http://droughtreporter.unl.edu/

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Most of McLennan County is free of drought for the first time in nearly 18 months, but Lake Waco remains 9 feet below its normal level. Stage 2 water restrictions were still in effect. The Waco water utilities spokesperson said that the city will likely enter Stage 3 water restrictions sometime this summer. Waco Tribune-Herald (Texas), May 16, 2023 Waco remained in Stage 2 water restrictions. Lake Waco has risen by one foot over the past three months, but was also 10 feet below its normal level. KWKT FOX 44 News (Woodway, Texas), May 8, 2023 Waco was in Stage 2 water restrictions, and Lake Waco was 57.9% full. Water users were asked to reduce their water use by 10%. KCEN HD (Temple, Texas), March 29, 2023 Lake Waco was 57% full, or 451 feet, as of Feb. 22. Stage three restrictions begin at 450.3 feet, and would permit outdoor watering just once weekly. KXXV-TV ABC 25 Waco (Texas), Feb 22, 2023 The level of Lake Waco continued to drop and could be approaching the Stage 3 trigger of 450 feet in mid-February. Waco has been in Stage 2 restrictions since July. Waco Tribune-Herald (Texas), Jan 26, 2023 Waco has been in Stage 2 drought restrictions since mid-July, with outdoor sprinkler use limited to twice a week. City officials consider the restrictions successful, even though the lake has continued to drop. City officials stated in late October that Stage 3 restrictions limiting outdoor irrigation to once weekly were likely by mid-November. Under the city’s drought contingency plan, those restrictions take effect when the lake level drops to 449 feet, but city officials have said they might not wait until that threshold. Lake Waco remained 11 feet below normal, despite 3.7 inches of rain in the past week that increased the lake level by about half a foot. Before the rainfall, Lake Waco’s level on Nov. 23 was 451.05 feet above sea level, the lowest since the lake was raised in 2003, said the lake manager from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Waco Tribune-Herald (Texas), Nov 28, 2022 The level of Lake Waco in Texas continued to fall, despite recent rain. The low lake level allowed some work projects and cleanup to be done. Water restrictions took effect on July 13, limiting outdoor watering as the water shortage continued. Waco Tribune-Herald (Texas), Sept 12, 2022 Mandatory water restrictions began in Waco on July 13 as Stage Two of the Drought Contingency Plan took effect. Outdoor watering was allowed just twice weekly. KWTX-TV 10 News Waco (Texas), July 8, 2022 Waco residents are urged to conserve water and irrigate their lawns just once weekly as the level of Lake Waco was nearly 7 feet below normal, or lower than it has been in a decade or longer. The lake level was about an inch above the trigger of 455 feet for the first stage of the city’s drought management plan. Waco Tribune-Herald (Texas), July 5, 2022