give feedback
alert diamond Report it!

Request for Voluntary Water Reduction - Lifted

February 29, 2024 - on February 14, 2024, the Drought watch was lifted. The BRA released this news post explaining the reduction in drought status but to still practice "Water-Wise Habits".

Timelapse of drought Data from Brazos River Authority

June 26, 2022 - The City of Brenham was notified by the Brazos River Authority (BRA) that a Stage 1 drought watch has been implemented for Lake Somerville. Due to the drier-than-normal conditions in the Lake Somerville area, Stage 1 has been activated which entails a voluntary 5%-reduction of the water use that would have occurred in the absence of any drought contingency measures.

BRA Video Updates

To meet the voluntary reduction requested by BRA, the City of Brenham is asking water customers to reduce water consumption as much as possible. City Manager Carolyn Miller said, “We want to do our part in this, as a community and within our homes, to decrease water usage to support this effort.”

As stated in the City’s Drought Contingency Plan-Stage 1, water customers are requested to voluntarily limit the irrigation of landscaped areas to the following:

  • Street addresses ending in an even number (0, 2, 4, 6, or 8) – Sundays and Thursdays between the hours of midnight and 10 AM and 8 PM to midnight
  • Street addresses ending in an odd number (1, 3, 5, 7, or 9) – Saturdays and Wednesdays between the hours of midnight and 10 AM and 8 PM to midnight

State 1 Drought Watch - Water Use Restrictions (voluntary)

The following links offer water conservation tips and techniques:

Run the dishwasher only when full. This practice will save water, energy, detergent, and money. If your machine has a quick wash or light duty setting, use it! *Be sure to add detergent to the pre-wash section of the dispenser.
Turn off the water while you are shaving. Fill the sink with an inch of hot water instead of letting the water run continuously.
Prevent evaporation of water. Water lawns early in the morning. Never water on windy days. Use drip irrigation systems for bedded plants, trees, or shrubs and use low-angle sprinklers for lawns. Cover pools and spas. This can save the equivalent of your pool volume each year!

Drought Data: Texas Water Development Board

BRA Drought Severity Triggers for Lake Somerville1

Status Surface Elevation Water Storage Reservoir Drawdown
  (ft msl) (acre-feet) (ft)
Top of Conservation (full)  238 150,293 0
Stage 1 Drought Watch 234.9 117,229 3.1
Stage 2 Drought Warning 231.8 88,673 6.2
Stage 3 Drought Emergency 228.2 60,117 9.8
Stage 4 Pro-rata Curtailment 223.9 30,059 14.8

1Triggers were derived using a water availability tool specifically developed to simulate the BRA water supply system. Assumptions for developing the triggers include:

  • Estimated year 2030 sedimentation conditions and 2030 demands;
  • Previous 3 year (2015 through 2017) average return flows;
  • Operation of Lake Whitney hydropower;
  • Excluded water rights above Possum Kingdom Lake; and
  • included required environmental flow releases and assumed leakage through the dams

Table from the BRA Drought Contingency Plan

Current Somerville Lake Level