Did you know that the most widely selected turf grass in Central Texas is St. Augustine, but that it isn’t as well suited for the Central Texas climate as other types of grasses? We highly recommend native plants and grasses that are drought tolerant and xeriscaping, but if you plan to have turf grass in your yard, be sure to take a look at the watering requirements and drought tolerance of various types of grass. St. Augustine requires more water to grow and survive in Central Texas,  whereas Buffalo Grass and Bermuda Grass have lower water needs and are much more drought tolerant. Texas A&M Agrilife Extension has great resources, including the turf tips linked below.  Texas A&M Agrilife- Turf Grass Selection

Groundwater Tip: Since grasses are now entering their dormant season, be sure to turn off your automatic sprinklers & irrigation systems!

Stage 3- Severe Drought

After some much needed rain in August, Burnet County has only received small amounts of rain since, with no measurable rainfall for most of October.  The above image from the National Weather Service precipitation estimates for the past 90 days show much of Burnet County and Central Texas with a rainfall deficit of 5-8 inches from historical averages.  These deficits are only for the past 90 days and are in addition to the now 4 year long drought.     The Board of Directors has determined the District to be in the Severe Drought Stage – Stage 3.  The following water conservation methods are recommended:  *Re-use water whenever possible. *Check for and repair plumbing leaks. *Outdoor lawn/landscape watering should be done between the hours of 8pm and 8am.  Limit watering of lawns/landscape to once every 5-7 days Wash vehicles only at a car wash, when needed.  *Keep decorative fountains, ponds, and swimming pools covered whenever possible to reduce evaporation. *Do not use water to wash sidewalks, driveways, parking areas, streets, or other outdoors surfaces except for human or animal health and safety reasons, or for fire hazard prevention.  *Water for dust control only when required by law.  *Watering livestock in leak-proof troughs is recommended. *Providing groundwater to ponds, tanks, lakes, reservoirs, swimming pools, or other surface impoundments for holding water that have a total capacity of more than 100,000 gallons is prohibited, and for total capacities less than 100,000 gallons is discouraged.

Burnet County Household Hazardous Waste Event

Helping to protect Burnet County aquifers from potential contaminants

This year’s event took place on October 19th and had a total of 381 vehicles that attended the event. The quantity of items collected was impressive: 892 Scrap Tires 446 lead acid batteries  1,000+ alkaline batteries  770 gallons of used oil and antifreeze A 53 ft. trailer full of electronics Various household waste including: fertilizer, pesticide, gasoline, paint, propane, and fluorescent lamps.  Thank you to the 70+ volunteers who donated their time and thank you to Burnet County residents for participating in this event.

Texas Water Development Board Announces 2024 Rain Catcher Award Winners

The Rain Catcher Award is a rainwater harvesting competition and recognition program. Each year, homeowners, businesses, organizations, cities, and other local governmental entities are eligible to enter the competition.  This year’s winners are: Concho Valley Master Gardener Demonstration Garden (Agricultural) Sonora Bank in New Braunfels (Commercial) The Campsite at Shield Ranch (Educational) Alabama-Coushatta Tribe of Texas (Governmental) Gabbay Residence (Residential) Dr. Hari Krishna (Honorary) For details, information, and photos, please visit the Texas Water Development Board Rain Catcher Award website at the link below. 2024 Rain Catcher Award Winners

Election Update Directors Paul King, Kathy Griffis-Bailey, and Reno Lamb will be sworn in at the upcoming December Board Meeting- date of meeting is to be determined.  We would like to sincerely thank Homer Will for his dedication and service as the Precinct 3 Director during the last 4 years.

Upcoming Events

November 20, 2024: 9:00 a.m. Board Meeting at the District Office.  225 S Pierce, Burnet TX  November 28-29, 2024: District Office closed in observance of Thanksgiving.