TEXAS, USA — Your next trip to the lake might look a little different this year as lake levels across Central Texas are lower than they have been in years. Drought conditions aren't just affecting bodies of water, but it's raising concern for everyone in the area.
"Water is critical," retired Central Texas farmer Steve Hanik said. "It's a diminishing resource, so we take it for granted."
Lake Belton was 90.4% full on March 29, 2022. Just one year later, Lake Belton is now only 64.2% full. Lake Waco was 81.2% full on March 29, 2022 and is now 57.9% full.
"It's not as plentiful I think as people think, especially now with this drought," Hanik said.
Belton is in Phase 1 of water restrictions, but that could change in a matter of weeks. The City of Belton follows the lead from Brazos River Authority, unless they have an inability to deliver water.
"In the worst case scenario, [The City of Waco] would be at Stage 2 at the end of April," Bell County WCID No.1 General Manager Ricky Garrett said. "In Stage 2, they're asking everybody to cut their water usage by ten percent."
It's a different story for the City of Waco. They are already in Stage 2.
"The biggest difference between Stage 2 and Stage 3 that's going to affect the most number of people is going to be moving from two outdoor watering days to one outdoor watering day per week, and that's for residents and businesses," City of Waco Senior Public Information & Communications Specialist Jessica Emmett Sellers said.
"For people to kind of stay on top of that so that they're aware of where we are and the restrictions and kind of what those things are because there is a fine associated with violating those things," Sellers added.
Sellers says this is the lowest numbers have been since the lake level was raised 20 years ago.
"We've been in this drought for a little over a year," Sellers said. "That's a long time to be in a water deficit."
Since March 2022, lake levels have been below normal levels and it's getting worse as time goes on.
"We've not recovered any which is just gone the wrong direction since then," Garrett said.
The City of Belton and Waco are both preparing for more severe and strict water restrictions this summer. This means summer and every day activities will look different.
"This summer is setting up to be pretty difficult if we don't get some meaningful showers in our watershed area," Garrett said.
One farmer in Central Texas is saving water one day at a time with his rain barrels.
"We're getting a little over 400 to 500 gallons every time it rains," Hanik said. "We capture rainwater from the gutters and roofline, and we use that as our water source for our gardens and even animals like it of course, but it's also serves as an emergency if necessary."
Conserving water is now more crucial than ever.
"Just be real sensitive to the fact that when you turn that tap on, it may not be there tomorrow," Hanik said.
City officials say the majority of water usage in the summer comes from outdoor activities, whether it's washing your car or landscaping. They encourage citizens to be mindful of their water usage and conserve as much as possible as we head into a dry summer.