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The Saga of the Hill Country PGMA

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The Saga of the Hill Country PGMA The Saga of the Hill Country PGMA: Recent Publication: The Plot Thickens Hydrogeologic Atlas of the Hill Country Aquifer, The fate of these unprotected areas – including southwestern Travis County adjacent to BSEACD – is anybody’s guess at this point, with the story taking Blanco, Hays and Travis Counties, as many plot twists and turns as a “whodunit” novel. After these areas were Central Texas designated as areas in need of groundwater management, the issue remained relatively dormant, until recently. Meanwhile, the residents in Hydrogeologic Atlas of the Hill Country Trinity Aquifer these areas who were experiencing well problems, especially during Blanco, Hays, and Travis Counties, Central Texas BriaBriarrcliliffff Joo 281 Lakeway Kcc Rom 71 Kcc HPC Corb PedF Kcc s Syc le Kcc Frank1 a n Pedernales R r Corb iv e Corb er d Pe DMH Corb Corb Syc Corb JWal1 Keyes1 JSco2 71 H/P FC3 RivOa2 Johnsonhnson FC4 Lgr City Kcc FCh RJac1 Brow3 HeaS1 Westr1 Hop Burr1 Hopp Brow1 Vai1 Gran1 DJon1 reek Farm1 n C And1 Corb orb rto St C a Bis OK2 B 290 Tra Sta Corb Sull1 290 Pon2 Hays v Vin is Win 35 Beu1 Tie Shad2 Blek Dripping DWarr Mill Corb Corb Pem droughts, became increasingly frustrated by the lack of attention to this Shad4 Springs Whir1 Val1 290 Belt1 Austin Whit Corb Bou Rog1 Gard2 Roo CirC RRob2 Boh 1 s Huss1 Yat Fore Sig Spil lanco ay reek B C Smi2 H Onion Kem2 Corb 281 Saw2 Brus13A Ran Brus 16A Bru3 OniC1 Bars Ems1 BrusW1A 1826 Harw1 Ken2 FlyL Dar FM Gold y Woo2 BrusW3A Rob3 Rim2 Col2 SaltL2 g D U Tall1 Mot1 HeaD1 Ann DS o Park Witt l Leo1 RR 2 Eld1 32 Ingr FM 5 Dscott STuck1 Mand1 FM Corb Blanco B Pump1 967 l 1 a 5 o Tho n 0 Blan c Hea Cypress Creek MountS RR 12 LaV o Long1 Corb HighPW1 Mad1 O2 Buda Cie Corb NDob2 WBay Stl Kel1 CieF Sey Sky Ge Corb Dry1 Corb 35 Nar Run2 D U MeyPW Run1 Will1 McK1 Corb Jacobs FM 150 Led1 Hod1 HaysC3 RocPW2 Well Nel Aqua Skyl1 Arr Tru1 Kyle r Bass Sou e Tru54 Woodcreek iv Corb R Grec co Rea3 lan Crain2 Dunn B MtB1 le Whit RivM64 Litt Corb Dun Lynd co er Mane2 Corb Her n v Corb la Ri Sab1 B Wall1 BluH Shel LasM2 Ark2 D U LasM3 Wimberley Roh Key1 Stei Wyn Les situation. In the 2009 legislative session, the District attempted to answer Pan Sa 49 n Marcos RR 1 River Ciel1 2 Briarcliff Mar1 LLANO UPLIFT West Brid1 Lakeway San H 42 a Comalys Marcos 202 Coa 100 & 183 M N A 0 E Johnson R 97 0 0 R -B City T 300 D 00 S 153 E 2 D 337 R E 195 , D ANDS 210 E I 245 S Onlap N RA re ALLUVIAL FAN B amo O NEL NERGY Lakeway yc T o E Pedernales River S S g 15 17 D i 186 400 Austin 17 N l A CHAN 287 HIGH S S 148 Co. , 115 E co n BEACH/BAR the call by supporting bills filed by Sen. Kirk Watson and Rep. Valinda Bolton T Hays Co. Dripping 0 A o 259 R Blan i Springs MARINE 10 E t 107 77102 M a Tr av O Hay is L m 300 110 C G r s Co. o N 250 o . O f Tr C e 305 ch av LE d Ha is B DELTA PLAIN a C B it y E h a s Co. o. P c E 0 a L 00 40 u 3 Blanco O p f Barton Creek o Johnson op 400 cr 155 b 200 u E City S N Iso 176 Buda Austin STO DELTAIC SANDSTONE,294 D 280 TEXAS WITH DOLOMITE Woodcreek STONE, SHALE THICKBROWN SILTSTONE & SHA SILT PRO DELTA Kyle RED- & THIN SAN 140 Dripping 186 Springs Wimberley . o Buda 924 that would have allowed the residents of southwestern Travis County to Briarcliff o Co. B la ys C n anc Blanco c a o R Bl H C i v LLANO UPLIFT Lakeway e y Hays Co. r pres C Onion Creek omal Co. 700 s Creek 820 San STUDY 725 Marcos Bl anco Kyle AREA 840 Woodcreek 793 692 650 400 0 0 785 3 200 665 Johnson City 181 600 509 634 Travis 208 River p 900 517 Onla Hays Co. re Co 572 . amo yc Wimberley S 500 1055 800 o 460 Aust 700 in 490 467 g 1032 i 1157 l D U S 20 00 n Dripping 399 N H 10 o ay i Springs 381 -18 C t om s C 0 a 0 977 a o. 11 m 318 e l C vote to be annexed (or not) into the BSEACD’s jurisdiction. At the time, the 975 774 r 554 o o r f 401 . e 0 d 562 -100 u ys Co. a a it t Blanco Co.H ch 976 a u c O Blanco f 05 mi10 mi 100 967 o 0200 mi p u o 799 00 r r 970 9 c ub t 900 S 100 Buda 761 D D 800 799 S U U 834 800 863 760 300 200 -100 738 Woodcreek Kyle 700 700 100 0 0 302 617 60 0 400 60 600 500 Wimberley 200 0 400 00 BSEACD was agreeable to the annexation idea because of the limited 2 0 0 1 Hays Co. Co -100 San ma Marcos l Co 0 . 978 997 1007 725 925 1227 793 783 913 732 492 1310 1141 1002 1129 968 941 1043 950 884 1189 675 1250 927 1285 1206 1119 500 1300 1224 1205 c 1205 1 1199 000 1050 ri 603 t 985 852 978 623 1100 1185 1177 1049 e 1200 1229 1037 1012 1284 900 800 1031 m 1241 1059 1001 700 1300 1240 616 1325 o 1030 1301 i 1209 t 598 1142 1023 1012 917 600 918 n 1312 1162 910 939 997 915 923 918 e 1176 1178 1173 929 926 t 1104 909 600 901 1168 826 o 1165 829 679 700 783 P 785 713 897 TRAVIS Editors GILLESPIE Douglas A. Wierman, P.G., Alex S. Broun, P.G., and Brian B. Hunt, P.G. BLANCO July 2010 KERR HAYS The BSEACD was one of many sponsors, and its staff KENDALL contributors, of a science-based, public-service document COMAL BANDERA recently published. The effort was spearheaded by three groundwater conservation districts, numerous volunteers, BEXAR agencies, and foundations. The document consists of 19 plates that cover a range of geologic information and hydrogeologic information about the Hill Country Trinity Aquifer in parts of Hays, Blanco, and Travis Counties, and extends into the BSEACD. The University of Texas has put Hill Country PGMA the document in their Digital Repository and is located at the following link: http://repositories.lib.utexas.edu/handle/2152/8977 Figure 12. The Hill Country Priority Groundwater Management Area and associated counties. County by the BSEACD – the same option that has already once alternative options available for GCD creation, and in fact had established a failed to be approved by the legislature. To make things even Trinity Aquifer-specific management zone. The bills, however, failed to pass. more interesting, the Travis County Commissioners Court has recently imposed a moratorium on new subdivisions relying Since then, the TCEQ has issued a long-awaited report that recommended a on Trinity Aquifer wells, to provide time for a GCD to be in regional multi-county GCD be created to include western Comal County, place. More public and evidentiary hearings on the TCEQ’s southwestern Travis County, and the area currently within the existing Hays recently revised position are scheduled to be held and as Trinity GCD, which TCEQ considered as unable to offer effective groundwa- always, the legislature could weigh-in during the upcoming ter management on a sustained basis. This recommendation was aligned session before TCEQ is scheduled to order a resolution to this with the clear legislative intent that new GCDs are preferably multi-county puzzle. GCDs so that they can focus on integrated local management of an aquifer system, which of course does not conform to county line boundaries; many One way or the other, these areas in this PGMA will have to be GCDs in the state are multi-county, including BSEACD. At the time the final managed by some form of GCD(s) that can provide effective report was being drafted, this multi-county recommendation for the Hill groundwater management. How GCD creation happens and Country PGMA was widely supported by all of the area governments, what form it will take remains a mystery. But stay tuned. If the including the then-Board of the Hays Trinity GCD. In another plot twist, the story continues at this pace, more plot twists await and it will Hays Trinity GCD experienced a changing of the guard with a majority of the definitely be worth watching. previous Directors being replaced in recent elections. A quorum of the new Board then flipped the GCD’s previous position by opposing the multi- - JOHN DUPNIK, SENIOR REGULATORY county district, insisting on “more local” control. In response, the TCEQ also COMPLIANCE SPECIALIST flipped their recommendation in favor of annexation of southwestern Travis Original article published in the January 2011 edition of the Barton Springs/Edwards Aquifer Conservation District Aquifer Bulletin. A full version Aquifer Bulletin is available for download at: http://www.bseacd.org/outreach/newsletters/ Barton Springs/Edwards Aquifer Conservation District 1124 Regal Row, Austin, Texas 78748 www.bseacd.org (512) 282-8441 [email protected].
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