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The Texas Groundwater Protection Committee met to receive legislative updates and to consider issues related to groundwater in the state.

Update on United States Geological Survey Texas Water Science Center
John Thomas, USGS

  • Several national groundwater programs – Office of Groundwater, National Water Information System
  • USGS conducts Regional Availability Assessments in order to collect data on groundwater availability and forecast
  • Brackish Groundwater Assessments (existing information, dissolved solids monitoring, potential aquifer yield) USGS has a good idea of state brackish water usage
  • NAWQA (status and trends in national water quality, used to monitor changes over time in quality)
  •  National Monitoring Network (groundwater monitoring network that collates, dependent on state data centers)
  • Groundwater Watch tool (“groundwaterwatch.usgs.gov”)
  • Texas Water Science Center Projects
    • Southern High Plains Project (Tarrant, Gaines, Yoakum counties)
      • Intended to help with groundwater management
      • Compiled historical data and geochemical monitoring programs
      • Web app developed to help analyze data
      • FLASH used (Flow Log Analysis of Single Holes)
      • Report forthcoming, intending to use data to forecast future water availability
    • Houston Area Subsidence
      • Compaction of silts can reduce groundwater availability
      • Gauges were installed in Houston area to measure subsidence, some rebound has been observed
    • San Marcos Springs Source Study
      • Intended to use to study availability in the San Marcos area
  • Does the Texas Water Science Center collaborate with the Army Corps of Engineers?
    • “A lot,” though Army Corps mostly studies surface water
  • Did the counties approach TWSC about the Southern High Plains Project?
    • One did, intent was to conduct a study with more depth than local water planning councils would
  • Concern over the nature of rebound in the Houston area
    • Would have to follow up

 
Legislative Update
Agrilife

  • No bills directly affected agrilife

Oil and Gas

  • Apprentice program returned this session, not allowed to issue new licenses
    • Driver training was moved, including 50 new FTEs
    • Driller’s assistance program currently unlicensed
  • Any bills affecting O&G and water drilling interactions?
    • No

RRC

  • No groundwater focused bills

TDA

  • Generally lots of agriculture and water bills this session
  • Water Conservation Advisory Council now able to make recommendations to the legislature, previously unable
  • SB 551 – Allows recommendations
  • SB 1734 – Control bill for invasive species threat to water security
  • Office of Water was created, but now FTEs to staff it
  • Two hemp marijuana bills did not pass

TCEQ

  • 8 bills affected GCDs
  • HB 30 – Brackish groundwater regulation
  • HB 200 – GCDs are preferred water control method
  • HB 655 – Amends water code to alter storage and recovery of aquifer water, no pilot programs
  • HB 2031 – Marine seawater desalination
  • HB 2230 – Water Code Chp. 27, allows class 5 injections wells to inject non-hazardous water byproducts into class 2 wells
  • HB 4097 – Marine seawater desalination, industrial purposes and expedited permitting bill
  • SB 912 – Removes reporting within 24 hours requirement for spills less than 1000 gallons in volume

TWDB

  • HB 30 – Funding bill for two FTEs and contracts for aquifer mapping projects
  • HB1, R25 – $1 million, aquifer storage and recovery, dedicated to GCD
  • HB 1232 – Comprehensive aquifer study, but no dollars attached

Bureau of Economic Geology

  • Bureau has been funded to establish a seismic study network

TAG

  • Monitored 300 bills, 39 of these effective
  • HB 685/3357 – Websites allowable for PIR
  • SB 854 – Automatic renewal of operating permits
  • HB 655 – ASR bill
  • HB 200 – Appeals for DFC process
  • HB 3163 – District board member immunity for board actions
  • 2 new GCDs created (HB 2407 and HB 4207) and one annexation (HB 3405)
  • HB 1221 – Requires property sellers to include GCD disclosure
  • Legislative summary will soon be available online

Soil and Water Conservation Board

  • Increase in budget ($2 million/biennium)

 
 
Discussion of Final Report

  • Still discussing GCD material, rest of text is “mostly set”
  • Still watching brackish groundwater usage

 
Current Groundwater Issues

  • Supplemental Environmental Program money exists to help with monitoring equipment
  • Brush control has been left out of many water plans, funding is unavailable without this being included
  • Concern over proper channels to report fluoride contamination in wells
    • Public water should go to Drinking Water program
    • Private wells should test beforehand