GMA Case Study for Similar Rules in the Same Aquifer: Dirk Aaron, Joe B. Cooper, Sarah Rountree Schlessinger and Doug Shaw
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This document summarizes groundwater management approaches across three districts that share an aquifer in GMA 8. It outlines the jurisdictions, rules, and desired future conditions monitoring of the Clearwater Underground Water Conservation District, Middle Trinity Groundwater Conservation District, and Upper Trinity Groundwater Conservation District. While the districts have some similar rules around well spacing and exemptions, they differ in fees, permitting mechanisms, and desired future conditions monitoring based on their local geologies and needs.
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GMA Case Study for Similar Rules in the Same Aquifer: Dirk Aaron, Joe B. Cooper, Sarah Rountree Schlessinger and Doug Shaw
- 1. GMA Case Study for Similar Rules in the Same Aquifer Dirk Aaron, Clearwater UWCD Joe B. Cooper, Middle Trinity GCD Doug Shaw, Upper Trinity GCD Moderator: Sarah Rountree Schlessinger
- 2. 3 Districts in GMA 8 District Rules Discussion
- 4. GMA 8
- 5. GMA 8
- 6. 3 Districts in GMA 8 Upper Trinity GCD Middle Trinity GCD Clearwater UWCD
- 8. • District’s jurisdiction includes all of Bell County approximately 1,055 square miles. • 2017 Est. Population is 334,941 • 2002 Population was 248,009 • Not jurisdiction on Federal Lands known as Fort Hood • Authority to levy ad valorem tax rate not to exceed $0.05/$100 assessed value—FY18 tax rate $0.00385/$100 assessed value. • Generates $697,000 for FY18
- 9. Historic Trends / Population 0 100000 200000 300000 400000 500000 600000 700000 800000 900000 1000000 1950 1960 1970 1980 1990 2000 2010 Bell County McLennan County Williamson County
- 10. Water Demand (Acre-Feet/Year) 0 50000 100000 150000 200000 250000 300000 350000 400000 2010 2020 2030 2040 2050 2060 McLennan Bell Williamson Williamson County Bell County McLennan County
- 11. Middle Trinity GCD • 4 counties • Confirmed by voters in May 2002 • 2 counties annexed in 2009 • 12 Elected Board members, 3 at large directors from each county • Total Population: 146,000 (Coryell @ 76,000, Erath @ 38,000, Bosque @ 18,000 & Comanche @ 14,000
- 12. • MTGCD is a tax based district with a current tax rate of 0.0103/$100 valuation. • $865,000 annual income • Primary GW use is for agricultural irrigation, especially on the northern part of the District (Comanche and Erath Counties) • District has both outcrop and downdip portions of the aquifer, with more wells in outcrop
- 13. Upper Trinity GCD • Creation: The UTGCD was created by the passage of Senate Bill 1983 by the 80th Texas Legislature and overwhelmingly confirmed by the citizens of Hood, Montague, Parker, and Wise counties on November 6, 2007, in an election called for that purpose. • Board of Directors: The Board of Directors consists of eight members, two from each of the four counties. The directors for each county are appointed by their respective commissioners’ courts, and serve staggered four-year terms. WISE PARKER MONTAGUE HOOD Road City Trinity Aquifer Outcrop Downdip Ü0 5 102.5 Miles
- 14. • The UTGCD is a “fee based” District • $0.22 per 1,000 gallons pumped by “non-exempt” wells • Fees charged for processing New Well Applications • Population (1/1/2016 estimate from Texas Demographic Center Population Estimates Program): • Hood County – 56,799 • Montague County – 19,675 • Parker County – 131,437 • Wise County – 63,207
- 15. UTGCD Water Use • The largest user of Groundwater are privately owned domestic wells(exempt use) • Processes 1,000 new well applications per year • Approximately 98% of these new wells are for exempt domestic use – growth in Parker and Wise county is dominated by subdivisions that depend on private wells as the sole source of water. *values in both the table and graph are expressed in gallons produced per year Water use for “Public Water Systems”, “Oil and Gas” and “Commercial/Busi ness are based on reported pumping.
- 16. UTGCD Geology • The Geology of the UTGCD is dominated by the steeply dipping Outcrop of the Trinity Aquifer. • In the western portion of the District, the Trinity may have less than 30 ft. of saturated thickness, occur at less than 100 ft. below surface and may only be capable of producing 5 gallons per minute or less • In the eastern portion of the District, the Trinity may have more than 500 ft. of thickness, made up of 3 distinct water bearing units of the Trinity (Paluxy, Glen Rose and Twin Mountains) with the capability of producing up to 100 gallons per minute. Outcrop unconfined confined confined
- 17. 3 Districts in GMA 8 District Rules Discussion
- 18. Wells Clearwater UWCD Middle Trinity GCD Upper Trinity GCD 62 77 150 Clearwater UWCD Middle Trinity GCD Upper Trinity GCD Yes Voluntary Yes Clearwater UWCD Middle Trinity GCD Upper Trinity GCD No No $0.22/1,000 gallons Number of monitoring wells Metering/Reporting requirements Production Fees Average # of Wells processed annually Clearwater UWCD Middle Trinity GCD Upper Trinity GCD 78 281 1,050 Clearwater UWCD Middle Trinity GCD Upper Trinity GCD 2,170 (ac-ft/yr) 11,000 (ac-ft/yr) 17,988 (ac-ft/yr) Estimated Exempt Use
- 19. Rules on Wells Clearwater UWCD Middle Trinity GCD Upper Trinity GCD • Yes • 50 ft. setback • 100 ft. between other wells • Additional based on Col. pipe size + tract size • Yes • 50 ft. setback • 100 ft. between others wells • Additional based on well casing size • Yes • 50 ft. setback • Min. 150 ft. between other wells • Additional based on proposed gallons per minute Clearwater UWCD Middle Trinity GCD Upper Trinity GCD • 17 gpm • 10 contiguous acres • 17 gpm • 10 contiguous acres • 25 gpm • Domestic & agriculture wells Clearwater UWCD Middle Trinity GCD Upper Trinity GCD • Yes, and subject to same requirements as other wells • Yes, and subject to same requirements as other wells • No, but subject to metering & reporting requirements Spacing Requirements What do you consider an exempt well? Do you permit Frac Wells?
- 20. Permitting Clearwater UWCD Middle Trinity GCD Upper Trinity GCD • Historic use • Tract Size • Annual production • Non speculative reasonable use • Column pipe size • Historic use • Tract Size • Annual production • In process of developing permitting scheme Clearwater UWCD Middle Trinity GCD Upper Trinity GCD • 30 year permit terms • Reviewed Annually • 5 year permit terms • N/A What mechanisms do you use for permitting? Separate export permit required? Clearwater UWCD Middle Trinity GCD Upper Trinity GCD • No, provision of Operating Permit • Export fees apply • No • Export fees apply • N/A Permit term length
- 21. Desired Future Conditions (DFCs) • Measure Static water levels quarterly for the Trinity Aquifer (Trend analysis) for the Three Layers of the Trinity Aquifer. • Measured through comparison of reported non-exempt pumping and estimated exempt pumping against the Modeled Available Groundwater (MAG) • Measure Springflow of the Spring Complex for the Edwards BFZ Clearwater DFC • Measure Static water levels quarterly for the Trinity Aquifer • Measured through comparison of reported non-exempt pumping and estimated exempt pumping against the Modeled Available Groundwater (MAG) • Ongoing water level monitoring of the aquifers in the Trinity Group Upper Trinity DFC Middle Trinity DFC • Measure Static water levels quarterly for the Trinity Aquifer • Five year average of water level measurements compared with the corresponding five-year increment of the DFCs
- 22. 3 Districts in GMA 8 District Rules Discussion
- 24. Questions? twitter.com/TXTAGD facebook.com/texasgroundwater Dirk Aaron: daaron@cuwcd.org Joe B. Cooper: mtgcd1@centurylink.net Doug Shaw: Doug@uppertrinitygcd.com Sarah R. Schlessinger: sarah@texasgroundwater.org
Editor's Notes
- The number of districts within GMA 8 (11), they represent x number of the total of 50 counties. There are x number of counties that are not covered by districts.
- 9 counties between the 3 districts
- Created by 71st Legislature in 1989 (HB 3172). Confirmed by Bell County voters in 1999. Doors opened for business in 2002. District’s jurisdiction includes all of Bell County—approximately 1,055 square miles. Authority to levy ad valorem tax at rate not to exceed one cent/$100 assessed value—FY12 tax rate $0.0040/$100 assessed value. Tax rate has been held at .0040/ $100 assessed value for the last eight years. In those eight years tax revenue has increased by $175,000 in FY13 as compared to FY06. Increases is a direct result of increased of property values across the district.
- Dirk and Doug provided numbers for # of permitted and exempt wells. I have added the cumulative number here, and expect that you will be able to flesh it out during the presentation.