The total Edwards Aquifer watershed north of San Antonio is 2.5 million acres, composed of 2 million acres in the Contributing Zone and 500,000 acres in the Recharge Zone. To protect the total watershed, we must protect land and water in both zones, not just one of them.
In a 2018 report, the Edwards Aquifer Authority suggested protecting 200,000 acres in the Contributing Zone within 5 miles of the recharge zone and 194,000 acres of Contributing Zone made up of land lying within 1,000 feet of streams within 10 miles of the Recharge Zone. These suggestions are in addition to protecting the Recharge Zone. This sensitive acreage needs protection because 80 percent of the rain recharging the Edwards Aquifer falls in the catchment (contributing) area of the watershed.
Read more from Carol and Kirk Patterson with The Rivard Report here.
Protecting the Edwards Aquifer means protecting the contributing zone
