2021  ·  Groundwater Management, Legal/Policy

Groundwater in Texas: Case Studies of Effective Management–Hays Trinity Groundwater Conservation District

Environmental Defense Fund and Texas Alliance of Groundwater Districts

The Hays Trinity GCD has relied on sound science and stakeholder input to develop policy and management tools to protect the unique groundwater resources within its jurisdiction. This benefits all landowners and groundwater users within the district. The Hays Trinity GCD Board has recognized, however, that moving forward, to proactively manage the limited groundwater resources within its jurisdiction, it is vital for the district to secure a sustainable source of future funding and plan for future management. As a result, the board has recently initiated a stakeholder process to discuss amendments to its enabling legislation to provide additional sources of funding so that the district can continue to effectively manage groundwater in the future.

This case study of the Hays Trinity Groundwater Conservation District reviews the challenges faced, predominant water users, tools used to achieve management goals, and lessons learned.