NACOGDOCHES, Texas (KTRE) – A regional groundwater board postponed a decision on how to manage pumping across much of East Texas, saying members will consult their counties before selecting a plan.
The District 11 Groundwater Conservation District, which oversees 28 counties, met in Nacogdoches to discuss a plan it must send to the state by January. The plan will guide local groundwater management as concerns grow about water use and future supply.
“We’re already struggling and he’s talking about dry wells sometime in the future. What is that going to do? We’re not going to have any water for our people,” Anderson County Judge Carey McKinney said.
Board member Will Blough said the goal is to balance protecting groundwater with accommodating economic growth.
“Our goal here is to come up with a plan that is the most equitable plan for the area to maintain our groundwater level while at the same time being able to accommodate the economic growth of the area,” Blough said.
According to the state comptroller, aquifers supply 54% of Texas’ total water. But the script said groundwater is being used faster than nature can replenish it, raising concerns about impacts to resources, agriculture and infrastructure.
The board, business owners, attorneys and members of the public are divided over two proposed plans. Plan 26.1 would limit pumping. An attorney for Wayne-Sanderson Farms said the plan could have negative effects.
“When the new runs were released on September 2nd, it became very clear that under any scenario utilizing 26.1, there are going to be negative impacts,” the attorney, Stacey Reese, said.
The current plan, Plan 33, would allow more pumping, but board members said it could increase the risk of wells running dry because it has fewer restrictions.
“The biggest issue with using 33 is the amount of water that it allows us to produce. And it’s a substantial difference between the two scenarios,” Blough said.
Blough said the board must weigh the needs of future generations as it reviews the data.
“We’re looking for the future. We, my kids, my grandkids, they’re going to need water as well. And so that weighs heavily on each of us in our decision making,” he said.
The board postponed its decision to allow members to speak with their counties before choosing a plan.
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