Upper Trinity Groundwater Conservation District’s public hearing and regular board meeting are set for 4 p.m. on Dec. 17 at the office at 1859 West Highway 199, Springtown.
The board will continue the public hearings regarding proposed permanent district rules regulating water wells within the boundaries of the district. Directors had plans to try and get the rules approved before the new year opens, so they would be in place when the 2019 legislative session begins.
Leading the proposed changes is an expanded acreage minimum for a water well moving up to five acres from the present two acres. The tract size drew a lot of negative comment at the public hearing in Bowie last month.
Commercial users and public water systems also will go from a registration to a permit system.
A copy of the proposed permanent District Rules may be requested by email at doug@uppertrinitygcd.com, available for reviewing or downloading at www.uppertrinitygcd.com, and may be reviewed, inspected, or a free copy obtained at the district office located at 1859 West Highway 199, Springtown.
The mission of UTGCD, established in November 2007, is to develop rules to provide protection to existing wells, prevent waste, promote conservation, provide a framework that will allow availability and accessibility of groundwater for future generations, protect the quality of the groundwater in the recharge zone of the aquifer, ensure that the residents of Montague, Wise, Parker and Hood Counties maintain local control over their groundwater, respect and protect the property rights of landowners in groundwater and operate the district in a fair and equitable manner for all residents of the District.
Visit the website at: uppertrinitygcd.com or call the district’s office at 817-523-5200. The final agenda was not available at presstime.