Sarah Schlessinger, Texas Alliance of Groundwater Districts

1. ANNUAL REPORT

2. END OF YEAR SNAPSHOT
• Membership
• Financial
• Events
• Operations
• Policy
• Outreach

3. FY18 Membership Report
• 100% GCD member renewal
• New members: 1 GCD + 6 Associates
• Membership Totals: 86 GCD and 43 Associate
• FY19 Dues ↑ 25%
• 30th Anniversary Recognition of TAGD Founding
Members

4. FY18 Financial Report
• Originally adopted FY18 net profit was -$38,697.00
• FY18 closing net profit was $35,829.80
• How did we achieve this?
• Doubled Texas Groundwater Summit profit
• $15,000 grant
• Increased Membership

5. FY18 Financial Report
• Developed 5 year financial strategy to address a projected deficit
budget
• Incremental membership dues increase (25%, 10%, 10%, 10%)
• Event registration rate increase ($160 to $180)
• Modest to no expense growth

6. Events Report
• 3 Regular Business Meetings, 15
guest speakers ($32,285)
• 4 Mobile Leadership Trainings in
Beeville, Fort Stockton, Amarillo
and Salado ($16,140)
• 1 Public Funds Investment Act
Training ($4,900.00)
• 5 Database Stakeholder Meetings

7. Texas Groundwater Summit
Sponsorship revenue ($64,750)
registration revenue ($111,750)
+ exhibitor revenue ($13,600)
___________________________
$78,080.82 Total Profit
New Venue
New Contract
Highest Registration
☑️
☑️
☑️

8. Operations Report
• 1 Financial Audit Passed
• 1 Executive & Finance Committee Retreat
• 12 Monthly Newsletters : 400 subscribers
• 52 Weekly Updates : 245 subscribers
• Texas Groundwater Summit Marketing: 2,800 subscribers
• GCD Index Audit

9. Policy Report
7 HNRC Interim Hearings
• Invited testimony : 3
• Panel participation: 6
4 SAWRA Interim Hearings
• Invited testimony: 1
5 Legislative Subcommittees
3 Position Papers
• Attorneys Fees
• Permitting
• Consideration of Service Area

10. Policy Report
• Appointed member of Texas Groundwater Protection
Committee
• Approved strategic plan revision
• Appointed member of the Water Conservation Advisory
Council
• Approved recommendations to the 86th Legislature
• TAGD provided comments on TDLR rule revision
• TAGD provided comments on Sunset Commission’s
recommendation to abolish the Board of Professional
Geoscientists.

11. Outreach Report
Conferences & Seminars: over 30 invitations!
TWCA, Texas Groundwater Association, American Groundwater
Association, American Water Works Association, UT Legal Webcast
Series, Barstow Speaker Series, District 10 County Commissioners
Conference, Far West Texas Judges and Commissioners Conference,
South Texas Judges and Commissioners Conference, Texas Aquifers
Conference, Texas Desal, Bell County Water Symposium, West Texas
Water Symposium, Changing Face of Water CLE, Texas Rural Water
Association, Texas State University, Texas A&M, Mitchell Foundation

12. Looking forward
• Texas Water Day at the Capitol
• 2019 Texas Groundwater Summit
• Weekly Emails
• Updated GCD Index
• TAGD’s Guide to Texas GCDs

13. TAGD’s Guide to Texas GCDs
Chapter 36, Tex as W ater Code
All GCDs are governed by the laws and rules de-
fin
e
d in Chapter 36 of the TexasWater Code. Chap-
ter 36 provides specific instruction on operational,
permitting, procedural, and planning requirements.
Accounta bility & Oversight
As political subdivisions, GCDs are subject
to special purpose district laws. Additional-
ly, GCDs are subject to local accountability,
through local boards and public input, as well
as state agency and judicial oversight. GCDs
are also accountable to each other through
the GMA process and development of DFCs.
Conserva tion & Protection
The fundamental mandate of a GCD is to bal-
ance the protection of the resource with prop-
erty rights. GCD rules protect groundwater by
ensuring fair share-access of property rights
and long term management of the resource.
Cooperative M anagement
All GCDs are required to set cooperative manage-
ment goals through the adoption of a DFC. This
allows GCDs to coordinate their groundwater us-
age and manage cooperatively within an aquifer.
texasgroundwater.org
TAGD’sGuide toTexasGCDs
Common Messaging.indd 1 1/15/19 1:41 PM
N ot All Aquifers Are Created Equal
Texas has 9 major aquifers, and each oper-
ates differently! GCD rules are designed to
address the different dynamics of each aqui-
fer. Uniform rules don’t allow for the differenc-
es in hydrology between and within aquifers.
Local Conditions
Different types of aquifer usage require dif-
ferent rules. The type, frequency and volume
of usage can affect the aquifer. For example,
groundwater produced for agriculture in a ru-
ral area requires different well spacing than
groundwater produced for a large urban area
– even in the same aquifer. Chapter 36 allows
GCDs to address local conditions in their rules.
N ot All GCDs are Created Equal
Most GCDs are created by local legislative ac-
tion. A GCD’s enabling legislation define s the
districts characteristics, including its fina nci ng
and exemptions. A GCD’s enabling legislation
and its subsequent rules affect its management.
Property Rights & M arket Transactions
GCDsensureequal protectionof all property rights
and investment backed expectations. GCDs also
provideregulatorycertaintyformarkettransactions
through permitting and by managing to the DFC.
texasgroundwater.org
TAGD’sGuide toTexasGCDs
Common Messaging.indd 2 1/15/19 1:41 PM

14. Questions?