Drought Management Plan

The goal of Plum Creek Conservation District’s drought management plan is, in part, to provide
for a balance between the highest practicable level of groundwater production and theconservation, preservation, and protection of groundwater.
To some degree, the foundation of our management plan, rules, and compliance with chapter
36 requirements hinge on the achievement of the Desired Future Conditions. Because of this,so too will the Desired Future Conditions be a basis for PCCD’s drought management Plan.
Desired future conditions are defined in Title 31, Part 10, §356.2 of the Texas Administrative
Code as the desired, quantified condition of groundwater resources (such as water levels, waterquality, spring flows, or volumes) for a specified aquifer within a management area at a
specified time or times in the future.
Plum Creek Conservation District has adopted Desired Future Conditions for 4 aquifers in ourdistrict. These aquifers are the Trinity Group, Edwards (Saline), Carrizo and Wilcox. All of ourDFC’s are based on water levels.(See table below). Since we do not have any known production
coming from the Trinity and/ or Edwards (saline) wells at this time, they will not be included in
PCCD’s drought management plan.

GMA1010Aquifers

Adopted DFC

Adoption DateTrinity GroupA regional average well
drawdown during average
recharge conditions that does
not exceed 25 feet (including
exempt and non-exempt welluse)

August 23, 2010

Saline Edwards

Well drawdown at the salinefreshwater interface (the socalled Edwards “bad waterline”) in the northern
subdivision of GMA 10 that
averages no more than 5 feetand does not exceed amaximum of 25 feet at anypoint on the interface.

August 4, 2010

13

Carrizo-Wilcox,Etal

In Reference to scenario 4(GAM run 09-034), and an
average drawdown of 23 ft., for
the Sparta, Weches,Queen City,Reklaw, Carrizo, and Wilcox
Aquifers.

April 9, 2010

There are several components of our drought management plan which are designed to provide
for a checks and balances approach to management. Currently, not much is known how
precipitation patterns and water production affect water levels. Water levels over several
decades have remained somewhat constant in our district and there has been limited pumping
compared to other districts in the region. Exactly how an aquifer will react to pumping andprecipitation will only be known as it occurs, so it is crucial, on a yearly basis, to monitor ourwater levels and water use, and assess what adjustments will need to be made in order tocomply with the DFCs.

COMPONENTS:

1. Statement of DFCs and a year-by-year breakdown of what the expected DFCs will be.
2. Monitoring Program: measure and report water levels, pumping, precipitation, andexempt use.
3. Establish the various stages of the drought management plan.
4. Establish the triggers for each of the stages
5. Establish the restrictions for each of the stages
6. Yearly Review & Assessment
7. Exemptions

Statement of DFCA) Statement of each of PCCD’s DFC
B) Chart what the expected DFCs will be on a yearly basis
C) Determine what the Base line DFC water level is(ref GAM 0934)

Monitoring Program:Water levelsa) Establish a Grid network of cells with the dimension of 2.5 miles x 2.9 miles,
encompassing approximately 4600 acres.
b) Establish a monitoring well in each cellc) Measure each monitoring well at least 3 times a year.
Pumpinga. Report Tier 2 monthly water use.
b. Report Tier 1 yearly water use.
c. Report estimated yearly exempt water use.

Precipitation
a. Report monthly and yearly precipitation amounts for Lockhart, Luling, San Marcos andPCCD monitoring stations.
b. Report, if available, monthly and yearly precipitation amounts from CocoRAS.

ANNUAL REVIEW & ASSESSMENT
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.

Determine the average annual water level
Determine if monitoring wells are reliable and effective in providing water levels.
Determine the average decline/increase from the previous year.
Compare the average annual water level to the DFC.
Compare the average annual water level to the yearly expected DFC
Assess the impact from water use(permitted and exempt use) on the average annualwater level.
7. If a drought stage is in effect, assess its impact on water levels and the DFC.
8. Prepare recommendations for any changes to the drought management plan basedon the Board of Directors annual review
9. Establish drought Stages, Triggers, and Restrictions as we gain a more in depth
understanding of the relationship between water use and water levels.
10. Establish the criteria for granting a drought management plan exemption.

EXEMPTION:
In certain circumstances where a permit holder believes he would suffer
unreasonable hardship due to PCCD’s drought restriction, he may apply for adrought management plan exemption. The criteria for these circumstances will beestablished by the Board in its annual review and assessment process. Exemption
applications will be considered, evaluated, and either approved, denied orpostponed for further review by the PCCD Board of Directors.