Groundwater Conservation District Survey and Summary of Regulatory Methods
The 80 confirmed groundwater conservation districts in Texas implement the goals and purposes of their enabling acts by adopting rules that set forth both the administrative procedures and substantive requirements of the district. During the first part of 2004, Hunter Burkhalter of Kemp Smith P.C., with assistance from Jace Houston, completed research summarizing the substantive requirements and regulatory methods used by each individual district. The research also includes a categorization of the different regulatory methods based on principles of groundwater management, as described by Jace Houston and Greg Ellis.
Categories from Regulatory Methodologies Table* (per Jace Houston & Greg Ellis)
| Type of Rule | Principle of GW Mngmt. |
|---|---|
No spacing or production limits |
roc |
Spacing |
cr/ru |
Production limits based on acreage or tract size |
cr |
Production limits based on proportionate reduction |
ru |
Production limits based on "first in time, first in right" |
pa |
Production limits based on historical use (including grandfathering) |
pa |
Production limits based on rate of withdrawal |
ru |
Production limits based on preventing well interference or unreasonable drawdown |
ru |
roc: rule of capture
cr: correlative rights
ru: reasonable use
pa: prior appropriation
*The regulatory methodologies, along with other regulatory tools and considerations applicable to districts, are discussed in detail in the document "Overview of Regulatory Methods Available to Groundwater Conservation Districts." A copy of this table is available by contacting Jace Houston at (281) 956-2195. Following are results of that survey.
District by District Results
Districts A-G
Anderson County Underground Water Conservation District
Bandera County River Authority and Groundwater District
Barton Springs/Edwards Aquifer Conservation District
Bee Groundwater Conservation District
Blanco-Pedernales Groundwater Conservation District
Bluebonnet Groundwater Conservation District
Brazos Valley Groundwater Conservation District
Brewster County Groundwater Conservation District
Clear Fork Groundwater Conservation District
Coastal Bend Groundwater Conservation District
Clearwater Underground Water Conservation District
Coke County Underground Water Conservation District
Coastal Plains Groundwater Conservation District
Collingsworth County Underground Water Conservation District
Cow Creek Groundwater Conservation District
Culberson County Groundwater Conservation District
Dallam County Underground Water Conservation District No.1
Edwards Aquifer Authority
Emerald Underground Water Conservation District
Evergreen Underground Water Conservation District
Fayette County Groundwater Conservation District
Fort Bend Subsidence District
Fox Crossing Water District
Garza County Underground and Fresh Water Conservation District
Glasscock Groundwater Conservation District
Goliad County Groundwater Conservation District
Gonzales County Underground Water Conservation District
Guadalupe County Groundwater Conservation District
Districts H-M
Harris-Galveston Coastal Subsidence District
Hays Trinity Groundwater Conservation District
Headwaters Underground Water Conservation District
Hemphill County Underground Water Conservation District
Hickory Underground Water Conservation District No. 1
High Plains Underground Water Conservation District No.1
Hill Country Underground Water Conservation District
Hudspeth County Underground Water Conservation District #1
Irion County Water Conservation District
Jeff Davis County Underground Water Conservation District
Kimble County Groundwater Conservation District
Kinney County Groundwater Conservation District
Lipan-Kickapoo Water Conservation District
Live Oak Underground Water Conservation District
Llano Estacado Underground Water Conservation District
Lone Star Groundwater Conservation District
Lone Wolf Groundwater Conservation District
Lost Pines Groundwater Conservation District
McMullen Groundwater Conservation District
Medina County Groundwater Conservation District
Menard County Underground Water Conservation District
Mesa Underground Water Conservation District
Mid-East Texas Groundwater Conservation District
Middle Pecos Groundwater Conservation District
Middle Trinity Groundwater Conservation District
Districts N-Z
Neches & Trinity Valleys Groundwater Conservation District
North Plains Groundwater Conservation District
Panhandle Groundwater Conservation District
Pecan Valley Groundwater Conservation District
Permian Basin Underground Water Conservation District
Pineywoods Groundwater Conservation District
Plateau Underground Water Conservation and Supply District
Plum Creek Conservation District
Post Oak Savannah Groundwater Conservation District
Presidio County Groundwater Conservation District
Real - Edwards Conservation and Reclamation District
Red Sands Groundwater Conservation District
Refugio Groundwater Conservation District
Rolling Plains Groundwater Conservation District
Salt Fork Underground Water Conservation District
Sandy Land Underground Water Conservation District
Santa Rita Underground Water Conservation District
Saratoga Underground Water Conservation District
South Plains Underground Water Conservation District
Sterling County Underground Water Conservation District
Sutton County Underground Water Conservation District
Texana Groundwater Conservation District
Tri-County Groundwater Conservation District
Trinity Glen Rose Groundwater Conservation District
Uvalde County Underground Water Conservation District
Wes-Tex Groundwater Conservation District
Wintergarden Groundwater Conservation District