About

The purpose of the District is to conserve, preserve, protect and prevent the waste of groundwater and to control subsidence caused by groundwater withdrawals. The Southern Trinity Groundwater Conservation District has within its boundaries the Trinity, the Woodbine and the Brazos River Alluvium aquifers.

In 1997 Texas Legislature enacted Senate Bill 1, which called for Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) to designate Priority Groundwater Management Areas (PGMA). A PGMA is an area that is experiencing or that is expected to experience critical groundwater problems within the next 25 years. In 2005 the area of McLennan, Coryell, Bosque, Hill and Somervell Counties were designated as a PGMA.

McLennan County was designated as a PGMA due to its high population per capita in comparison with other areas of Texas. The Dallas metroplex area is another PGMA. Formation of a groundwater conservation district is a way to slow and attempt to reverse the overuse of the Trinity Aquifer in our area.

The County Commissioners appointed one director from each of the precincts and County Judge appointed one director to represent the district at large. The Directors are responsible for determining policy and regulating the withdrawal and use of groundwater within the boundaries of the District.precincts

Management

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Bylaws govern the operation of the district. Download the current STGCD By-Laws May 26, 2016

Management Plan: By law, groundwater conservation districts must develop a groundwater management plan. The management plan outlines the districts goals and the steps necessary to reach those goals.

The goals of the Management Plan are to:
• Provide for the most efficient use of groundwater
• Control and prevent waste of groundwater
• Control and prevent subsidence
• Address Conjunctive surface water issues
• Address natural resources issues
• Address drought conditions
• Address conservation

Download the current  STGCD_MP_2021_07_15_Final

Consultants:

Deborah C. Trejo serves as General Counsel to the District. She is a partner in Kemp Smith LLP’s Public and Environmental and Trial Departments and focuses on representing governmental entities and private clients in environmental, water and administrative matters. Ms. Trejo specializes in groundwater issues, open government, regulatory takings, endangered species, elections, water quality, and constitutional issues. Ms. Trejo represents also clients in administrative proceedings, including contested case hearings, and in trial and appellate proceedings before state and federal courts. Ms. Trejo has been named as one of the Best Lawyers in America in the areas of Administrative/Regulatory Law and Environmental Law.

Dr. A. W. Blair Ph.D., P.E. is a consulting engineer and provides design, contract, and litigation support to irrigation and water districts in Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, and California. Prior to becoming a consultant, he was an associate professor and the director of the Agricultural Engineering program at New Mexico State University and worked for two years for Advanced Programming Concepts as an assistant program manager for their United States Air Force projects. He received a bachelor’s degree in Agricultural Engineering from the University of Arizona at Tucson, a master’s degree in Agricultural Engineering from Texas A&M University at College Station, and a doctorate in Civil Engineering from the University of Texas at Austin. He has been a licensed professional engineer in Texas and New Mexico for over 25 years.

District Rules

IMG_0238Download the current rules STGCD Rules amended November 2023

Rules guide the operation of the district. They were adopted to achieve the objectives of Article XVI, Section 59, Texas Constitution, the District Act, Chapter 36, Texas Water Code, the Districts approved groundwater management plan and other general laws applicable to the District.

The Current District rules provide definition and guidance on the following areas:

• Purpose of the board and role of district staff
• District records
• Groundwater production
• Well management
• Fees
• Meters
• District procedures
• Water Quality
• Investigations and enforcement

District Financials

STGCD 2023 Annual Audit

STGCD 2022 Audit

STGCD 2021 Audit

STGCD 2020 Audit

STGCD 2019 Audit

STGCD 2018 Audit

STGCD Audit 2017

STGCD Audit 2016

STGCD 2015 Audit

STGCD Audit 2014

STGCD Audit 2013

STGCD Audit 2012

STGCD Audit 2011

STGCD Audit 2010

STGCD Audit 2009

STGCD Audit 2008

Enabling Legislation

Senate Bill 1985

Senate Bill 2513

SD 8821

STGCD By-Laws