Officials weigh drastic action as US region faces water supply crisis: ‘We’re approaching really dangerously low levels’
February 28, 2026
After heavy rains pounded Central Texas over the summer, many believed the state’s drought was over. However, officials are on the verge of making an unprecedented announcement.
What’s happening?
The Daily Texan reported that the Barton Springs-Edwards Aquifer Conservation District could declare a Stage 4 Emergency Response Period by the end of March if groundwater conditions stay at historically low levels. The district has been in a Stage 3 Exceptional Drought since October.
If relief doesn’t come after 43 consecutive months of drought, the district will declare the first Stage 4 emergency in its 39-year history.
“Groundwater levels are declining and flow is declining because we’ve had such low rainfall over a long period of time, and now we’re approaching really dangerously low levels in the aquifers,” said Shay Hlavaty, the communications and outreach manager for the district.