Bandera County residents Urge GCD to Get Serious About Conservation

Bandera feud centers on water conservation
BANDERA — Last week's passing showers did nothing to dampen criticism of the Bandera County River Authority and Groundwater District over its perceived lack of urgency in responding to the drought.

The district's board adopted in April — four years behind schedule — its first drought management plan, establishing triggers for conservation measures to be enacted by public water suppliers and other large-scale pumpers. But critics, such as resident Karen Brown, argue that the district also should be more proactive in alerting domestic well owners of the need to conserve water.

“There's been no information put to the public regarding learning to conserve or trying to conserve, or acknowledging there even is a drought,” she said.

District officials agree that public notifications have been lacking, but they say the need to conserve water is as clear as a cloudless sky. “Most people realize when the trees start curling up, they're in a drought and it's time to conserve water,” said District Manager David Jeffery.

The district's drought plan was highlighted in letters sent to the roughly 25 public water systems — which are supposed to file drought plans with the district — and about 60 owners of wells that can pump 25,000 gallons or more daily.

But district officials said they have little authority to tell domestic well owners when they can and can't water lawns and wash cars — and they have no desire to police such water uses.

“A lot of the stuff (critics) think we can do, we can't control,” said board member Andy Lautzenheiser. “We can't circumvent state law.”

The Texas Water Code exempts from district authority domestic and livestock wells on tracts of 10 acres or larger that yield fewer than 25,000 gallons daily, said Andrea Morrow of the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality.

But, she said, a district can regulate domestic wells on smaller lots if it adopts rules on them, and civil penalties can be brought against violators.

Although some well pumps have been left dry by the declining water table, particularly around Medina Lake, Jeffery said he sees no crisis.

He cited a consultant's report that projects pumping in Bandera County will total 3,671 acre-feet next year and that estimates the amount of available groundwater here at 35,868 acre-feet. An acre-foot is 325,851 gallons.

But resident Brown's concerns about depleting the aquifer are shared by board members Richard Connors and Lee Kneupper.

Jeffery said setting pumping caps for large well owners is among changes being eyed in the district's management plan this fall, although older wells likely won't be affected. To better quantify local pumping, he said he wants the district to work toward getting all wells metered so their production can be logged.

Jeffery said he also wants to temporarily waive registration fees to encourage owners of unrecorded wells to come forward.

By Zeke MacCormack - Express-News