KERRVILLE, Texas — From the Hill Country to the Gulf, the Guadalupe River flows through South Texas. 


What You Need To Know

  • Kerrville is experiencing a severe drought, with the Guadalupe River flowing at only 22 cubic feet per second, far below the norm

  • The drought has led to Stage 3 water restrictions, limiting water use to essential activities only

  • City officials urge residents to postpone landscaping projects due to inadequate supply

  • Without significant rainfall soon, Kerrville faces a grim summer and heightened wildfire risks

But right now, you can practically walk on water in the city of Kerrville. The Guadalupe is flowing at a rate of only 22 cubic feet per second.

“The same as it was in 2024, also [20]22,” City of Kerrville Public Works and Engineering Executive Director Stuart Barron said. “Our normal flow is right around 90 for this time of year. And so, we’re way off of what we should be.”

Barron says the river provides about 80-90% of Kerrville’s drinking water, and drought conditions aren’t helping the river flow.

“We’ve had three years in a row where we’ve had significant drought, and they’re compounding,” Barron said. “Every year, it’s not only are we not getting the rainfall that we’ll have, but it’s also going against what we haven’t had from the previous two years. So, the ground is getting dryer and dryer.”

Although Barron says there’s enough water to drink and bathe with, he says there isn’t enough water for irrigation and landscaping.

Barron says Stage 3 water restrictions are in place to ensure Kerrville residents get the water they need. But those wanting fresh landscaping should hold off until next year to help the community conserve water.

“We’re advising people it’s probably not a good year to replant their grass or replace any of their vegetation,” said Barron. “There’s not enough ground moisture to support those plants, unfortunately.”

With only a few spring showers so far, Barron says folks need to be proactive to keep the wildfire risk down. It could be another warm and dry season in the Hill Country if the drought continues.

“If we don’t get a rain this month or next, the summer looks pretty grim,” said Barron.