Hays Trinity Groundwater Conservation District Declares NO DROUGHT Stage Status
Submitted to the Wimberley View on Wednesday, December 12, 2018.
Residents of western Hays County, please be advised that the Hays Trinity Groundwater Conservation District (HTGCD) Board of Directors took action on December 19th concerning Board Order 194, Return to No Drought Stage status. Local drought trigger conditions met the criteria of 60 consecutive days of flow above drought stage Alarm. HTGCD’s drought triggers, the Pedernales and Blanco Rivers, are monitored by the United States Geological Survey (USGS) who collect and distribute data using satellite technology. The drought trigger data, shown below in the chart, can be reviewed daily on HTGCD’s website www.haysgroundwater.com under Drought Management.
HTGCD manages non-exempt permit holders within its boundaries including Commercial, Business, Irrigation (non-residential) and Public Water Supply groundwater use. All permit holders are mandated by HTGCD Rule to conserve water usage via a set criteria and on a percentage basis during times of declared drought and more importantly on the severity of the drought. HTGCD encourages all residents (exempt users) and permit holders to continue to use caution even during this new No Drought Stage status as leaks can occur after freezing temperature conditions. All non-exempt permit holders have been notified of the new drought stage status, but please contact your local water supplier with questions concerning any water restrictions and cutbacks they might have for your neighborhood.
To help, HTGCD asks that all residents of western Hays County continue to rally around our local Trinity Aquifer by reducing personal water usage. If you are currently using groundwater for a non-exempt use, you are required by Legislation to obtain an operating permit with HTGCD. Operating permit applications can be completed and submitted on-line on the HTGCD’s website under Forms.
Additionally, a presentation was made during the HTGCD Board meeting by the Meadows Center concerning the recently approved One-Water project. This project will make the newly planned and approved Winters Mill Parkway primary school in Wimberley a history making achievement being the first school in Texas to incorporate water saving techniques such as rainwater harvesting and AC condensation collection. If you have any questions or desire more information concerning this One-Water project please contact the Meadows Center-Texas State University 512-245-6697.
Rick Broun – HTGCD General Manager
Hays Trinity Groundwater Conservation District Declares Drought Stage, Alarm
Submitted to the Wimberley View on Wednesday, July 3, 2018.
Attention residents of western Hays County, the Hays Trinity Groundwater Conservation District (HTGCD) has declared drought stage Alarm effective July 1, 2018. Drought trigger conditions have been met; therefore, the HTGCD Board of Directors will be taking action during its regularly scheduled July Board meeting to confirm Order 188 recognizing this latest drought condition. All active permit holders received a drought stage notice on June 28, 2018 to begin reducing production.
Those of you who have lived in Central Texas for any amount of time are aware of drought conditions and how it may impact your groundwater well. HTGCD asks that all residents of western Hays County continue to help our local Trinity Aquifer by reducing personal water usage wherever possible. Examples how to reduce water usage include: taking shorter showers, repairing leaks, repairing sprinkler heads, limiting watering times, and watering during the early morning or during the late evening.
HTGCD holds non-exempt operating permits with many local businesses throughout our boundary. These businesses use groundwater for the following uses: commercial/business, public water supply, retail water supply and commercial irrigation. These permit holders are mandated by Rule to reduce their groundwater production during declared drought conditions. Drought Stage Alarm requires non-exempt permit holders to reduce production by 20%. If drought conditions worsen to drought stage Critical, then permit holders are mandated to reduce production by 30%. HTGCD urges all exempt groundwater well owners (domestic/residential/agricultural) to also reduce your well’s production.
If you are currently using groundwater for your business in any fashion other than agricultural exempt use, you are required by Legislation and HTGCD Rule to obtain and operating permit. Operating permit applications are available online on the HTGCD website under Forms. Remember, the drop you save today, may be the drop you drink tomorrow.
Rick Broun – HTGCD General Manager
HTGCD: Public Service Announcement: Well Registration
Submitted to the Wimberley View on June 26, 2018
On Wednesday, June 20, 2018 the Hays Trinity Groundwater Conservation District (HTGCD) Board of Directors approved temporarily suspending all enforcement actions through December 31, 2018 concerning the registering of an existing well within HTGCD boundaries. If you register your existing well, there will be no penalties owed to HTGCD.
The Hays Trinity Groundwater Conservation District (HTGCD) is one of over 100 groundwater districts established by the State to manage Texas aquifers. The District’s authority covers the Trinity Aquifer over the entire western portion of Hays County including Henly, Dripping Springs, Driftwood, and Wimberley. The HTGCD boundary extends to the surrounding county borders of Travis, Blanco and Comal with the Trinity Aquifer in the eastern portion of Hays County covered by a neighboring groundwater district, Barton Springs Edwards Aquifer Conservation District (BSEACD).
One of the duties that HTGCD performs is approving new groundwater well registrations. An inspection of the registration is important as new wells must be drilled 50 feet away from any septic tank, 100 feet away from a sanitary field, 150 feet from contamination, and 50 feet away from the property line. Drilling your well closer may impact your drinking water and pose additional problematic health concerns. Most wells registered with HTGCD in western Hays County are classified as “exempt” as the water is used for domestic, residential or agricultural purposes. Some wells are classified as “non-exempt” as the water is to be used for commercial, public water supply or retail water supply use. All new wells, exempt and non-exempt, must be registered with the groundwater district. In addition, non-exempt wells are required by rule to obtain an operating permit with HTGCD.
HTGCD has been in operation since September 2001 and there are thousands of wells that have been drilled and have been in operation in western Hays County that pre-date the groundwater district. These wells are considered “existing wells” and one of our tasks is to register all existing wells within our boundary so that we have a better understanding of groundwater usage. Recently Electro Purification (EP), whose wells are located outside HTGCD’s boundary but within the BSEACD boundary and management authority, has submitted an operating permit application to BSEACD to produce a maximum annual amount of 2,800 acre feet or over 912 million gallons/year. This operating permit, if approved, could potentially impact water levels in wells within the HTGCD. We ask that all existing groundwater wells within the HTGCD boundary be registered with HTGCD no matter if your well is in close proximity of the proposed EP well-field or many miles away. Registering your well is the first step in protecting your rights concerning any potential mitigation with EP. You can register your well online no matter how much information you have pertaining to your well; we just want all wells registered. www.haysgroundwater.comWe further request that all existing groundwater wells within the BSEACD boundary be registered online with BSEACD.
Thank you for your help in cooperating with the local groundwater districts in a common effort to better manage our groundwater resources.
Rick Broun – HTGCD General Manager
Hays Trinity Groundwater Conservation District: 2017 Review
Submitted to the Wimberley View, Monday, March 19, 2018
The Hays Trinity Groundwater Conservation District (HTGCD/The District) is one of over 100 groundwater districts established by the State to manage Texas aquifers. The District’s authority covers the Trinity Aquifer over the entire western portion of Hays County including Henly, Dripping Springs, Driftwood, and Wimberley. The HTGCD boundary extends to the surrounding county borders of Travis, Blanco and Comal with the eastern portion of Hays County covered by a neighboring groundwater district, Barton Springs Edwards Aquifer Conservation District.
Among various ongoing district responsibilities, HTGCD is tasked with registering all new groundwater wells. This includes not only inspecting applications for spacing standards and distances to help protect against potential contamination, but also to categorize the wells as either “exempt use” or “non-exempt use”. HTGCD Rules state that wells drilled for domestic or agricultural use are considered exempt and must be registered with the District prior to drilling but are not required to obtain an operating permit. Wells considered non-exempt include: commercial use, public water supply use, and irrigation use. Not only are these wells required to be registered with HTGCD prior to drilling, but the well owners must obtain an operating permit with HTGCD before starting production. It is important to note that all non-exempt groundwater wells either new or existing wells are required to obtain an operating permit; these wells are not grandfathered. This includes anyone changing a well’s use from exempt to non-exempt is required to obtain an operating permit from HTGCD.
During 2017, HTGCD received 105 new exempt well registrations equating to approximately 39 acre feet of groundwater production. For the past nine years, HTGCD has averaged 114 new wells each year, so 2017’s 105 new wells falls close to the yearly average. During the year, HTGCD approved permits for an additional 219 acre feet from non-exempt well owners. Total production reported to the District from non-exempt permit holders at the end of the year was 1,815 acre feet. This total amount is up from 2016 by 229 acre feet. As background information, one acre foot equals 325,851 gallons and residential use is estimated at 330 gallons of use per day. If you are using a groundwater well for any purpose other than strictly residential use or agricultural use, you are required to obtain an operating permit with HTGCD. Those who have an existing exempt groundwater well that is not registered, you are asked to register your well with the District; there is no cost for this registration.
During the year the District tracks ongoing groundwater use, water levels and stream flow to monitor the health of the aquifer. The District is also interested in the balance between production and recharge, groundwater that is added to the system through rainfall. Western Hays County has been out of drought since July 1, 2015 according to the established triggers along the Pedernales and Blanco Rivers. Flow devices installed and maintained by the USGS (United States Geological Survey) provide data indicating the rate of flow within the rivers. These changes in flow are the basis of HTGCD’s triggers. HTGCD has found that these rivers are excellent indicators of the local aquifer’s status and can be used in conjunction with other hydrological data such as water levels and spring flow to judge water availability.
Anyone who has lived in Central Texas for any amount of time will know that droughts and floods are a part of the weather cycle. In order to better understand groundwater availability, HTGCD records water levels from a select group of 50 wells within its boundary. This information is available to review on the HTGCD website and can be viewed as individual hydrographs (water records over time) showing the trends (peaks and valleys of drought and recharge) within the Trinity Aquifer of western Hays County.
This summer when the heat returns, HTGCD asks that we all be mindful of our watering amounts and the times that we water. Early morning has been suggested to be the best time of the day to water; please resist watering your lawns and trees during the hottest times of the day. You may need to seek out your HOA or water service provider concerning watering days as many neighborhoods have set watering schedules. As for water maintenance, check for leaks within your home and outside water sprinklers lines as even the smallest leak adds up quickly. Remember that the drop of water you save today may be the drop of water you have tomorrow.
If you have questions regarding registering your well, require an operating permit application or just curious about groundwater, please see our website www.haysgroundwater.com or contact our offices 512-858-9253.
Rick Broun – HTGCD General Manager
Advisory to Conserve Groundwater Usage
Submitted to the Wimberley View, Friday, June 23, 2017
For those who live within the boundaries of western Hays County including residents within the Hays Trinity Groundwater Conservation District (HTGCD) authority, this is an advisory to conserve your groundwater usage. It has been nearly two years since drought triggers, monitored by the United States Geological Survey (USGS), have shown a negative flow within the Blanco and Pedernales Rivers. During this period, our area has been fortunate to experience a greater than average yearly rainfall and recharge to the Trinity Aquifer. As you all are aware, drought cycles are a part of living in Texas…. it’s how we react to them that can make a difference. The data collected by the USGS can be viewed on the HTGCD website www.haysgroundwater.com under Quick Links / Drought Management. At this time, HTGCD remains within drought stage 1, No Drought/Voluntary Conservation, but conditions could change in the near future.
This may be the beginning of another hot and dry summer in our area, so your help by reducing personal groundwater usage can really make a difference. Outdoor watering is a large portion of personal and commercial groundwater use. Watering during the evening or early morning allows the water to seep into the ground and reduces evaporation. Be aware of the weather reports as rain can ease back the use of groundwater plus your plants will thank you.
This is an advisory to conserve water and every drop counts when cutting back your use of our Trinity Aquifer. All domestic use of groundwater is unregulated so we urge you to reduce when you can. If you are using groundwater or you would like to use groundwater for your business, you are required to apply for an operating permit with HTGCD.
Rick Broun – HTGCD District Manager
Hays Trinity CGD Tally
Submitted to the Wimberley View, December 19, 2016
Another year is about to begin, but before we say goodbye to 2016 here is a quick look at some interesting water related points. We all know that western Hays County has had its fair share of drought in the past, so Hays Trinity Groundwater Conservation District (HTGCD) is pleased to report that rain data collected by the NCDC during 2016 totaled nearly 45 inches in the Dripping Springs area and nearly 43 inches in the Wimberley area compared with a 32 inch average rainfall! In fact, HTGCD has declared no drought conditions since July 1, 2015. HTGCD continues to measure and record groundwater level data throughout our District and is currently compiling from 50 monitoring wells. This data collection is available for review on our website www.haysgroundwater.com. You may live close to one of these monitor wells and can use this data to estimate water levels in your own well. This year, HTGCD has received 309 public water utility connections along with 93 new groundwater well registrations. Over the past 15 years, the HTGCD has registered 2,789 new and existing groundwater wells. Knowing how many “holes in the ground” there are in western Hays County provides insight into how much groundwater is being used each year. If you have an existing groundwater well that you would like to register with HTGCD, please contact the District office so that we can add your information to our growing data base. None of us can make it rain but working together we can do a better job stewarding our water resources. If you would like to know more about the local Trinity Aquifer, our website has links to technical publications and contains two educational videos that we created specifically for public use. Thank you all for your conservation efforts and remember that the water you save today may be your water needed tomorrow. Happy Holidays from the HTGCD Board of Directors and HTGCD Staff Members, may your new year be even better.
Rick Broun – HTGCD District Manager
Western Hays County Groundwater: “Desired Future Conditions” (DFC)
Submitted to the Wimberley View, January 25, 2016
Desired Future Conditions as defined by the Texas Water Development Board (TWDB), Title 31, Part 10, §356.10 (6) of the Texas Administrative Code: “the desired, quantified condition of groundwater resources within a management area at one or more specified future times as defined by participating groundwater conservation districts within a groundwater management area as part of the joint planning process.”
The Hays Trinity Groundwater Conservation District (HTGCD) is an active, voting member of Groundwater Management Area 9 (GMA9); GMA9 includes 10 groundwater districts in 10 Central Texas counties. In 2010, after extensive review, the GMA9 adopted a DFC of “30 feet average drawdown for the Trinity Aquifer”. Every five years, in accordance with TWDB regulations, Groundwater Management Areas must review, and possibly revise, the projected 50 year DFC. For the 2015 project, GMA9 contracted Blanton & Associates to develop the extensive report required with each DFC submission. In September 2015, a preliminary vote was taken by GMA9 representatives concerning the DFC “30 foot regional drawdown” for the Trinity Aquifer. The resulting vote was nine districts in favor and one abstention (HTGCD). Blanton & Associates held several reviews of their project analyses including a full day presentation in Dripping Springs in September, 2015. Although the Trinity Aquifer is the sole producing unit in western Hays County, the full report for the TWDB incorporates all of the primary and secondary aquifers within GMA9. Each member groundwater district, after internal review and public hearing, has the responsibility to vote on the recommended DFC.
The HTGCD Board of Directors met on Wednesday, December 9, 2015 at Dripping Springs City Hall. The main Hearing agenda item for discussion and possible action was a vote concerning confirmation of the GMA9 recommended DFC. The DFC had been included in the district’s meeting agenda for the past two consecutive monthly Board meetings. Prior to these meetings, HTGCD held an educational workshop at the Wimberley Community Center on September 23, 2015 to review and discuss the DFC with area residents. Speakers at the workshop included representatives from the Barton Springs Edwards Aquifer Conservation District (BSEACD), the Blanco Pedernales Groundwater Conservation District (BPGCD), the HTGCD and local residents. Upon conclusion of the HTGCD Public Hearing on December 9, 2015, the HTGCD Board voted to authorize the District representative to the GMA9 (HTGCD General Manager) to vote for approval of a DCF range between 0 and 30 feet drawdown for the Trinity Aquifer.
What does the DFC mean to residents of western Hays County and how does it affect the water level in local wells? The DFC is part of a state-wide water planning process than begins with the groundwater districts and ends with the State Water Plan. Water usage is forecast over a 50 year period and serves locally as a groundwater management tool. The designated “30 foot drawdown of the Trinity Aquifer” is a regional average “drawdown” spread over the entire groundwater management area during a 50 year period. The forecast is model driven and dependent upon aquifer recharge (precipitation) and discharge (pumpage and natural discharge). Lastly and most importantly it should be noted that water tables that were lowered during Central Texas dry spells during the past ten years recovered with heavy rainfall in 2015.
Hays Trinity Groundwater Conservation District Declares NO DROUGHT Stage Status
Submitted to the Wimberley View, June 16, 2015
Western Hays County, the Hays Trinity Groundwater Conservation District (HTGCD) Board of Directors took action last week, June 17, and approved HTGCD Board Order 176, Return to No Drought Stage status. Local drought trigger conditions met the criteria of 60 consecutive days of flow above drought stage Alarm. HTGCD’s drought triggers, the Pedernales and Blanco Rivers, are monitored by the United States Geological Survey (USGS) who collect and distribute data using satellite technology. The drought trigger data can be reviewed on HTGCD’s website www.haysgroundwater.com under Drought Management.
HTGCD currently has 67 Non-Exempt permit holders within its boundaries. All permit holders are mandated by HTGCD Rule to reduce their groundwater production during times of drought. HTGCD encourages all residents and HTGCD operating permit holders to continue to use caution even during this new No Drought Stage status as the summer heat will again be soon upon us all. All permit holders have been notified of the new drought stage status that will commence July 1, 2015. Please contact your local water supplier with questions concerning any water restrictions and cutbacks they might have for your area.
To help, HTGCD asks that all residents of Western Hays County continue to rally around our local Trinity Aquifer by reducing personal water usage. If you are currently using groundwater for your business, in any fashion other than agricultural use, you are required by Legislation to have an operating permit with HTGCD. Operating permit applications can be completed and submitted on-line on the HTGCD’s website under Forms.
Rick Broun – HTGCD District Manager
Hays Trinity Groundwater Conservation District Declares Drought Stage, Alarm
Submitted to the Wimberley View, March 2, 2015
Western Hays County, the Hays Trinity Groundwater Conservation District (District) Board of Directors will be taking action to review and approve Board Order 175, Return to Drought Stage Alarm. Drought trigger conditions have met the criteria of 60 consecutive days of flow above stage Critical. The District’s triggers, the Pedernales and Blanco Rivers, are monitored by the United States Geological Survey (USGS) who collect and distribute data using satellite technology. The drought trigger data can be reviewed on the District’s website www.haysgroundwater.com under Drought Management.
The District currently has 67 Non-Exempt permit holders within its boundaries. All permit holders are mandated by District Rule to reduce their groundwater production during Board declared drought conditions. The District has been within drought stage Critical ,with a 30% reduction, since May 1, 2014. Starting on March 1, 2015, all Non-Exempt permit holders are required to follow stage Alarm, with a 20% reduction. The District office notified all of its permit holders on March 2, 2015 of this new drought update. Please contact your local water supplier with questions concerning water restrictions and cutbacks.
Though our area is experiencing a late Winter blast, we will all feel that familiar Summer heat upon us soon enough. The District asks that all residents of Western Hays County continue to help our local Trinity Aquifer by reducing personal water usage. If you are currently using groundwater for your business, in any fashion other than agricultural use, you are required by Legislation to have an operating permit with the District. Operating permit applications can be completed and submitted on-line on the District’s website under Forms.
Rick Broun-HTGCD General Manager
Hays Trinity Groundwater Conservation District Provides Drought Update
Submitted to the Wimberley View, August 11, 2014
Owners of private, residential wells should be urged to cooperate with the Hays Trinity Groundwater Conservation District (HTGCD) cutbacks. Not by regulation, not by government mandate but because it makes good common sense. Neighbors and neighborhoods must work together to conserve water for their own benefit, for the benefit of their properties, their land and their future. With the full understanding that they must help themselves because during a drought, during a period of insufficient aquifer recharge(rainfall), multiple residential water wells in a subdivision will draw themselves down. There are no major industries, no oil and gas production and no major agricultural irrigation in Western Hays County causing groundwater levels to decline; private, residential water users make up the majority of water used. The HTGCD cannot cause increased rainfall and they cannot control production from residential wells. Local public water supply companies and their customers are already cooperating by cutting back on groundwater usage; rainwater collection systems on private homes and businesses are easing the demand on groundwater; there is no readily available surface water that is not already in demand by others; and there are no desalination projects in the works. Hauling water is valid as long as there are others who have excess water to sell – we borrow from one pocket to pay another. Conservation is the only near term tool available to local residents and to the groundwater district. There appears to be sufficient groundwater available in Western Hays County to satisfy current demand if users can apply some common sense to production and conservation during periods of drought. You can be certain that it will rain and that it will flood; we can only hope that the Trinity Aquifer will recharge to a level that will get us through the next drought. Below is the latest from the HTGCD’s website Drought Management page. The Pedernales River has met the 30 consecutive day trigger for drought stage Emergency while the Blanco River is on day 12 as of August 10th. Once both rivers hit 30 consecutive days, the HTGCD office will announce the start date for drought stage Emergency including a mandatory 40% reduction of operating permit production. Rain will impact these drought triggers if enough is recorded. Groundwater production restrictions are mandated for those who have operating permits with the HTGCD. Exempt well owners (Domestic, Residential and Agricultural use) do not have these production curtailments, but are encouraged to reduce their groundwater use. The drop you save today may be the drop you have to drink tomorrow.
Hays Trinity Groundwater Conservation District Declares Drought Stage, Critical
Submitted to the Wimberley View, April 16, 2014
Western Hays County, the HTGCD Board of Directors signed Board ORDER 168, the return of Drought Stage Critical at its April 16th Board meeting. The drought conditions were met on March 26th and announced the same day to all of the District’s permit holders. Drought trigger conditions met the criteria of 30 consecutive days of flow below stage alarm for both the Pedernales and Blanco Rivers. These river triggers are monitored by the United States Geological Survey (USGS) who collect and distribute data using satellite technology. Drought condition data can be viewed on the District’s website www.haysgroundwater.com under Quick Links / Drought Management.
The District currently works with 57 permit holders within the HTGCD’s boundaries. During declared drought conditions, permit holders reduce their production according to their individual curtailments charts. These charts contain production target amounts for each drought stage and corresponding month. All permit holders are required to begin reducing their production to drought stage critical target amounts starting on May 1, 2014. The March 26th announcement allowed permit holders time to reach out to their end-users publicizing the May 1st drought cutback curtailments. Please contact your local water supplier with questions concerning water restrictions and cutbacks in your area.
This summer will be another hot season for our area, so we ask that all residents of western Hays County continue to help the Trinity Aquifer by reducing their personal groundwater usage. If we do not receive enough rain, drought conditions may worsen to stage, Emergency, further reducing production limits for permittees only.
If you are currently using groundwater for your business, in any fashion other than agricultural, you are required to have an operating permit with the District. Operating permit applications can be completed on the District’s website www.haysgroundwater.com under Forms.
Hays Trinity Groundwater Conservation District Declares Drought Stage, Alarm
Submitted to the Wimberley View, January 10, 2014
Western Hays County, the Hays Trinity Groundwater Conservation District Board of Directors authorized Drought Stage, Alarm during its December Board meeting. Drought trigger conditions have met the criteria, 60 consecutive days of flow above stage trigger. Two of the District’s triggers, the Pedernales and Blanco Rivers, are monitored by the United States Geological Survey (USGS) who collect and distribute data using satellite technology. The Palmer Drought Severity Index is the District’s third drought trigger. Drought condition data can be viewed on the District’s website www.haysgroundwater.com under Quick Links / Drought Management.
The District holds over 50 non-exempt permits within its boundaries. All permit holders are subject to drought conditional volume curtailments. If you are currently using groundwater for your business, in any fashion other than agricultural, you are required to have an operating permit with the District. Operating permit applications can be completed on the District’s website under Forms.
The District asks that all residents of western Hays County continue to help the Trinity Aquifer by reducing your personal groundwater usage. Fixing leaks and taking shorter showers are two ways that you can help. The water you save today may be the water you need tomorrow.
Thank you for your efforts,
Rick Broun-HTGCD General Manager
In Search of Well Owners
Submitted to the Wimberley View, January 10, 2014
The Hays Trinity Groundwater Conservation District is looking for your help. The District is in search of well owners in the northwest sector of its boundaries that would be willing to have their water levels measured and recorded monthly. The data gathering is an on-going project that the District collects and maps in the form of hydrographs and rainwater comparisons. You can view the District’s current data collection on going to www.haysgroundwater.com under Quick Links / Water Level Monitoring. If you think you would be willing to be part of the data gathering, please contact the District office 512-858-9253.
Thank you for your efforts,
Rick Broun-HTGCD General Manager
Hays Trinity Groundwater Conservation District Declares Drought Stage, Critical
May 23, 2013
Western Hays County, the HTGCD Board of Directors authorized Drought Stage, Critical at its May 16th Board meeting last week. Drought trigger conditions have met the criteria, 30 consecutive days of flow below stage trigger, critical. The District’s triggers, the Pedernales and Blanco Rivers, are monitored by the United States Geological Survey (USGS) who collect and distribute data using satellite technology. Drought condition data can be viewed on the District’s website www.haysgroundwater.com under Quick Links / Drought Management.
The District holds 51 non-exempt permits within its boundaries. Drought production cutbacks are requirements for all permit holders and are enforceable by District Rules. Each permit holder is issued their own unique cutback reduction chart with production target amounts for each drought stage and corresponding month. All permit holders are required to begin reducing their production to critical target amounts starting on June 1, 2013. The District notified all its permit holders of the newly declared drought condition on May 3, 2013 using its email distribution list, phone calls, letters in particular cases, and new to the District, reminder postcards. This four-week early announcement allows permit holders time to reach out to their end-users to publicize the June 1 drought condition cutback requirements. Please contact your local water supplier with questions concerning water restrictions and cutbacks.
This summer will be another hot season for our area, so we ask that all residents of western Hays County continue to help the Trinity Aquifer by reducing their personal groundwater usage. If we do not receive enough rain, drought conditions may worsen to stage, Emergency, further reducing production limits for permittees.
If you are currently using groundwater for your business, in any fashion other than agricultural, you are required to have an operating permit with the District. Operating permit applications can be completed on the District’s website www.haysgroundwater.com under Forms.
Rick Broun
HTGCD, General Manager
Drought Conditions Come Early
April 26, 2013
Residents of western Hays County: Though our area has felt some rain in the first quarter, drought conditions have remained constant for Central Texas. We all must prepare for another long, hot Texas summer and perhaps for more serious drought conditions.
The Hays Trinity Groundwater Conservation District (District) continues to monitor, measure and chart water levels in (40) plus wells within western Hays County. These measurements from the monitored wells can be seen as hydrographs on the District’s website www.haysgroundwater.com under the heading Water Level Monitoring. The public is encouraged to visit our website and see how water levels in your area may be affected by long term drought and short term weather conditions; no rain equals no recharge for the aquifer.
The District is currently within drought stage, Alarm. This stage is a mandatory production reduction for non-exempt permit holders with the District. Please be aware that the next drought stage, Critical, is almost upon our area. Critical drought conditions will result in further stringent production reduction for non-exempt permit holders. We do ask the public (domestic wells are exempt from District regulations) for your help and voluntary reduction of groundwater usage during all drought periods.
Now is the time, during spring planting and landscaping, to establish drought tolerant plants, trees and native grasses. The normal local increase in water use during the summer months has the greatest impact on critical water levels and the health of the aquifer during a serious drought. The water you save today may be the water you need tomorrow.
Rick Broun
HTGCD, General Manager