Drought in Texas, July 1 to 31, 2014

The South Central Texas counties that most needed rain generally didn’t get it in July. Most of the area that was in Severe Drought Category (D2) or worse at the beginning of the month had 75 percent of normal rainfall or less in July. This meant that Blanco County worsened to Stage D2 joining Bandera, Edwards, Kendall, Kerr, Llano, and Medina Counties. Gillespie and Val Verde Counties remained in Extreme Category (D3). Fire danger was moderate to high across the area at the end of July. Of the counties in D2 or worse drought Kerr and Val Verde had burn bans remaining in effect and Blanco, Kendall, Llano, and Medina Counties instituted them during the month. The Texas Crop and Weather Report issued by Texas A&M Agricultural indicated hot and dry weather continued to decrease topsoil and subsoil moisture. Pasture and forage grasses were suffering from moisture stress. Hay fields were no longer growing, and after the first cutting, hay grazer fields needed rain to make a second cutting. Livestock remained in fair condition. The seven day stream flow averages at the end of the month were below normal (10-24 percent) for the Guadalupe, Upper San Antonio, and Upper Colorado River basins. |Area lakes and reservoirs continued well below normal pool elevations. Lake Amistad was 41.8 feet below normal. Lake Travis dropped nearly two feet to 54 feet below normal. Medina Lake dropped again and was 86 feet below normal. The Edwards Aquifer dropped during the month and was at 633.8 feet which was 5.1 feet lower than the beginning of the month and 7.6 feet below the level at the end of July 2013. The Edwards Aquifer Authority declared stage 4 water restrictions requiring large water users to reduce pumping by 40%. Fredericksburg remained in stage 3 water restrictions, Kerrville moved into stage 2, and Del Rio remained in stage 1.

The South Central Texas counties that most needed rain generally didn’t get it in July. Most of the area that was in Severe Drought Category (D2) or worse at the beginning of the month had 75 percent of normal rainfall or less in July. This meant that Blanco County worsened to Stage D2 joining Bandera, Edwards, Kendall, Kerr, Llano, and Medina Counties. Gillespie and Val Verde Counties remained in Extreme Category (D3). Fire danger was moderate to high across the area at the end of July. Of the counties in D2 or worse drought Kerr and Val Verde had burn bans remaining in effect and Blanco, Kendall, Llano, and Medina Counties instituted them during the month. The Texas Crop and Weather Report issued by Texas A&M Agricultural indicated hot and dry weather continued to decrease topsoil and subsoil moisture. Pasture and forage grasses were suffering from moisture stress. Hay fields were no longer growing, and after the first cutting, hay grazer fields needed rain to make a second cutting. Livestock remained in fair condition. The seven day stream flow averages at the end of the month were below normal (10-24 percent) for the Guadalupe, Upper San Antonio, and Upper Colorado River basins. |Area lakes and reservoirs continued well below normal pool elevations. Lake Amistad was 41.8 feet below normal. Lake Travis dropped nearly two feet to 54 feet below normal. Medina Lake dropped again and was 86 feet below normal. The Edwards Aquifer dropped during the month and was at 633.8 feet which was 5.1 feet lower than the beginning of the month and 7.6 feet below the level at the end of July 2013. The Edwards Aquifer Authority declared stage 4 water restrictions requiring large water users to reduce pumping by 40%. Fredericksburg remained in stage 3 water restrictions, Kerrville moved into stage 2, and Del Rio remained in stage 1.

The South Central Texas counties that most needed rain generally didn’t get it in July. Most of the area that was in Severe Drought Category (D2) or worse at the beginning of the month had 75 percent of normal rainfall or less in July. This meant that Blanco County worsened to Stage D2 joining Bandera, Edwards, Kendall, Kerr, Llano, and Medina Counties. Gillespie and Val Verde Counties remained in Extreme Category (D3). Fire danger was moderate to high across the area at the end of July. Of the counties in D2 or worse drought Kerr and Val Verde had burn bans remaining in effect and Blanco, Kendall, Llano, and Medina Counties instituted them during the month. The Texas Crop and Weather Report issued by Texas A&M Agricultural indicated hot and dry weather continued to decrease topsoil and subsoil moisture. Pasture and forage grasses were suffering from moisture stress. Hay fields were no longer growing, and after the first cutting, hay grazer fields needed rain to make a second cutting. Livestock remained in fair condition. The seven day stream flow averages at the end of the month were below normal (10-24 percent) for the Guadalupe, Upper San Antonio, and Upper Colorado River basins. |Area lakes and reservoirs continued well below normal pool elevations. Lake Amistad was 41.8 feet below normal. Lake Travis dropped nearly two feet to 54 feet below normal. Medina Lake dropped again and was 86 feet below normal. The Edwards Aquifer dropped during the month and was at 633.8 feet which was 5.1 feet lower than the beginning of the month and 7.6 feet below the level at the end of July 2013. The Edwards Aquifer Authority declared stage 4 water restrictions requiring large water users to reduce pumping by 40%. Fredericksburg remained in stage 3 water restrictions, Kerrville moved into stage 2, and Del Rio remained in stage 1.

The South Central Texas counties that most needed rain generally didn’t get it in July. Most of the area that was in Severe Drought Category (D2) or worse at the beginning of the month had 75 percent of normal rainfall or less in July. This meant that Blanco County worsened to Stage D2 joining Bandera, Edwards, Kendall, Kerr, Llano, and Medina Counties. Gillespie and Val Verde Counties remained in Extreme Category (D3). Fire danger was moderate to high across the area at the end of July. Of the counties in D2 or worse drought Kerr and Val Verde had burn bans remaining in effect and Blanco, Kendall, Llano, and Medina Counties instituted them during the month. The Texas Crop and Weather Report issued by Texas A&M Agricultural indicated hot and dry weather continued to decrease topsoil and subsoil moisture. Pasture and forage grasses were suffering from moisture stress. Hay fields were no longer growing, and after the first cutting, hay grazer fields needed rain to make a second cutting. Livestock remained in fair condition. The seven day stream flow averages at the end of the month were below normal (10-24 percent) for the Guadalupe, Upper San Antonio, and Upper Colorado River basins. |Area lakes and reservoirs continued well below normal pool elevations. Lake Amistad was 41.8 feet below normal. Lake Travis dropped nearly two feet to 54 feet below normal. Medina Lake dropped again and was 86 feet below normal. The Edwards Aquifer dropped during the month and was at 633.8 feet which was 5.1 feet lower than the beginning of the month and 7.6 feet below the level at the end of July 2013. The Edwards Aquifer Authority declared stage 4 water restrictions requiring large water users to reduce pumping by 40%. Fredericksburg remained in stage 3 water restrictions, Kerrville moved into stage 2, and Del Rio remained in stage 1.

The South Central Texas counties that most needed rain generally didn’t get it in July. Most of the area that was in Severe Drought Category (D2) or worse at the beginning of the month had 75 percent of normal rainfall or less in July. This meant that Blanco County worsened to Stage D2 joining Bandera, Edwards, Kendall, Kerr, Llano, and Medina Counties. Gillespie and Val Verde Counties remained in Extreme Category (D3). Fire danger was moderate to high across the area at the end of July. Of the counties in D2 or worse drought Kerr and Val Verde had burn bans remaining in effect and Blanco, Kendall, Llano, and Medina Counties instituted them during the month. The Texas Crop and Weather Report issued by Texas A&M Agricultural indicated hot and dry weather continued to decrease topsoil and subsoil moisture. Pasture and forage grasses were suffering from moisture stress. Hay fields were no longer growing, and after the first cutting, hay grazer fields needed rain to make a second cutting. Livestock remained in fair condition. The seven day stream flow averages at the end of the month were below normal (10-24 percent) for the Guadalupe, Upper San Antonio, and Upper Colorado River basins. |Area lakes and reservoirs continued well below normal pool elevations. Lake Amistad was 41.8 feet below normal. Lake Travis dropped nearly two feet to 54 feet below normal. Medina Lake dropped again and was 86 feet below normal. The Edwards Aquifer dropped during the month and was at 633.8 feet which was 5.1 feet lower than the beginning of the month and 7.6 feet below the level at the end of July 2013. The Edwards Aquifer Authority declared stage 4 water restrictions requiring large water users to reduce pumping by 40%. Fredericksburg remained in stage 3 water restrictions, Kerrville moved into stage 2, and Del Rio remained in stage 1.

The South Central Texas counties that most needed rain generally didn’t get it in July. Most of the area that was in Severe Drought Category (D2) or worse at the beginning of the month had 75 percent of normal rainfall or less in July. This meant that Blanco County worsened to Stage D2 joining Bandera, Edwards, Kendall, Kerr, Llano, and Medina Counties. Gillespie and Val Verde Counties remained in Extreme Category (D3). Fire danger was moderate to high across the area at the end of July. Of the counties in D2 or worse drought Kerr and Val Verde had burn bans remaining in effect and Blanco, Kendall, Llano, and Medina Counties instituted them during the month. The Texas Crop and Weather Report issued by Texas A&M Agricultural indicated hot and dry weather continued to decrease topsoil and subsoil moisture. Pasture and forage grasses were suffering from moisture stress. Hay fields were no longer growing, and after the first cutting, hay grazer fields needed rain to make a second cutting. Livestock remained in fair condition. The seven day stream flow averages at the end of the month were below normal (10-24 percent) for the Guadalupe, Upper San Antonio, and Upper Colorado River basins. |Area lakes and reservoirs continued well below normal pool elevations. Lake Amistad was 41.8 feet below normal. Lake Travis dropped nearly two feet to 54 feet below normal. Medina Lake dropped again and was 86 feet below normal. The Edwards Aquifer dropped during the month and was at 633.8 feet which was 5.1 feet lower than the beginning of the month and 7.6 feet below the level at the end of July 2013. The Edwards Aquifer Authority declared stage 4 water restrictions requiring large water users to reduce pumping by 40%. Fredericksburg remained in stage 3 water restrictions, Kerrville moved into stage 2, and Del Rio remained in stage 1.

The South Central Texas counties that most needed rain generally didn’t get it in July. Most of the area that was in Severe Drought Category (D2) or worse at the beginning of the month had 75 percent of normal rainfall or less in July. This meant that Blanco County worsened to Stage D2 joining Bandera, Edwards, Kendall, Kerr, Llano, and Medina Counties. Gillespie and Val Verde Counties remained in Extreme Category (D3). Fire danger was moderate to high across the area at the end of July. Of the counties in D2 or worse drought Kerr and Val Verde had burn bans remaining in effect and Blanco, Kendall, Llano, and Medina Counties instituted them during the month. The Texas Crop and Weather Report issued by Texas A&M Agricultural indicated hot and dry weather continued to decrease topsoil and subsoil moisture. Pasture and forage grasses were suffering from moisture stress. Hay fields were no longer growing, and after the first cutting, hay grazer fields needed rain to make a second cutting. Livestock remained in fair condition. The seven day stream flow averages at the end of the month were below normal (10-24 percent) for the Guadalupe, Upper San Antonio, and Upper Colorado River basins. |Area lakes and reservoirs continued well below normal pool elevations. Lake Amistad was 41.8 feet below normal. Lake Travis dropped nearly two feet to 54 feet below normal. Medina Lake dropped again and was 86 feet below normal. The Edwards Aquifer dropped during the month and was at 633.8 feet which was 5.1 feet lower than the beginning of the month and 7.6 feet below the level at the end of July 2013. The Edwards Aquifer Authority declared stage 4 water restrictions requiring large water users to reduce pumping by 40%. Fredericksburg remained in stage 3 water restrictions, Kerrville moved into stage 2, and Del Rio remained in stage 1.

The South Central Texas counties that most needed rain generally didn’t get it in July. Most of the area that was in Severe Drought Category (D2) or worse at the beginning of the month had 75 percent of normal rainfall or less in July. This meant that Blanco County worsened to Stage D2 joining Bandera, Edwards, Kendall, Kerr, Llano, and Medina Counties. Gillespie and Val Verde Counties remained in Extreme Category (D3). Fire danger was moderate to high across the area at the end of July. Of the counties in D2 or worse drought Kerr and Val Verde had burn bans remaining in effect and Blanco, Kendall, Llano, and Medina Counties instituted them during the month. The Texas Crop and Weather Report issued by Texas A&M Agricultural indicated hot and dry weather continued to decrease topsoil and subsoil moisture. Pasture and forage grasses were suffering from moisture stress. Hay fields were no longer growing, and after the first cutting, hay grazer fields needed rain to make a second cutting. Livestock remained in fair condition. The seven day stream flow averages at the end of the month were below normal (10-24 percent) for the Guadalupe, Upper San Antonio, and Upper Colorado River basins. |Area lakes and reservoirs continued well below normal pool elevations. Lake Amistad was 41.8 feet below normal. Lake Travis dropped nearly two feet to 54 feet below normal. Medina Lake dropped again and was 86 feet below normal. The Edwards Aquifer dropped during the month and was at 633.8 feet which was 5.1 feet lower than the beginning of the month and 7.6 feet below the level at the end of July 2013. The Edwards Aquifer Authority declared stage 4 water restrictions requiring large water users to reduce pumping by 40%. Fredericksburg remained in stage 3 water restrictions, Kerrville moved into stage 2, and Del Rio remained in stage 1.

The South Central Texas counties that most needed rain generally didn’t get it in July. Most of the area that was in Severe Drought Category (D2) or worse at the beginning of the month had 75 percent of normal rainfall or less in July. This meant that Blanco County worsened to Stage D2 joining Bandera, Edwards, Kendall, Kerr, Llano, and Medina Counties. Gillespie and Val Verde Counties remained in Extreme Category (D3). Fire danger was moderate to high across the area at the end of July. Of the counties in D2 or worse drought Kerr and Val Verde had burn bans remaining in effect and Blanco, Kendall, Llano, and Medina Counties instituted them during the month. The Texas Crop and Weather Report issued by Texas A&M Agricultural indicated hot and dry weather continued to decrease topsoil and subsoil moisture. Pasture and forage grasses were suffering from moisture stress. Hay fields were no longer growing, and after the first cutting, hay grazer fields needed rain to make a second cutting. Livestock remained in fair condition. The seven day stream flow averages at the end of the month were below normal (10-24 percent) for the Guadalupe, Upper San Antonio, and Upper Colorado River basins. |Area lakes and reservoirs continued well below normal pool elevations. Lake Amistad was 41.8 feet below normal. Lake Travis dropped nearly two feet to 54 feet below normal. Medina Lake dropped again and was 86 feet below normal. The Edwards Aquifer dropped during the month and was at 633.8 feet which was 5.1 feet lower than the beginning of the month and 7.6 feet below the level at the end of July 2013. The Edwards Aquifer Authority declared stage 4 water restrictions requiring large water users to reduce pumping by 40%. Fredericksburg remained in stage 3 water restrictions, Kerrville moved into stage 2, and Del Rio remained in stage 1.