By BARBARA GREEN
editor@bowienewsonline.com
After more than an hour of discussion about the use of “monitoring wells” within new subdivisions, the Montague County Commissioners tabled approval and want to have a second public hearing.
The court conducted a public hearing on July 8 reviewing the planning updates to the subdivision ordinance. The primary changes centered on water well spacing requirements and including a monitoring well in developments at 100 acres or more.
During Monday’s called meeting there appeared to be some confusion as to the definition of a monitoring well, which led to some testy exchanges. Last week realtors and land developers asked for additional clarification on the monitoring wells such as size, location and length of study.
County Judge Rick Lewis said the county’s legal counsel had made some adjustments, but it may need some refinement after he talked with Doug Shaw, general manager of the Upper Trinity Groundwater Conservation District, and officials in Wise County and what they are doing with observation wells. Lewis said in Wise County they require a groundwater availability certification study. A pumping well and an observation well are put in to provide the properties of the aquifer. Once the testing is done the developer can sell the wells with the lots. There was a lengthy debate about monitoring wells with some testy exchanges among the court members. Read the full story in the mid-week Bowie News.