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WACO — The Brazos River Authority (BRA) has rescinded the Stage 1 Drought Watch for Lake Somerville due to recent rainfall in the area. The Drought Watch was issued on April 3, as a result of prolonged dry conditions and their impact on the Palmer Hydrologic Drought Index (PHDI). A product of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the PHDI is an indicator of the level of wet or dry conditions within a particular area. Due to the drier-than-normal conditions in the lower Brazos River basin, the monthly PHDI had dropped below the -2.4 trigger for Lake Somerville.
The PHDI trigger is one of the criteria set in the BRA Drought Cont ingency Plan ( DCP), which is used to extend water supply and availability during drought conditions. Recent rain events have significantly improved drought conditions around Lake Somerville. With the reservoir now full, we do not anticipate the return of drought conditions for an extended period of time. Stage 1 – Drought Watch remains in effect for Lakes Stillhouse Hollow and Georgetown.
Lake Somerville is a source of surface water supply for several BRA customers and wholesale water providers, including the City of Brenham, BASF Corporation, Blanchard Refining Company, LLC, Dow Chemical Company, Gulf Coast Water Authority, Cities of Manvel, Richmond, Rosenberg, and Sugar Land, NRG Texas Power, LLC, HPCP Investments, LLC and Magnolia Oil and Gas Operating, LLC.
The state requires the BRA to maintain and implement its Drought Contingency Plan (DCP). This plan outlines steps to extend the supply and availability of water during times of drought. The Drought Contingency Plan includes four stages. Each stage is marked by trigger points measured by a lake level, water storage capacity, or the Palmer Hydrologic Drought Index. The complete Drought Contingency Plan may be found at www.Brazos. org/Drought Though the Stage 1 Drought Watch designation for Lake Somerville has been removed, the Brazos River Authority encourages everyone to use water wisely and always employ water conservation measures.
