Austin caves show easing drought

AUSTIN (KXAN) - A maze of caves, underground streams and sinkholes create the Village of Western Oaks Karst Preserve in South Austin.

"We have a lot of faulting and fracturing here in this area of Austin and in northern Hays county," said Julie Jenkins with the Texas Cave Management Association. "That has created the perfect conditions for water to find it's way underground. So, a lot of the carving out of the caves we have in the Austin area are a result that is the Barton Springs segment of the aquifer."

The preserve is only nine acres, but rain that falls there helps recharge the Edwards Aquifer. There are six karst features on the preserve. The entrances to two caves, Live Oak and Get Down, are visible from the path. Get Down cave was named after the group that found it.

"They were part of a band and if you find a cave you get to name it," said Robin Gary with the Barton Springs/Edwards Aquifer Conservation District. "They named it after their band which was Get Down."

Below watch an exclusive, behind-the-scenes look at the caves:

The caves are gated to keep people and endangered species safe. Caves are especially dangerous when water runs through them.

Water from the Karst features have helped increase the levels in the Edwards Aquifer and eased drought restrictions in Southern Travis and Northern Hays counties.

"Once the soil is saturated, it runs down into caves just like this one or other caves on the preserve and recharges the Aquifer," said Gary. "So these features are in a large part responsible for the Aquifer levels ascending."

The Barton Springs/Edwards Aquifer Conservation District has upgraded their drought status from "critical stage" to "alarm stage." "Alarm stage" calls for 20 percent reduction in pumping. Outdoor watering is no longer prohibited.

Another sign of improvement comes from the U.S. Drought Monitor. Thursday’s update shows no drought in portions of the Hill Country. Travis, Williamson, Blanco and Burnet counties have improved to the "abnormally dry" status.

Earlier this fall most of Central Texas was in the "exceptional" category, the worst there is. Even hardest hit areas like Bastrop, Caldwell and Hays counties have improved to the "moderate" drought category. More improvement is expected this winter. Forecasters are calling for more than normal rainfall through January due to El Nino in the Pacific Ocean.

The Austin Cave Festival is canceled for Oct. 31 because of the wet conditions. The BSEACD and the Texas Cave Management Association want to protect Village of Western Oaks Karst Preserve and the quality of water flowing into the Aquifer.

"When you're in a cave you're actually in the aquifer," said Jenkins. "So you're starting on part of that path down into the storage area."

In 2008, more than 1,000 people participated in the informational booths, fun kid activities and excursions into the Get Down and Live Oak caves. The festival is rescheduled for March 13, 2010 during Groundwater Awareness Week.