groundwater district vote threatens hill country

The Texas Water Development Board has directed the State's Groundwater Conservation Districts to determine what each district desires for the future condition of their aquifer. To facilitate regional water planning, the districts have been tasked with determining "drawdown" which is the amount that will be permitted to be pumped from each aquifer. Hill Country Groundwater Districts have been working together for the past two years to set "drawdown" that will protect springflow, existing well owners, and the native landscape of the Texas Hill Country while accommodating projected growth. The Trinity Glen Rose Groundwater District, which serves North Bexar County, has excluded itself from this cooperative process and may vote to set drawdown levels this Thursday. A vote may be taken to set drawdowns by 2030 of 100 ft above Cow Creek in NW Bexar Co. and 200 ft. above Cow Creek in NE Bexar Co.

CRITICAL: if made now, this decision will be based on insufficient data:
• TGRGCD has grossly inadequate well monitoring information in Northwest Bexar County
• TGRGCD current information has NO spring study information although this data IS available

Hill Country Planning Association has repeatedly asked TGRGCD for a spring study before setting a DFC. There are spring studies available for North Bexar County. TGRGCD has ignored the studies and our requests.

We have repeatedly asked for adequate well monitoring in NW Bexar Co. but to date TGRGCD only monitors two wells in the entire area between IH10 and Hwy.16.

Without this critical data TGRGCD is irresponsibly moving toward setting 2030 drawdown levels which do not factored in impact to wells of current and long-time residents and businesses with North Bexar County Trinity wells.

Without data on which to base a competent decision TGRGCD ignores the welfare of the current citizens and businesses of North, Northwest and Northeast Bexar County.

What does this mean for us - for our children’s future? What are we facing financially?

By 2030 – at maximum proposed drawdown levels:
   • Wells of most current landowners will go dry
   • Catastrophic impact on current well users, industries and businesses dependent on Trinity wells. They will be forced to rely on local water purveyors or drill deeper wells. At what costs?
   • No springs or springflow with catastrophic impact on businesses dependent on them.
   • Possibly very different landscape (trees may die off during times of drought)
   • No more ranching in North Bexar County?
   • Suburban sprawl could consume San Antonio's Gateway to the Hill Country

Hill Country Planning Association is a member of the Greater Edwards Aquifer Alliance. For more information visit www.aquiferalliance.org