Gonzales
County Underground Water
Conservation
District
Gonzales County
Barry Miller - General
Manager
920 Saint Joseph
PO Box 1919 - Gonzales,
Texas 78629
| District Formation | May 7, 1994 |
| Enabling Authority | 67th Texas Legislature (1981) |
| Financing Method | Ad Valorem |
| Financing Rate Structure | .0155 per $100 Valuation |
| Planning Region | South Central Texas - Region L |
| ACTIVITIES | |
| Well Permitting | Permits are required on all wells capable of producing 25,000 gpd or more. Wells producing less than 25,000 gpd may register with the District. The District issues 30-day test-well permits. |
| Well Construction Standards | Standards are the same as those in the Texas Water Well Drillers Rules. |
| Well Spacing | Wells are spaced according to actual pumping capacity, rather than pump size. |
| Production Regulations | Production may not exceed two-acre-feet per acre of land owned or leased per year. Production is allowed to exceed the permitted capacity by 25% in any given monthly reporting period. The actual calendar year production may not exceed the permitted pumping capacity for that year. The District may restrict production from any well within the District that depletes groundwater at at rate greater than the allowable decline rate as set by the Board. |
| Water Level Monitoring | The District measures static water levels in wells throughout the District annually. |
| Water Quality/Quantity Management Programs | The District requires all wells to be completed in accordance with Water Well Drillers Rules. When a new well is drilled or a pump is installed or repairs are made on an old well, District requires installation of an in-line, automatic quick-closing check valve. By January 1, 2000, all wells must have this check valve. The District requires free flowing artesian wells to be quipped with a valve capable of stopping the flow. |
| Water Quality Testing and Monitoring | The District checks several water quality parameters when existing wells are registered to determine which aquifer the well is producing from. The District also monitors selected wells annually with a complete chemical analysis. |
| Data Collection and Distribution | District-collected data, and data from other sources is available to the public. Data is regularly shared with the Texas Water Development Board. |
| NPS and Point Source Regulations | The District has rules regarding the plugging and capping of abandoned or deteriorated wells. The District requires that recharge wells be permitted. |
| PROGRAMS | |
| Public Education | A well-informed public is vital to the proper operation of a groundwater district. The District keeps the citizens of the district informed by means of timely newspaper articles and public service radio announcements. As part of the public information program the directors of the district and the district manager will make presentations to any public gathering, as requested, in order to keep the citizens informed about district activities and to promote proper use of available groundwater. The district has an on-going program to assist teachers at public schools in educating children on issues of groundwater conservation and the hydrology of our area. |