Plum Creek Conservation District

PLUM CREEKN E W S L E T T E R

CONSERVATION
DISTRICTD E C E M B E R

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Site 6 Ribbon Cutting Ceremony
thSite 6 Ribbon Cutting Ceremony
Page 1On September 27 , 2018, Plum Creek Conservation District (PCCD) Directors along withcounty and State officials celebrated the completion of Site 6’s rehabilitation project with a“ribbon cutting” ceremony. The purpose of the project was to upgrade the dam to newstandards required by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) dam safetyfor “High Hazard” dams. State provisions require dams to be able to pass 75% of theProbable Maximum Flood (PMF). The PMF is “the maximum runoff condition resulting fromthe most severe combination of hydrologic and meteorological conditions that areconsidered reasonably possible for the drainage basin under study.”

Newly Issued
Modeled Available
Groundwater
Page 2

When built in 1967, Site 6 was classified as a “low hazard” dam with a capability of passing
52% of the probable maximum flood (PMF). In 2002 Site 6 was reclassified from a “lowhazard” to a “high hazard” dam and plans were initiated to rehabilitate the dam in order tobe able to pass the Probable Maximum Flood.

INSIDE THISISSUE:Johnie Halliburton
Retires
Page 32018 Water Levels
Page 3

Water
Conservation Tip
Page 4
Director
James Lipscomb
Page 4AdoptedGroundwater Rules
Page 5

Management Plan
UpdatePage 5“This project has
been the largest
single project todate undertakenby the District ”,
accordingtoExecutive
Manager JohnieHalliburton. The
7.8 million dollar
project
incorporatedanewlabyrinth
weir design andthe extension ofthedamsoutheastward. The old auxiliary spillway was removed, a new intake riser and impact basin
were installed, and the realignment of Goforth road was completed. Funding for the project
was provided for by a funding match where 65 % of the cost was allotted to the federal
government, 33.25 % to the Texas State Soil and Water Conservation Board, and 1.75% tothe Plum Creek Conservation District.
Those present at the ceremony were Hays County Commissioners , PCCD Directors, PCCD
staff , and representatives from The City of Kyle, Archer Western, TCEQ, Freese and Nichols
Inc. , Hays County, Site 6 Steering Committee, the Local Soil & Water Conservation Districts,
the Texas State Soil & Water Conservation Board, Kyle Chamber of Commerce, and theNatural Resources Conservation Service.

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Newly Issued
ModeledAvailable
Groundwater

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Newly Issued Modeled Available Groundwater
Every parent delights in inquisitive questions from their children. For example, where does milkcome from? and how do cars run ? As they get older more difficult questions may arise, such as whyis the sky blue, and where do babies come from? At some point, parents may get questions that
require some serious googling, such as, if the earth were sucked into a blackhole what would
happen?
As a district, we are tasked with asking difficult questions about our aquifers; more specifically,questions dealing with the availability of water. For example, How long can pumping be sustained
until the aquifer is detrimentally impacted? In order to answer these questions, we turn togroundwater models to help explain the complex nature of groundwater.
Texas’ groundwater models were developed in order to try to give the best predictions as possible.
With all groundwater models it is important to realize that there are assumptions that are factored
into them. One assumption, for example, is recharge rates.
Texas law requires a Groundwater Management Area (GMA) to consider groundwater models whendeveloping and adopting its Desired Future Conditions (DFC). In short, a DFC is what a GMA would
like its aquifers to be like in 50 years. For example, having water level declines not to exceed 50 ft.
When considering a DFC, various pumping scenarios are run in the model to see what the various
impacts would be. Pumping is a primary pertinent predictor of what the potentiometric point will be.
In other words, will my well go dry due to a specified amount of pumping?
The results of the pumping scenarios are then evaluated in respect to a number of factors: socioeconomic conditions, personal property rights, the interaction between surface and groundwater,
and aquifer conditions. Last, a DFC has to provide for a balance between the highest practicablewater use and the preservation, conservation, and protection of the aquifer.
Once DFCs are adopted by each district of a GMA, the Texas Water Development Board will issue aModeled Available Groundwater (MAG). A MAG is the amount of water that the Executive
Administrator determines may be produce on an average annual basis to achieve a Desired FutureCondition. MAGs are basically derived from the pumping numbers inputted geographically into themodel. When considering permitting decisions, Districts are required to consider their MAGs. PCCD
has several new MAGs for several of its aquifers as shown in the table below .
GMAAquifers

MAG (acre-ft/ peryear)

10Trinity Group276

10Saline Edwards

812

13

Carrizo-Wilcox

Year 2012 = 21,073
Year 2070 = 19,625
131313Carrizo6057

Wilcox GroupYear 2012 = 15,015(Upper, Middle &Lower)

Year 2070 = 13,567

Queen City

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TWDB MAG Report
GAM Run 16-033
MAG:
GAM Run 16-033
MAG:

GAM Run 17-027
MAG
GAM Run 17-027
MAG
GAM Run 17-027
MAG
GAM Run 17-027
MAG

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Johnie Halliburton Retires
The District has been very fortunate to have had Johnie Halliburton as its executive manager from2003 to 2018. During these 16 years he has led
the district in a number of challenges. During
2013, 2015, and 2017 there was severe floodingthat occurred in our District that required the repair of many of its dams. A total of 9 dams wererepaired. In addition, under the direction ofJohnie, the District has successfully rehabilitatedSites 5 and 6.
As a landowner and rancher himself, Johnie has
always been able to relate to the public whether
dealing with dam or groundwater concerns. In
this aspect , Johnie has been invaluable to theDistrict.
Much has changed when Johnie first started andwhen asked on his perspective on this he replied“I couldn’t have ever imagined ,when I first took
this job, what changes have occurred”. The district had just begun groundwater regulation and“This was all new to me”. Johnie played a big rolein establishing groundwater rules, management
plans, and registering wells.
Johnie is planning to spend time in retirementwith the simple life: ranching, family, and travel.
The District thanks him for his service and wishes
him well in retirement. He will be missed.

2018 Water Levels
The table below shows water levels for 8 wells that were measured during 2018, 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

Well2018 Levels

Lowest Recorded Level

Kosarek- 48.3- 50.8Larsen- 20.2- 22.8

Lipscomb- 87.1- 93.9Lockhart #8- 74.00- 108.0

McCormick #2- 65.20- 71.00

McCormick #1- 70.3- 71.75

Collier- 67.55- 70.6Wells- 78.75- 90.35

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Water Conservation Tip
You just finished a festive holiday meal at grandmas and are on your way back home.
The temperature outside has been dropping dramatically. When you arrive home andgo to turn on the faucet you immediately realize something is terribly wrong. There is
no water pressure! You investigate outside and find a pipe cracked and water isspraying all over the place.
There are a couple of measures that would have helped in preventing a situation likethis. Now is a good time to check your piping system, taking precautions before thesecold spells arrive. Following are seven preventative measures. A necessary first stepwould be to weatherize pipes, especially pipes exposed directly to the elements.
Most hardware stores can recommend the type and size of insulation to purchase tomeet your needs. Second, during sub-freezing temps, let your faucets drip. Third,
open up kitchen and bathroom cupboards that are facing outside walls allowing heatto enter these areas. Fourth, install valves strategically so you can quickly stop any
water leaks. Five, inspect your property for overly wet areas. Six, double check yourmeter periodically when the water is off to see if it continues to run. And seven, beobservant of not only your own home, but also areas in your neighborhood. So If you
notice a leak in your community, report it immediately to the appropriate waterutility.

Director- James Lipscomb
After 40 years of commendable service, JamesLipscomb will be stepping down from thePlum Creek Conservation (PCCD) Board. Of thesix PCCD Directors, James Lipscomb
represented the Lockhart—rural area. From1979 -2018 James Lipscomb has served in thecapacity of District Vice President. Having abackground in the construction andexcavation business, Mr. Lipscomb wasinstrumental in providing guidance for manyof the District’s construction projects. Also,
over the many years, Mr. Lipscomb has taken
the leadership role in the financial andinvestment aspects of the District.
The District and its staff appreciate and thankhim for his service for all these years andwishes him well in his future endeavors.

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Adopted Groundwater Rules
At November 18, 2018’s Board meeting, Plum Creek District Directors approved the adoptionof its amended groundwater rules. There were a number of changes to the rules. One of theprimary changes involved Rule 14 and the requirements for permit renewals and the transferring of permitted wells. Another major change involved adding provisions for the permittingof brackish groundwater. Having an alternative water source, such as brackish groundwater ,available for permitting is crucial for meeting the long term water demands of the District.
Major portions of Rule 20 dealing with procedures for handling excessive aquifer declines andthe compliance of Desired Future Conditions were also revised. The content of some rules,
such as Rule 24, were reduced extensively due to the passage of House Bill 655 ( 84th Texaslegislature). The new law now gives the Texas Commission of Environmental Quality (TCEQ),
not Groundwater Conservation Districts, exclusive jurisdiction to permit and regulate Aquifer
Storage and Recovery wells. An additional provision was, however, added to Rule 24 for circumstances where the withdrawal of water from an ASR well would exceed its TCEQ permitted amount. Last ,all new and existing permit terms are now extended for a duration of 30years. Every 5 years a permit will be reviewed. A copy of the District’s amended rules areavailable at the District office, or can be downloaded from its website.

MANAGEMENT PLAN UPDATEThe District’s Groundwater Management Plan was approved by the Board on November 18,
2018. Management plans are a requirement by the state and need to be reapproved every 5years. A Groundwater Management plan must be updated within 2 years, however, when aDesired Future Condition is adopted by a Groundwater Management Area (GMA ). This was
the case with this newly adopted plan.
At the heart of the District’s management plan is its goals and objectives. There are a total of
8 categories of objectives that must be addressed. These goals and objectives include promoting conservation, handling drought, the prevention of waste, and the compliance ofDesired Future Conditions. As part of the process of establishing these goals, groundwater
availability and water supply demands along with water management strategies in the statewater plan are taken into consideration.
Other important goals included in the plan are goals addressing alternative water resources.
Both the saline Edwards and the Trinity aquifer are proliferous aquifers in PCCD that have notbeen utilized. According to population projection forecasts, areas in our District will continue
to experience considerable growth. Having an alternative water source, such as the Trinityand Saline Edwards, to supplement the increasing water demands is vital.
Management plans are then used as a guideline for the development and amendments of district rules. In addition, management plans are compared with other districts’ management
plans within their Groundwater Management Area for regional planning purposes.

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