February 10, 2013

Kudos to SAWS, but Day case is the real problem, not GCDs

“Kudos are due to SAWS President and CEO Robert Puente for choosing a closer-to-home strategy that, along with continued efficiency improvements, will help the City meet its water needs far into the future. Here is hoping that the SAWS board and the Mayor give full support to this sensible approach. But, in the press release announcing the decision, SAWS expressed concern about the role of groundwater districts…” Read more from Mary Kelly, Texas Center for Policy Studies. Hill Country GCD’s need to protect spring flow.

December 13, 2013

2014 Kent S. Butler Memorial Groundwater Stewardship Scholarship Essay Contest

The Barton Springs/Edwards Aquifer Conservation District (BSEACD) is now soliciting applications and essays for the 2014 Kent S. Butler Memorial Groundwater Stewardship Scholarship Essay Contest through Tuesday, March 18, 2014. The essay contest is open to high school juniors, seniors, and immediate graduates who reside in the Austin, Eanes, Dripping Springs, Hays Consolidated, Del Valle, and Lockhart school districts. Learn More

December 4, 2013

For Groundwater, Political Boundaries Trump Natural Ones

Second in five part series by Texas Tribune: “Like any natural resource, the precious groundwater that flows under Texas’ land does not follow political boundaries. The state is home to nine major and 21 minor aquifers, some of which stretch across the entire state and have segments with wildly different hydrologic properties. Yet at a time when thirsty cities and industries are clamoring for groundwater more than ever, the resource is regulated by nearly 100 entities drawn along political boundaries such as county lines, in part because groundwater is considered a private property right in Texas.” Read more from Texas Tribune.

November 19, 2013

Texans Look Beneath the Surface for Water

Unlike surface water, which is owned and allocated by the state, groundwater belongs to the landowner and is regulated by nearly 100 different conservation districts across Texas, all of which set their own rules. The recent drought, along with major court decisions, has led to what some say is the most uncertain time in state history for those who depend on and manage groundwater in Texas. Read the first of this five-part series from the Texas Tribune.

November 12, 2013

Why a million gallons of water? Rollingwood well could affect locals

As water becomes scarcer in Central Texas and the thirst for it is on the rise, property owners in Rollingwood are requesting permission to drill a well and pump 913,400 gallons of water per year for their home. More from Hays Free Press.

In Drought, Abbott Keeps Lawn Green by Drilling

With what has been described as the worst drought in recorded history punishing parts of Texas, Attorney General Greg Abbott found a way to keep watering his yard without risking fines or incurring huge monthly bills: He drilled his own well. Austin has no power to stop landowners from drilling water underneath their own terrain in pro-property-rights Texas. It can only monitor the proliferation of private wells, which Jason Hill, an Austin Water Utility spokesman, said officials are doing “vigorously.” More from the Texas Tribune

September 13, 2013

Your Water Supply

We all use groundwater whether we know it or not. Many believe groundwater is unrelated to surface water but actually they are interconnected. Perhaps lending to the confusion, Texas categorizes surface and groundwater differently. Read more from Karen Huber

Court Ruling Dares Regulators to Limit Pumping

A major decision came down in the arcane, but important world of Texas water law last week—opening the door to more lawsuits against local groundwater boards for regulating water use across the state. More from Texas Observer.

August 29, 2013

Texas Groundwater Districts Face Bevy of Challenges

As groundwater managers from across the state met here this week to discuss the numerous challenges they face, talk of legislative changes to water financing and a campaign to convince voters to allow more of it was eclipsed by more pressing issues. Details

May 16, 2013

Central Texas Water Fight Could Have Statewide Implications

The Lost Pines Groundwater Conservation district held a meeting May 15th to discuss whether to grant new permits to outside businesses. “I think the whole state will be watching this,” Steve Box, with Environmental Stewardship, told StateImpact Texas ahead of the hearing. Learn more from StateImpact Texas.

March 19, 2013

The Texas Water Plan – An 18 Year Old Perspective

Are we listening to the next generation? 18 year-old Justin Wolfe writes, “The state’s next step ought to be to legislate groundwater as a public resource, so as to manage and regulate it effectively. Only by managing this resource can we ensure the longevity of our water system for generations to come.” Read Justin’s full article here.

January 14, 2013

TGPC launches new website

The Texas Groundwater Protection Committee has announced the launch of its redesigned website. It’s the same great clearinghouse of groundwater information, just in a more user-friendly format.

January 9, 2013

Amid a Trickle of Regulation, Private Wells Surging in Austin

The ongoing drought in Central Texas sapped the green out of many lawns – and spurred private well drilling in Austin. South of the Colorado River, the Barton Springs Edwards Aquifer Conservation District has a tight hold on permitting for any well drilling. “But north of the river,” Slusher says, “there’s not a groundwater district and since there’s not a ground water district, there’s not a level of information about the aquifer levels.” Read full article from KUT News.

January 5, 2013

Uvalde water limits likely will be felt in San Antonio

The Edwards Aquifer Authority declared Stage IV pumping reductions Friday for the Uvalde Pool of the Edwards Aquifer. For farmers in Uvalde, that means starting the year with an unprecedented 35 percent reduction in pumping permits. For San Antonio growers, it means an ever-decreasing flow into the local pool and increased reductions likely, later this year. More from SA Express-News.