The Bandera County River Authority and Groundwater District met for its quarterly meeting on Thursday, Jan. 16.
Over 50 patrons filled the meeting room at the BCRAGD offices, ready to speak on the impact of two high-volume well permits requested by Vanderpool Management LP for the Camp OTX property.
All members of the board were present.
Following the call to order, Kevin Ede of Ede and Company CPAs reviewed the annual financial audit for BCRAGD.
Ede noted that BCRAGD received an unmodified opinion, which he referred to as the highest possible level of performance. The board members unanimously accepted the audit.
BCRAGD General Manager Dave Mauk presented County Fire Marshal Jason Rutherford with the Award for Excellent Environmental Stewardship to the Community.
Mauk highlighted Rutherford’s efforts in identifying environmental concerns while working in the field and coordinating with BCRAGD to mitigate issues.
Mauk described Rutherford as a “seasoned investigator” who prioritizes the community without seeking recognition.
Rutherford expressed gratitude for the partnership between his office and BCRAGD, emphasizing their collaboration on life safety and environmental protection.
“I appreciate being a partner with y’all and keeping this team working to protect the citizens of
“WATER IS PRECIOUS TO US, KEEPING OUR BUSINESS GOING,”
- Mark Hall, organic farm owner in Utopia Bandera County,” he said.
The meeting then moved to the public comment portion, where 22 citizens spoke about the potential impact of granting additional well permits to Vanderpool Management for Camp OTX.
Board Attorney Richard Mosty explained the steps following the administrative law judges’ ruling on the permits.
He reminded the audience that the board could adopt, reject, or modify the judges’ findings once they receive the conclusions of law.
The judges’ findings, a 75-page document, are available on the BCRAGD website under the “Meetings/ Postings” section.
Kevin Meier, the first speaker, questioned how many board members had wells in Bandera County and emphasized the complexity of the county’s aquifers. He expressed concern about the potential impact on local landowners’ water equity.
Ann Schneider, a landowner from Vanderpool, highlighted the ongoing drought and noted the U.S. Geological Survey’s program to monitor private wells in Bandera County.
She said 22 landowners had volunteered their wells for monitoring, which would provide concrete data on water levels.
Mark Hall, an organic farm owner in Utopia, spoke about his farm’s conservative water usage and the importance of water for their business.
“Water is precious to us, keeping our business going,” he said.
Nancy Rinn, a farm owner near the OTX property, shared her concerns about water availability.
She recounted having to lower her well by 60 feet in 2022 to access water and said the water level had dropped 158 feet since the well was drilled.
“If we lose our water, we lose our home, our farm, and our livelihood,” she said.
Following public comments, the board entered a closed session for about an hour to discuss the well permits, settlement offers, real property, personnel matters, and security devices/audit.
Upon returning to open session, the board did not take any action, stating the need for another closed session to review the data.
General Manager Mauk presented the BCRAGD quarterly budget report and activities for the first quarter of 2025.
The meeting concluded with information items on drought stages, water conservation programs, rainwater harvesting materials, and a review of future meeting dates.
