_Silvercreek526-150x150.jpg 150w, https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/files\/2012\/02\/edited_2012_02_07_Spicewood_Silvercreek526-140x140.jpg 140w, https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/files\/2012\/02\/edited_2012_02_07_Spicewood_Silvercreek526-60x60.jpg 60w, https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/files\/2012\/02\/edited_2012_02_07_Spicewood_Silvercreek526-100x100.jpg 100w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 150px) 100vw, 150px\" \/><\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/dt>\n\t\t\t\t<dd class='wp-caption-text gallery-caption' id='gallery-1-5888'>\n\t\t\t\tResidents in Silver Creek Village worry their wells, which depend on Lake Buchanan, will soon run dry.\n\t\t\t\t<\/dd><\/dl>\n\t\t\t<br style='clear: both' \/>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\n<p>After a year of <a href=\"http:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/topic\/drought\/\">record-breaking heat and drought<\/a>, it began to seem inevitable that a town in Texas would run dry. What might have come as a surprise is that the town would have a name like \u201c<a href=\"http:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/2012\/01\/31\/when-wells-run-dry-spicewood-beach-is-out-of-water\/\">Spicewood Beach<\/a>.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Perched on the shores of Central Texas\u2019 largest reservoir, the small lakeside community doesn\u2019t seem like the kind of place where wells suddenly fail and <a href=\"http:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/2012\/02\/02\/where-did-spicewood-beachs-water-go\/\">water needs to be shipped in by tanker truck<\/a>. Yet one of the persistent complaints from people in <a href=\"http:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/topic\/spicewood-beach\/\">Spicewood Beach<\/a> is that the <a href=\"http:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/topic\/lcra\/\">Lower Colordo River Authority<\/a> (LCRA), the Agency that owns the Spicewood Beach well, <a href=\"http:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/2012\/02\/02\/where-did-spicewood-beachs-water-go\/\">didn\u2019t see the danger signs sooner<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe didn\u2019t get any warning!\u201d said Robert Salinas on a recent afternoon.<\/p>\n\n<p>It\u2019s an example of the way the <a href=\"http:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/topic\/drought\/\">Texas drought<\/a> is throwing into question the usefulness of old distinctions between surface water from Texas lakes and rivers, and groundwater from Texas\u00a0wells.<\/p>\n<p>If it happened at\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/topic\/spicewood-beach\/\">Spicewood Beach<\/a>, could it happen to another Highland Lake well?<\/p>\n<p><!--more--><\/p>\n<div class=\"related-content alignright\"><h4 class=\"related-header\">Related<\/h4><div class=\"links\"><h5>Posts<\/h5><ul><li class=\"link\"><a href=\"http:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/2012\/02\/03\/spicewood-beach-haulers-used-more-water-than-elementary-school\/\">Spicewood Beach Hauler Used More Water Than Elementary School<\/a><\/li><li class=\"link\"><a href=\"http:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/2012\/02\/02\/where-did-spicewood-beachs-water-go\/\">Where Did Spicewood Beach\u2019s Water\u00a0Go?<\/a><\/li><li class=\"link\"><a href=\"http:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/2012\/01\/31\/when-wells-run-dry-spicewood-beach-is-out-of-water\/\">When Wells Run Dry: Spicewood Beach, Texas is Out of\u00a0Water<\/a><\/li><li class=\"link\"><a href=\"http:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/2012\/01\/26\/during-texas-drought-will-spicewood-beach-be-the-first-town-to-run-dry\/\">During Texas Drought, Will Spicewood Beach Be the First to Run\u00a0Dry?<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/div><div class=\"topics\"><h5>Topics<\/h5><p class=\"topic\"><img class=\"alignleft\" src=\"http:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/files\/2012\/01\/pipe-worker-60x60.jpg\" height=\"60\" width=\"60\" \/><a href=\"http:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/topic\/spicewood-beach\/\">What is Spicewood Beach?<\/a><\/p><p class=\"topic\"><img class=\"alignleft\" src=\"http:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/files\/2011\/11\/119835727-60x60.jpg\" height=\"60\" width=\"60\" \/><a href=\"http:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/topic\/drought\/\">Everything You Need to Know About the Texas Drought<\/a><\/p><p class=\"topic\"><img class=\"alignleft\" src=\"http:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/files\/2011\/08\/Lake_Travis_Economic_Impact_Pics-103-60x60.jpg\" height=\"60\" width=\"60\" \/><a href=\"http:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/topic\/lcra\/\">What Is The Lower Colorado River Authority?<\/a><\/p><\/div><\/div>\n<p>Taking a lunch break from a construction job right next to the site where the <a href=\"http:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/topic\/lcra\/\">LCRA <\/a>now brings water in by truck, Salinas and his friend Martin Peterson said the three weeks between the time the LCRA stopped selling Spicewood Beach\u2019s water and when the well failed <a href=\"http:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/2012\/02\/02\/where-did-spicewood-beachs-water-go\/\">doesn\u2019t seem like a warning at all<\/a>. Peterson says the Agency should have known the well was in trouble just by casting a glance to the water level in Lake Travis right next door. He says well water and lake water are one in the\u00a0same.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThey do tie in, yes [the water] bleeds through the ground into the well,\u201d said Peterson.<\/p>\n<p>While neither Peterson nor Salinas are hydrologists, they\u2019re right about how the well worked says\u00a0 <a href=\"http:\/\/www.geo.utexas.edu\/faculty\/jmsharp\/default.htm\">Dr. Jack Sharp,<\/a> a water expert with University of Texas at Austin\u2019s <a href=\"http:\/\/www.jsg.utexas.edu\/\">Jackson School of Geosciences<\/a>.<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_5867\"  class=\"wp-caption module image left\" style=\"max-width: 150px;\"><a class=\"fancybox\" title=\"Dr. Jack Sharp studies hydrology at UT's Jackson School.\" href=\"http:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/files\/2012\/02\/sharp.jpg\" rel=\"\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-thumbnail wp-image-5867\" title=\"sharp\" alt=\"\" src=\"http:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/files\/2012\/02\/sharp-150x150.jpg\" width=\"150\" height=\"150\" srcset=\"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/files\/2012\/02\/sharp-150x150.jpg 150w, https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/files\/2012\/02\/sharp-140x140.jpg 140w, https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/files\/2012\/02\/sharp-60x60.jpg 60w, https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/files\/2012\/02\/sharp-100x100.jpg 100w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 150px) 100vw, 150px\" \/><\/a><p class=\"wp-media-credit\">Mose Buchele for StateImpact Texas<\/p><p class=\"wp-caption-text\">Dr. Jack Sharp studies hydrology at UT&#39;s Jackson School of Geosciences.<\/p><\/div>\n<p>\u201cThat\u2019s a very shallow well in the alluvium up there. Interesting,\u201d confirmed Sharp after a quick search of online records.<\/p>\n<p>An alluvial well is a well that gets its water from a nearby surface water source, in this case Lake Travis. With lake levels dropping and the <a href=\"http:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/topic\/lcra\/\">LCRA<\/a> and the community pumping water out of the well, Sharp says it\u2019s no surprise the Spicewood Beach system failed.<\/p>\n<p>So are other wells in the region likely to go dry?<\/p>\n<p>LCRA&#8217;s Water Operations Manager Ryan Rowney says he doesn&#8217;t think it&#8217;s likely in the near future. But the drought means that anything is possible.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe\u2019re all in uncharted territory here. We\u2019re not really sure what\u2019s going to happen in the ground water in our area. This is new for all of us,&#8221; Rowney told StateImpact Texas.<\/p>\n<p><strong>As Texas Lakes Recede, Wells Go Dry<\/strong><\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_5838\"  class=\"wp-caption module image right\" style=\"max-width: 300px;\"><a class=\"fancybox\" title=\"Receding waters have ravaged communities in the Highland Lakes.\" href=\"http:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/files\/2012\/02\/photo-2.jpg\" rel=\"\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-5838\" title=\"Receding waters have ravaged communities in the Highland Lakes.\" alt=\"\" src=\"http:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/files\/2012\/02\/photo-2-300x200.jpg\" width=\"300\" height=\"200\" srcset=\"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/files\/2012\/02\/photo-2-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/files\/2012\/02\/photo-2-620x413.jpg 620w, https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/files\/2012\/02\/photo-2-220x146.jpg 220w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a><p class=\"wp-media-credit\">Photo by Jeff Heimsath for StateImpact Texas<\/p><p class=\"wp-caption-text\">Receding waters have ravaged communities in the Highland Lakes.<\/p><\/div>\n<p>While he says there aren\u2019t many other alluvial wells in the Highland Lakes system, Rowney agrees that wells they are affected by dropping lake levels. When the lake level goes down, the water in the wells does, too.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;There are other parts of the state where that\u2019s the case as well, where there\u2019s an identified connection between a surface water source and groundwater source,\u201d Hydrologist <a href=\"http:\/\/intera.com\/about-intera\/personnel\/barney-austin-phd-pe-director-of-hydrologic-services\/\">Barney Austin<\/a> told StateImpact Texas.<\/p>\n<p>Austin works with<a href=\"http:\/\/intera.com\/\"> Intera<\/a>, an environmental consulting group. He says groundwater from wells is traditionally tested for surface water to gauge water quality. Surface water is more likely to contain contaminants and requires more extensive treatment. But in a drought there\u2019s another reason to test for surface water.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt\u2019s also important to identify when there\u2019s a connection because obviously if your lake level is dropping then you want to know about that in your groundwater levels,&#8221; said Austin.<\/p>\n<p>That\u2019s where some say the state hasn\u2019t been paying enough attention.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Wells Go Untested<\/strong><\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_5886\"  class=\"wp-caption module image left\" style=\"max-width: 300px;\"><a class=\"fancybox\" title=\"Although Spicewood Beach sits on Lake Travis, falling lake levels have led the community to run dry.\" href=\"http:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/files\/2012\/02\/edited_2012_02_07_Spicewood_Silvercreek393.jpg\" rel=\"\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-5886\" title=\"edited_2012_02_07_Spicewood_Silvercreek393\" alt=\"\" src=\"http:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/files\/2012\/02\/edited_2012_02_07_Spicewood_Silvercreek393-300x200.jpg\" width=\"300\" height=\"200\" srcset=\"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/files\/2012\/02\/edited_2012_02_07_Spicewood_Silvercreek393-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/files\/2012\/02\/edited_2012_02_07_Spicewood_Silvercreek393-620x413.jpg 620w, https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/files\/2012\/02\/edited_2012_02_07_Spicewood_Silvercreek393-220x146.jpg 220w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a><p class=\"wp-media-credit\">Photo by Jeff Heimsath\/StateImpact Texas<\/p><p class=\"wp-caption-text\">Although Spicewood Beach sits on Lake Travis, falling lake levels have led the community to run dry.<\/p><\/div>\n<p>The <a href=\"http:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/topic\/tceq\/\">Texas Commission on Environmental Quality <\/a>(TCEQ) tests groundwater wells to see if they are fed by surface water. \u00a0But those tests have <a href=\"http:\/\/www.beg.utexas.edu\/tceq\/docs\/BEG_GWUDI_2009.pdf\">been called unreliable<\/a>. For example, Spicewood Beach\u2019s well tested positive for surface water contamination once and negative another time, according to Intera\u2019s Barney Austin. The TCEQ says it tests 10 to 15 wells a year, yet the commission concedes that there are drinking water wells in the state that have never been tested.<\/p>\n<p>Some water planners, like LCRA&#8217;s Ryan Rowney, say a clearer understanding of what wells are influenced by surface water would help during the drought.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI think at this point in time yes, because every drop of water counts,\u201d Rowney told StateImpact Texas.<\/p>\n<p>And UT&#8217;s Jack Sharp envisions a day when the entire distinction between surface water and groundwater is thrown out the window, and the state&#8217;s water supply is viewed as one interconnected whole.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Waiting, With an Eye to the Lake<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>In the meantime, communities near Texas reservoirs wait to see what lower water levels will mean for their wells. One of them is a place called Silver Creek, about 30 miles north of Spicewood Beach.<\/p>\n<p>Silver Creek sits on what used to be the edge of Lake Buchanan. But in the drought, freshwater clam shells crunch underfoot where water once flowed. The lake is <a href=\"http:\/\/www.lcra.org\/water\/drought\/index.html\">21 feet below its average water level<\/a>, and the exposed ground is littered with shells and dead fish. The town went into stage three water restrictions last October.<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_5868\"  class=\"wp-caption module image left\" style=\"max-width: 300px;\"><a class=\"fancybox\" title=\"Nelson Brock works for the community water system in Silver Creek Texas, He's watched wells dry up as nearby lake Buchanan recedes.\" href=\"http:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/files\/2012\/02\/nelson-brock.jpg\" rel=\"\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-5868\" title=\"nelson brock\" alt=\"\" src=\"http:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/files\/2012\/02\/nelson-brock-300x200.jpg\" width=\"300\" height=\"200\" srcset=\"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/files\/2012\/02\/nelson-brock-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/files\/2012\/02\/nelson-brock-620x413.jpg 620w, https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/files\/2012\/02\/nelson-brock-220x146.jpg 220w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a><p class=\"wp-media-credit\">Photo by Jeff Heimsath for StatImpact Texas.<\/p><p class=\"wp-caption-text\">Nelson Brock works for the community water system in Silver Creek Texas, He&#39;s watched wells dry up as nearby lake Buchanan recedes.<\/p><\/div>\n<p>&#8220;Our main well went dry so we had to go to our secondary well and that\u2019s what were using now,\u201d Nelson Brock, who handles the books for the local public water system, told StateImpact Texas.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou know if the well did go dry we\u2019d have to truck in water, <a href=\"http:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/2012\/02\/02\/where-did-spicewood-beachs-water-go\/\">like Spicewood Beach is doing<\/a>,\u201d Brock said.<\/p>\n<p>He and the 200 people served by the water system hope it won&#8217;t come to that. The community has dug a new well. But getting it permitted and running could take five or six months. Until then, Brock says, he\u2019ll be keeping one eye on the sky watching for rain, and one eye on the lake.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The Texas drought is throwing into question the usefulness of old distinctions between surface water and groundwater.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":51,"featured_media":5868,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[60],"tags":[61,31,107,33],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5821"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/51"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=5821"}],"version-history":[{"count":51,"href":"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5821\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":5893,"href":"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5821\/revisions\/5893"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/5868"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5821"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=5821"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=5821"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}