The Bandera County River Authority River and Groundwater District’s quarterly meeting was packed to standing-room only last Thursday, July 18, as the board held a public hearing regarding three water supply permits.
The permits discussed were for AWWS Holdings, Albert and Bessie Kronkosky State Natural Area and RR 417 LLC Permit. An amendment on RR 417 LL Permit Amendment was also included. RR 417 owns Camp OTX.
Ultimately the boar took the following actions:
• Approved the commercial permit for a well to pump 8 acre-feet for the AWWS well, which would also be used for fire department use in that end of the county.
• Approved the public water permit of 50 gpm and 12-acre feet of water for the Albert and Bessie Kronkosky State Natural Area located on the west end of State Hwy 46.
• Moved the permit and permit amendment for Camp OTX to a contested hearing in August or September.
Twenty people gave public comments, all of which called on BCRAGD to act cautiously when determining the feasibility of new and expanded well permits.
George Sharman noted in his statement that water has been a crucial resource in the seventy years he had been a resident and landowner in Bandera County.
“I grew up here playing in the creeks which are all dry now,” he said. “The population has increased tenfold if not a hundredfold, our water supply is very limited and that should be our greatest concern. I truly believe in land rights, but to give all the water to one individual or one business that’s comparable to the whole City of Bandera, is a bit on the far side of the limitations on usage of any one well or individual.”
A board member from the Bandera Canyonlands Alliance, Cameron Carlin, spoke next.
“The Bandera Canyonlands Alliance opposes the Camp OTX permit application and the proposed permit amendment and requests the Board take the following actions: Reject both the permit application and the accompanying permit amendment. Not only has insufficient information been provided about the intended use of the extraordinary amounts of water that these permits don’t provide concrete information about steps to conserve water. So using water to fill ponds would create a tremendous waste of water through evaporation.”
Carlin also recommended that the BCRAGD Board declare a drought emergency and immediately suspend high volume water well permits like the OTX permit and amendment.
She referenced the Bandera County Drought Management Plan, which gives the board the ability to declare a drought emergency when the county is in an extreme or exceptional state of drought.
Ann Schneider, a ranch owner from Vanderpool, remarked that she had sent a letter that outlines 10 points that she would like the BCRAGD Board to consider. She referenced the Stage 4 drought status and the ability of the board to suspend water well permits and amendments.
Lauren Ayes, council for the Friends of Hondo Canyon, requested a contested hearing for the CAMP OTX, which is asking for an increase in water from 85-acre feet to 270acre feet.
She laid out her reasoning for the amendment to be denied, referencing the hydrogeologic study done. She said it was deficient because it did not look at the long-term pumping total, which would affect neighboring properties. She also stated that the study does not look at the aggregate effect of the wells.
She also stated that the application should be returned because the application doesn’t say how the application is going to beneficially use the 270acre feet without wasting the water. She added that the application also does not indicate where the 120-acre feet used for irrigation would be, or where those ball fields are located.
Henry Vessey reported that the Medina River water level and water flow has been dropping for 40 years and that the board could see that this is likely a permanent situation.
Following the public hearing, after a five-minute break, the Regular Quarterly Meeting began.
The minutes for the Public Hearing and Quarterly Meeting on April 24 were approved.
BCRAGD approved the use of Bandera County’s election services and approved the order for the general election on November 5, 2024.
The board approved the interlocal agreement amendment for a logging trailer for geophysical logging. The trailer would allow the district to get a better picture of the aquifer.
BCRAGD Managing Director Dave Mauk reviewed the quarterly budget report/public funds report with the board, and the report was approved.
The third quarter activities of the district were presented by Mauk.
Field Operations Manager Clint Carter gave a brief presentation on drought statistics for Bandera County and impacts of the drought on local waterways. He showed slides of the ecological impact that the drought has on river/stream beds around the county.
The meeting adjourned at noon. For more information on the BCRAGD, go to their web site at www.bcragd.org.
