(Texas) 2 Groundwater Districts Share an Aquifer, Differ in Methods of Operation

[unhappycamper]

http://kdhnews.com/news/texas/groundwater-districts-share-an-aquifer-differ-in-methods-of-operation/article_b61843e4-0938-5b5a-a594-665fa44aba4d.html

2 Groundwater Districts Share an Aquifer, Differ in Methods of Operation
Posted: Wednesday, September 3, 2014 6:00 am

A decade ago, prospective water marketers easily secured the rights to pump more than 20 billion gallons of water annually from the Carrizo-Wilcox aquifer in Central Texas’ Burleson County. The company now holding those rights, BlueWater, is negotiating a $3 billion deal to send much of that water to San Antonio.

In nearby Bastrop and Lee counties, two other prospective water marketers, Forestar and End Op, have their eye on the same aquifer and hope to sell water to growing communities near Austin. But after years of legal and administrative battles, they have yet to secure water rights they say they need.

Why the difference? In Burleson County (along with part of Milam County), the Carrizo-Wilcox is regulated by the Post Oak Savannah Groundwater Conservation District. In Bastrop and Lee counties, the Lost Pines Groundwater Conservation District is in charge.

The Post Oak district says that groundwater is a private property right in Texas and that limiting pumping before it happens could result in a lawsuit. But supporters of the Lost Pines district say it’s trying to be vigilant about pumping from the aquifer today to avoid unanticipated water shortages in the future — which could also result in lawsuits.

[pscot]

1. Aquifers are part of the commons