MEDINA COUNTY, Texas – Despite some dry summer months, South Texas has seen more feast than famine in 2016. Rainfall returned in mid-August after a busy spring, thunderstorm-wise. The rainfall allowed for the aquifer to remain above critical stages the entire year, leaving area farmers rejoicing.
"Our yields are much better when we can irrigate,” said longtime Medina County farmer Troy Bippert. "Better yields always make more money."
Bippert believed 2016’s crop was the best in some time due to available water. It has been since 2010 that pumping from the aquifer was free from restrictions. In addition, Medina Lake remained full, leaving a portion to go to farmers for irrigation.
"We have a lot of acres that are irrigated out of Medina Lake, and we were able to irrigate all of that this year,” Bippert said.
The key number for the aquifer lies at 660 feet. The Edwards Aquifer, measured at the J-17 well, must stay above that number for a 10-day rolling average, in order for pumpers to avoid restrictions. As it turns out, the recent rains came just in time.
"We were right on the brink,” said Jim Winterle, director of modeling and data management at the Edwards Aquifer Authority.
On Aug. 14, the aquifer level sat right at the magic number.
"We, almost two weeks ago, got back into critical period,” Winterle said.
Winterle’s projections keep pumpers out of restrictions through the end of the year.
"We've made it through our dry summer season and the trend right now is upward,” Winterle said.
It is a trend area farmers will gladly accept as the next planting season comes along.
"Hopefully, we won't have any restrictions going into next year. When you know going in, you can plan better and hopefully make better crops,” Bippert said.