Res 2018-025/adopting the 2018 Hays County, Texas Hazard Mitigation Plan as the official plan of the City; authorizing the inclusion of the City of San Marcos Hazard Mitigation Plan as an appendix; designating the City Manager as the official authorized

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Table 2.4, Planning Area Drought Vulnerability Summaries Community Drought Vulnerability Summaries Village of Bear Creek Bear Creek residents depend on multiple sources for their water supply. Some residents use public water through the West Travis County Public Utility Agency. Others use rainwater harvesting and private wells. Well-monitoring data from private wells (Village of Bear Creek, 2013) shows that there have been occasions during which water levels have neared depletion. A drought event would negatively impact those who use rainwater, as they would need to seek water from a third party for drinking, hygiene and household needs. As Risk Assessment the community is 100% residential, there are no economic outlets that depend on water for income. A cascading vulnerability would be the increased risk of wildfire spread that could occur low water levels impact water pressure for fighting fires. Among communities in Texas that have a population over 10,000, Buda is City of Buda considered one of the fastest growing populations in the State of Texas. Additional wells are being dug in order to meet the demand of the growth in the City. Water shortages are a concern and water availability for all citizens within the jurisdiction could be impacted during a drought, as some of the City’s water supply is composed of surface water. This could also affect fire response as it could result in lowered pressure for hydrants. Water conservation education programs could help encourage the public to be a part of the solution. The City of Hays utilizes water services that draw from the Edwards Aquifer. In City of Hays the past, there have been periods when the Edwards Water District has had to issue water usage guidance due to low water levels. It is estimated that 2 to 3 residents have private wells. The community is directly impacted during periods of low levels for the aquifer. Hays has fire hydrants in the community that could experience periods of low pressure in the event of water shortage. This could impact the ability of firefighters to suppress a fire in the community. The majority of the City of Dripping Springs uses the Dripping Springs Water City of Dripping Springs Supply Corporation as its source of water, which has 4 wells in the area. Most residents in Eastern Dripping Springs receive their water from the West Travis County Utility District. The utility district utilizes water from the Lower Colorado River Authority. The wells have been consistent with water availability and maintain good water pressure. Drought is a concern but not a predominant 1 for Dripping Springs. A significant drought (Category D5) could put a strain on wells that had not previously experienced shortages. The impacts of a drought on the community would clearly affect water supply, Hays County as parts of the County utilize water from the Edwards and Trinity aquifers. The County is currently in the process of obtaining remote weather stations to monitor drought indexes. When droughts affect Hays County, revenue from Jacob’s Well can be affected due to the reliance of water flow for the park. There is also revenue from tourism into the County to visit the Blanco River. This also suffers during periods of drought. 30