Title
Receive report from EAA staff regarding Edwards Aquifer 2024 Critical Period Management, permitted groundwater authorization, reported use, and possible over-pumping.
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STAFF RECOMMENDED MOTION:
None. This item is for discussion purposes only.
SUMMARY:
The purpose of this agenda item is for the Permits/Enforcement Committee to receive a report from EAA staff regarding 2024 groundwater withdrawal permits, reported usage by permit holders, and a review of 2024 critical period management (CPM), where groundwater withdrawal interruptions were made to applicable permit holders in the San Antonio and Uvalde pools of the Edwards Aquifer.
EAA rules require all non-exempt withdrawals to be metered and authorized for use within a calendar year. At the end of each year, permit holders are required to file annual use reports with the EAA, which must include, as a minimum, a beginning-year and an ending-year meter reading. From these readings, “annual use” is calculated. EAA staff review these reports, verify the annual use calculations, and compare validated annual use to each permit holder’s annual authorized withdrawal amount. Authorized withdrawal amounts were affected by CPM reductions in 2024 in the San Antonio and Uvalde Pools of the Edwards Aquifer.
2024 Critical Period Management:
In 2024, declining water levels as measured at the Bexar County Index Well (J-17) and springflow measurements at Comal springs combined to trigger EAA’s CPM program for a total of 366 days (leap year) in the San Antonio pool of the Edwards Aquifer. CPM conditions entered Stage 2 for one period: from January 25 to April 2 (69 days); entered Stage 3 for five periods: from January 1 to Jan 24 (24 days); from April 3 to June 5 (64 days); from June 21 to June 29 (9 days); from July 24 to August 21 (29 days); and from September 16 to September 17; and entered Stage 4 for four periods: from June 6 to June 20 (15 days); from June 30 to July 23 (24 days); from August 22 to September 15 (25 days); and from September 18 to December 31 (105 days) resulting in an overall reduction of 36.4% to applicable permit holders (Municipal and Industrial permit holders, and Irrigation permit holders who did not file Notices of Intent to Finish Out a Crop).
Water levels at the Uvalde Index Well (J-27) triggered EAA's CPM program for a total of 366 days (leap year) in the Uvalde pool of the Edwards Aquifer. CPM conditions entered Stage 3 from January 1 to March 9 (69 days); entered stage 4 March 10 to April 5 (27 days); and entered Stage 5 from April 6 to December 31 (270 days) resulting in an overall reduction of 38.9% to applicable permit holders (Municipal and Industrial permit holders; and irrigation permit holders who did not file Notices of Intent to Finish Out a Crop)
2024 Groundwater Use Permits:
In 2024, EAA records show 1,199 groundwater permit holders held 2,084 individual permits to withdraw a total of 571,599 acre-feet from the Edwards Aquifer. Based on CPM conditions, reductions were made to applicable permits, resulting in a reduction of 189,357 acre-feet, and leaving a total of 382,242 acre-feet available for use. A breakdown, by permitted use in acre-feet (rounded), is as follows:
Use # of Permits Permitted CPM Reduced Available for Use
Municipal 487 340,197 123,995 216,496
Industrial 396 43,383 15,755 27,629
Irrigation 1,201 188,019 49,607 138,116
2024 Reported Groundwater withdrawals:
Reported groundwater use totaled 300,309 acre-feet of metered withdrawals from the Edwards Aquifer in 2024. This usage equates to about 78% of the total groundwater available for use in 2024. A breakdown, by permitted use in acre-feet (rounded), is as follows:
Use Available for Use Pumped % of Authorized
Municipal 216,496 201,198 93%
Industrial 27,629 22,782 82%
Irrigation 138,116 76,329 55%
2024 withdrawals represent a 323 acre-foot increase from 2023 use, and a 26,129 acre-foot decrease from the pumping 10-year rolling average of 326,434 acre-feet (2014-2024).
2024 Possible permit over-pumping:
EAA staff has tentatively identified 74 permit holders as possibly exceeding their 2024 authorized groundwater withdrawals. The total over-pumped amount was 4,482 acre-feet, representing 1.17% of total permitted withdrawals in 2024. A breakdown of possible over-pumping, by permitted use in acre-feet (rounded), is as follows:
Use # of Permits Over-Pumped (AF)
Municipal 24 881
Industrial 29 2,280
Irrigation 21 1,281
These possible compliance matters are currently being reviewed by Water Resources staff before turning them over to Compliance.
STRATEGIC PLAN REFERENCE:
This agenda item helps build and/or create Assuredness in Regulatory Programming - a key objective in achieving the EAA’s goals identified in the 2021-30 Strategic Plan.
FISCAL IMPACT:
None.