Where Impact Runs Deep 🌱 How community investment yields lasting outcomes.

Outreach is often measured in attendance. At the Edwards Aquifer Authority, it’s measured in outcomes. A native plant placed in the ground reduces irrigation demand. A student introduced to water sampling ...gains a clearer understanding of how groundwater is managed. A conversation at a
community event can connect people with aquifer science, clarify permitting regulations, and offer guidance on procurement and doing business with the EAA.

Individually, these actions are small. Together, they shape how the aquifer is understood, valued, and sustained.

At its core, outreach is an intentional investment in our community—advancing our mission to manage, enhance, and protect the Edwards Aquifer by strengthening knowledge, shifting habits, and guiding long-term decisions.

When native plants are distributed across the region, water savings accumulate. Reduced runoff improves water quality. Healthier soil strengthens landscapes and expands habitat. What begins as a simple action becomes measurable conservation.

When students participate in hands-on demonstrations, they encounter real-world science and STEAM career pathways. That exposure helps shape the next generation of landowners, farmers, engineers, and civic leaders who will influence water use for decades.

Community resource fairs, conferences, and public events extend that impact, reinforcing responsible water practices, broadening inclusion in conservation efforts, and connecting nature-based solutions with advancing technology. Innovation and imagination translate complex groundwater science into practical understanding.

Outreach does not end when an event concludes. Its outcomes continue in backyards, classrooms, workplaces, and daily decisions.

Impact runs deep because it is built one action at a time.

Celebrate 30 years with us by making an impact—one photo at a time. 🌿💧

We’re inviting residents, students, families, and businesses to take part in our 2nd Annual Rooted in Saving Water: Conserve & Share It Photo Contest.

From drought-smart landscaping to everyday ...water-saving habits, show us how you’re helping protect our most valuable resource.

🏆 Winners receive:
• A feature in our 2027 calendar
• $100 Visa gift card
• EAA swag bag
• Recognition at the November 2026 Board Meeting

🌟 Grand Prize: $500 Visa gift card!

📅 Submit your entry by August 31, 2026

Be part of the celebration—and the solution.
Enter today: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/eaacontest2026

NEW Aquifer In-Sight episode is live!🎥

EAA GM Roland Ruiz dives into how we are actively managing the Edwards Aquifer through drought, and the conservation measures in place to help aquifer conditions. It’s a behind-the-scenes look at the many ways we protect this vital resource every... day, from regulatory management initiatives to innovative, non-regulatory programs. Through this ongoing work, we remain committed to safeguarding this vital resource for future generations.💧

Tune in to the full episode to learn more: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lFveHHZnKEA

EAA Lifts Stage 4 and Returns to Stage 3 Permit Reductions for the San Antonio Pool

San Antonio, TX – The Edwards Aquifer Authority (EAA) has declared the lifting of Stage 4 and a return to Stage 3 Critical Period Management for Edwards groundwater permit holders in the San Antonio Pool ...of the EAA’s jurisdiction (Medina, Bexar, and parts of Atascosa, Caldwell, Guadalupe, Comal, and Hays counties) based on improved aquifer conditions effective Sunday, April 26, 2026. Yesterday, the ten-day average at Comal Springs was 100 cubic feet per second (cfs), and the ten-day average at the J-17 index well is 632.7 feet above mean sea level (ft. amsl), which are each above the Stage 4 threshold for the EAA Critical Period Management Plan (CPM). The San Antonio Pool had been in Stage 4 since August 12, 2025.

As shown below, CPM Stage 3 for the San Antonio Pool reduces the annual authorized withdrawal amounts available to affected Edwards groundwater permit holders by 35 percent of their withdrawal amounts based on the number of days CPM is in effect for the indicated stage reduction. These reductions apply to all Edwards Aquifer groundwater permit holders authorized to pump more than three acre-feet annually. This includes industrial and agricultural users, as well as water utilities authorized to pump water from the Edwards Aquifer for delivery to their respective customers. All affected permit holders must also report their pumping totals to the EAA on a monthly basis.

Residents and businesses within those counties who receive their water from a public water system should follow their respective water providers’ directives regarding water use practices. It should be noted that the EAA does not enforce lawn watering activities or other general water limitations beyond the curtailment of withdrawals from the Edwards Aquifer. Any enforcement of such activities or limitations is enforced by a municipality. The EAA does not regulate the general public but instead regulates Edwards well owners with withdrawal permits authorizing their right to pump from the aquifer.

The EAA is a groundwater conservation district that manages, enhances and protects the Edwards Aquifer, a major groundwater system serving approximately two-and-one-half million South Central Texans. The EAA jurisdiction spans across 8 counties including Uvalde, Medina, Bexar, and parts of Atascosa, Caldwell, Guadalupe, Comal and Hays counties.

Tune in to Texas Public Radio's "The Source" to hear from host David Martin Davies as he chats with EAA General Manager, Roland Ruiz, and Steve Cargil, Edwards Aquifer Authority Board Member, Uvalde farmer, and owner of Cargil Produce as they discuss how the recent rains may have ...elevated aquifer levels but managing through drought is still top of mind.

This interview will be recorded live today, Monday, April 27, 2026, at 12:00 p.m.

Edwards Aquifer rises after April rain, but drought remains for South Texas farmers

Because of the ongoing drought water levels in the Edwards Aquifer have been dipping to some of the lowest in history. Yet development growth...

www.tpr.org