Public meetings to focus on changes to groundwater, drought management rules

Public meetings to focus on changes to groundwater, drought management rules

By Community Impact Newspaper Staff Thursday, 28 May 2009

AUSTIN — The Barton Springs/Edwards Aquifer Conservation District will hold two town hall meetings to receive input from district permittees, individual groundwater users, and the public on prospective changes to the District’s Rules dealing with management zones and drought management, especially during extreme drought conditions. These are information-exchange meetings only and are intended to provide input to future proposed rulemaking.

“Currently, we are in one of the worst droughts experienced in the history of the district. Aquifer water levels and spring flows may drop further as we enter the driest time of year, when the aquifer typically receives little replenishment and has its highest water use," said Kirk Holland, General Manager of the Barton Springs/Edwards Aquifer Conservation District. "We believe that the rule changes we will discuss at the public meetings are essential to being prepared for the dry times ahead. And we want to hear from our stakeholders about those needs.”

Two town hall meetings are scheduled; from 7:00 pm to 8:30 pm on

Tuesday, June 2, Sunset Valley City Hall, 3205 Jones Rd., Sunset Valley, Texas 78745;

Monday, June 8, City of Buda City Hall, 121 Main St., Buda, Texas 78610.

These meetings are open to the public and members of the District’s Board of Directors will be present to receive inputs from all stakeholders on the changes in the Rules to respond to more extreme drought conditions. Summaries of the prospective changes and a markup of the language changes currently being considered are available on the district website at www.bseacd.org/rules.

For more information, call 282-8441.