Plum Creek Conservation District

PLUM CREEKCONSERVATION
DISTRICTN E W S L E T T E R
V O L U M E

1N U M B E R

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Site 6 Rehabilitation Update
The Site 6 rehabilitation project is in its
final stage of construction with an estimated
INSIDE THISISSUE:

Site 6 Rehabilitation
UpdatePage 1

finish date near the end of April. GoforthRd., which runs below the dam, is being re aligned and is scheduled to reopen inMarch, as long as there are no unexpecteddelays. Over the last two years weather has
significantly hampered the project with a

Water Conservation
Tip:
Page 1

total of 39 suspended work days.
Hopefully, there will be fair weather for theduration of the project and it will be

Aerial view of the site 6 Dam rehabilitation project showing the labyrinth weir spillway

2017 Water Levels
Page 2completed in a timely manner. Once complete,
the dam will be able to handle a probablemaximum flood (PMF) storm event. A PMF, inDistrict Adopts DFCs
Page 2

short, is the largest storm that could conceivableoccur at a particular location. A PMF’s

Repair to PCCD’sDams complete With
More to Come
Page 3determination is based on the historical climate
data for the area, along with the hydrologicalcharacteristics of a dam’s watershed ( 8.13
square miles for Site 6). The total precipitation
involved in a PMF is called the Probable
Maximum Precipitation (PMP). Site 6’s PMP is13.3 inches occurring over a 6 hour time
Below site 6 and the construction of Goforth roadperiod.

Water Conservation Tip:
Now is a good time to check your sprinkler system before the next season
arrives. A considerable amount of water use occurs during the summer
months due to the irrigation of lawns. Sometimes a failure of these sprinkler
systems occurs such as the breaking of a water line, sprinkler head, orvalve. The result, if not caught early enough, is excessive water use beyond
what is needed. It might even result in a higher water bill. Many newer sprinkler systems are designed toprevent this from happening; however, you may have an older system or one that was not installed withthese features. Check with a licensed landscape irrigator to see if you either have a master or flow control
valve as a part of your system. These parts function as a safety check when a malfunction occurs and will
cut off and stop the running of excess water.

2017 Water Levels
PAGE

22017 WaterLevels

The table below shows water levels for 8 wells that were measured during 2017, respectively, along with theircorresponding lowest recorded water level. If you are interested in finding out the water level in your well and how it
compares to other wells in the area, contact us to schedule a time to measure your well. A complete listing of PCCD waterlevels can be found on our website at www.pccd.org

Well2017 Levels

Lowest Recorded Level

Kosarek- 46.45- 50.8Larsen- 18.90- 22.8

Lipscomb- 86.35- 93.9Lockhart #8- 73.00- 108.0

McCormick #2- 65.20- 71.00

McCormick #1- 70.50- 71.75

Collier- 64.55- 70.6Wells- 79.95- 90.35

DISTRICT approves DFCs for GMA 13
At September’s Board meeting the Board adopted, by resolution, Groundwater Management Area(GMA) 13’s Desired Future Conditions (DFC) as shown in the table below. In short, a DFCanswers the question, “how much of the aquifer should we have remaining after 50 years” ?
Districts are then required to implement the DFC into their management plan and rules to achieve
District Approves
DFC for GMA 13

it. A DFC is an important part of a Groundwater Conservation District because, in many regards, itsums up the purpose of what a district is all about. A DFC is woven into the tapestry of not only
state regulation (Chapter 36) but many district rules. When districts establish rules for spacinglimits (how far a well should be from a neighboring well), it considers its DFCs. When it sets
production limits (how many acre-feet per year a well is allowed to pump) it, as well, looks at its
DFC and when it looks at how, when , and where to reduce pumping when there are adverse
drawdowns effecting registered water wells, it looks to the DFC.
The bulk of the work for determining a DFC is done through a Groundwater Management Area
(GMA) of which there are 16 in Texas. A GMA, made up of individual Groundwater Conservation
Districts, are delineated along aquifer boundaries. Through the process of adopting a DFC, GMAs
weigh several factors and must select a DFC that provides a balance between the highest
practicable groundwater use and the conservation, preservation, and protection …. of groundwater
resources. As one can imagine, this balancing act becomes more difficult as GMAs and Districts
are required to consider not only landownership rights but also ever increasing water demands.
Using sound science to assist in these decisions is critical. Knowing what the aquifer conditions
are, such as recharge rates, water use, storage coefficients, total dissolved solids levels, andhistorical water levels is vital in managing the aquifer according to its DFC.
GMA 13 DFCs
The first proposed desired future condition for the Carrizo-Wilcox, Queen City and Sparta aquifers
in Groundwater Management Area 13 is that 75 percent of the saturated thickness in the outcrop at
the end of 2012 remains in 2070. This desired future condition is considered feasible despite model
predictions to the contrary as detailed in GMA 13 Technical Memorandum 16-08.
In addition, a secondary proposed desired future condition for the Carrizo-Wilcox, Queen City, andSparta aquifers in Groundwater Management Area 13 is an average drawdown of 48 feet for all of
GMA 13. The drawdown is calculated from the end of 2012 conditions to the year 2070. This desired
future condition is consistent with Scenario 9 as detailed in GMA 13 Technical Memorandum 16-01

PAGE

Repairs to Several of PCCD’s
Dams Complete with More to Come
The District has just finished up repairs for several ofits dams that were damaged due to the 2015 flood
event (May 2015). Following the flood event, PCCD
applied for and was granted funding through theEmergency Watershed Protection (EWP) programfor several of its dams. The EWP program, administered by the Natural Resources Conservation Service(NRCS), responds to natural disasters, such asfloods, by providing financial and technical assistance. NRCS pays for 75% of the cost while the remaining 25% is paid for by a local sponsor. Below isa table listing the PCCD dams that have been repaired, their specific damage, and the associatedcosts of the repairs.

Site 12 EWP completed construction looking at the upstream embankment with installed riprap

Dam Number

Specific damage

Estimated Cost of Repair

2, 5, and 7

Auxiliary Spillway Erosion$ 79, 929

10 and 14

Auxiliary Spillway Erosion & Debris Removal$ 65, 597

11

Auxiliary Spillway Erosion$ 66, 791

12Erosion on the upstream embankment of dam$ 668, 618

On August 26th , 2017, Hurricane Harvey hit and caused damage to several of our dams (sites 10, 11, &28). Following a Damage Survey Reportcompleted by the NRCS, PCCD has again
applied for EWP assistance to defray the costof needed repairs. Over the last severalyears, as in 2013, 2015 and 2017, the Districtexperienced flooding that damaged our dams.
Fortunately, financial aid for repairs wasavailable through the federal government.
Whether this trend of frequent flooding willcontinue is not known but, if it does, it iscurrently uncertain whether the financial assistance received in the past will continue tobe available.
Significant erosional damage along the face of the upstream embankment for Site 10 following
the 2017 flooding.

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