Friends of Bastrop County Conservatives,
We had a great meeting in Smithville this Monday, May 15, with presenters discussing our groundwater (underground water reservoirs) – where and how these reservoirs replenish, existing water levels, historical water levels, current water withdrawal rates, permitted water withdrawal rates, water rights, our surface water (the Colorado River and tributaries) and more. Summaries of each presentation follow:
Andy Wier
- Texas Water Law
- A landowner owns the water beneath his/her property
- Groundwater is subject to the Rule of Capture [biggest straw]
- Tx Legislature established Groundwater Conservations Districts [GCDs] as the preferred method to manage groundwater by balancing production with conservation, and to establish reasonable limits on the Rule of Capture.
- GCDs must manage to achieve the “highest practicable production” to serve the state’s needs.
- All of Bastrop County depends on groundwater, drawn mainly from the Carrizo-Wilcox Aquifer.
- Lost Pines GCD [LPGCD] manages the groundwater in Bastrop and Lee counties
- 95% of wells are domestic & livestock responsible for 5% of production
- 5% of wells are permitted [municipal, irrigation, export] wells responsible for 95% of production
- As permitted production increases, domestic & livestock wells are de-pressurized and pumps must be lowered to stay in water. Mitigation by Lost Pines GCD is a reasonable solution to allow for “highest practicable production” and respect the property rights of domestic & livestock well owners.
- Be sure your water well is registered with Lost Pines GCD and participate in monthly meetings. www.lostpineswater.org
- LPGCD can gage the depth of water in your well
- LPGCD sponsors annual water quality testing
- LPGCD sponsors workshops on caring for your water well; Texas Well Owners Network; twon.tamu.edu
- Track legislation on groundwater at www.simsborowaterdefensefund.org
- Contact info:
- Andy Wier
- awier.tx@gmail.com
- 512-545-4779
Steve Box
- We are blessed to have the water resources of the Colorado River and Carrizo-Wilcox Aquifer group.
- The ecological health of the Colorado River is currently THREATENED by increasing contamination and decreasing flow.
- The Boring Company (Gapped Bass LLC/Elon Musk) have applied for a new permit to dispose of 142,000 gal/day of wastewater per day into the Colorado River and by Spray Field over the Colorado Alluvial Aquifer, potentially contaminating the River and Aquifers.
- McKinney Roughs (Corix) has applied for a permit for a 10-fold increase to 510,000 gal/day of wastewater into the Colorado River and are currently discharging a high level of PFAS compounds into the tributary and River.
- Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) have been detected in every sample Environmental Stewardship has taken in the Colorado River and tributaries between Austin and Smithville.
- Evidence indicates the Colorado River between Austin and Bastrop is likely impaired and should be subject to a management strategy to remedy the impairments.
- Major Milestone Accomplished: Lost Pines GCD has adopted a Management Objective to establish a monitoring program to protect the water quality and interaction between groundwater and the Colorado River.
- contact info:
- Steve Box, Executive Director
- info@envstewardship.org
- 512-300-6609
- Environmental-Stewardship.org
Please feel free to reach out to any of our presenters with comments or questions.
Regards,
BCC