WATER NEWS FOR BLANCO COUNTY AND BEYOND
In This Edition
* Current Drought Condition
* Blanco County Burn Ban Status
* March 8 Rainwater Harvesting Information Session a Great Success
* Interested in Learning About Hill Country Springs?
* B-PGCD Developments - Research Planning Workshop
* Natural Resources Conservation Service Announces Spring Water Programs
* Did You Know - Groundwater Facts
Current Drought Condition
Blanco County drought condition as of April 3 - D1 Moderate (D4-Exceptional highest level)
www.drought.unl.edu/dm/DM_state.htm?TX,S
Blanco County Burn Ban Status
The Blanco County burn ban continues in effect.
On March 12, the Blanco County Commissioners lifted the Burn Ban for 72 hours. The day following this decision, three serious wildfires occurred in Blanco County, one of which threatened Johnson City.
Due to this unfortunate occurrence, Preserve Our Water urges you to check the National Weather Service for any "Red Flag Warnings" issued for our area before conducting any burning, regardless of the county Burn Ban status. You can check that status at the Texas A&M website: www.srh.weather.gov/ewx/
March 8 Rainwater Harvesting Information Session a Great Success
The Rainwater Harvesting Program held Saturday, March 8th drew such a large turn out that the supply of chairs in the PEC auditorium was completely exhausted and it was truly, "standing room only"!
Todd Swift, Blanco County AgriLife Extension Agent, was event MC and began the session by introducing representatives from the many event co-sponsors. Dwayne Hoppe and Ralph Ebeling represented the Pedernales Soil and Water Conservation District. CA Cowsert was there from Natural Resources Conservation Service and Dan Snodgrass was present to represent The Nature Conservancy of Texas. Dave Collins and Jack Twilley represented Preserve Our Water.
Billy Kniffen, County AgriLife Extension Agent from Menard County held the audience’s attention with compelling information and great Texas humor. Mr. Kniffen explained the broad range of ways in which landowners, from the smallest acreage or city lot to sprawling 10,000 acre ranches, can better harness the goodness of rainwater.
The majority of his presentation focused on capturing and harvesting rainwater for landscape, livestock, wildlife and potable or non-potable human use. His central theme, to which he returned repeatedly was, "get started, regardless of how small."
In the course of the presentation Mr. Kniffen displayed photos of a wide range of techniques and applications of rainwater harvesting for residential, commercial and agricultural purposes. The audience gained a good appreciation of the various options for capturing and storing rainwater as well as treating for potable uses. They also learned about the costs (often comparable to drilling or repairing a well) and the strengths and weaknesses of each technique or product.
Following Mr. Kniffen’s presentation, Mr. Collins presented photos and descriptions of several rainwater systems that residents in Blanco County have installed. Those systems range widely in design and components, highlighting the many options available to fit particular sites and needs.
One local rainwater system installer, Lewis Eckenrode of T&E Systems introduced himself and briefly described his service offerings. Those in attendance could also take literature about T&E. Literature from other installation service providers was available as well.
Mr. Swift introduced JCISD Superintendent David Shanley. Mr. Shanley led a caravan to the Johnson City High School for a tour of that rainwater system.
At the school grounds, Mr. Shanley explained the purpose and design of the system, currently used for part of the landscape watering needs on the 70 acre property. He told the audience of his plans to expand the system over time to accommodate all of the school’s landscape watering needs. He stressed the importance of having the system at the school as part of the educational process, graphically demonstrating to students the importance of water in our lives.
The caravan then moved west on Hwy 290 to the home and ranch of Mary Moody. Mrs. Moody explained how it was not until she had been on the property for a while that the desirability of a rainwater system became clear. She started her system with a single 10,000 gallon tank. However, the demands of her children and grandchildren who visit frequently soon exceeded that storage capacity and she has added a second 10,000 gallon tank. Now, like all of Blanco County, she watches the skies for signs of rain to fill that new tank!
The sponsors were all delighted with the participation and interest the event drew. Mr. Ebeling summed it up well, saying that as long as the citizens of the county continue to show this level of support for such programs, his organization will continue to join with other groups to bring this kind of information to the county. All of the representatives of the sponsoring groups nodded their agreement as Mr. Ebeling offered his comments.
For more information, contact Preserve Our Water at pow [at] hughes.net or Texas AgriLife Extension at http://blanco-tx.tamu.edu.
Interested in Learning About Hill Country Springs?
Chad Norris, aquatic biologist, Texas Parks & Wildlife Dept., Water Resources Branch, will give a presentation on Texas springs: the types of springs, their distribution, number, and their state of health. He will discuss why these vanishing resources are important to Texas. His presentation will include information about his research and key findings based on gathering biological and hydrological data on springs of Bexar County and the Edwards Plateau.
Mr. Norris has a B.S. in Biology from the University of Houston and a M.S. in Aquatic Biology from Texas State University.
Mr. Norris will make his presentation on Sunday, April 13, 2008, at 3-5 p.m. at the Scenic Loop Playground Club on Sherwood Trail in Grey Forest, Texas (NW Bexar County). To get to the Scenic Loop Playground Club, take Scenic Loop to the City of Grey Forest, turn east at Grey Forest City Hall, go over Helotes Creek, the clubhouse is on left. The Hill Country Planning Association (HCPA) is sponsoring this very important presentation.
B-PGCD Developments - Research Planning Workshop
On March 27th the B-PGCD held a workshop intended to lay the foundation for a well structured research program to better understand both the supply of and demands on groundwater in Blanco County.Four well-qualified experts addressed the B-PGCD Board and a small audience of citizens regarding their research efforts.
Al Broun, retired petroleum geologist and former president and current district geologist for the Hays/Trinity Groundwater Conservation District described the research efforts he has led in Hays County. Mr. Broun impressed the attendees with the very professional quality of the work and the much improved understanding of the geology and hydrology, that defines the groundwater resources, achieved by the research.
Most impressive is the fact that this professional quality research and reporting has been achieved on a frayed shoe string budget - the Hays/Trinity GCD being one of the most poorly funded in the region.
Paul Tybor, General Manager of the Hill Country Underground Water Conservation District (Gillespie County) spoke next. While Mr. Tybor’s research has not emphasized the geology of the area to the extent of Mr. Broun’s, his results are impressive nonetheless. By rigorously documenting each well in the county and analyzing those data, he has achieved a solid understanding of the many peculiarities of the water resource in that county.
Feather Wilson, another retired petroleum geologist and consultant to the Headwaters Groundwater Conservation District (Kerr County) presented his research. Mr. Wilson and the GCD he serves are in the enviable position of having a very well funded research program.
He has been able to drill numerous research-only wells and to apply a full range of geological measures and analytic tools. The depth of understanding he has gained is impressive, but he quickly acknowledged that the work of Broun and Tybor have also yielded very worthwhile and useable results at much lower cost.
Finally, Scott Gardner, manager of the Browning Ranch, located north of Johnson City, reported on the long term study he has designed and initiated at the ranch. Working with the US Geological Survey, he is establishing a baseline for spring performance on the ranch and then, over a long time frame, will analyze various range management techniques to determine the impact on spring flow.
B-PGCD Director Binford and Blanco County resident Bill Davis, who is retired from the position of Sr. Vice President and General Manager of International Exploration and Production for a major oil company, prepared very professional frameworks for developing a District research strategy.
Broun, Tybor, Wilson, Gardner and others in the audience emphasized the importance of establishing logical approaches for determining what information is needed most to manage the resources of the district and how a district might prioritize its projects in a structured framework. General Manager Ron Fieseler did not apply these tools or follow the advice. The results were disappointing as the workshop concluded with no firm results obtained.
Preserve Our water hopes that, as the Directors of the B-PGCD consider the work accomplished by surrounding Districts, they will be moved to direct their employee to adhere to more rigorous planning standards and to work with those of greater training and experience to develop a well designed program of research for the B-PGCD.
Blanco County Natural Resources Conservation Service Announces Spring Water Programs
Annual Soil Stewardship Breakfast
The Board of Directors of the Pedernales Soil & Water Conservation District cordially invites you to attend the 24th Annual Soil Stewardship Breakfast on Wednesday, April 23, 2008 from 8:00 to 10:00 a.m. at the Pavilion on Whittington’s Mountain.
There will be food, fun, fellowship and a brief program on this year’s theme: "Water is Life."
Seating is limited, so you should bring your own lawn chairs.
Whittington’s Mountain is located on Miller Creek Road (CR 203), six miles south of Johnson City and eight miles north of Blanco. Proceed west from the roadside park on Highway 281 for approximately 4 miles, then follow the signs to the hilltop pavilion.
For further information, contact the PSWCD office at 830.868.7237 ext. 3.
Pond Management Field Day
Please join us on Thursday, May 1st to learn more about constructing and managing ponds. Hear from experts on the subject and go on a local site visit.
Presentations will begin at 2:00 p.m. at Gem of the Hills Community Center in Blanco and conclude around 5:00 p.m. at Dirt Works.
Fee is $5.00 per person; 2 CEUs will be offered. Please RSVP to 830.868.7237 ext. 3
Sponsors: Blanco County AgriLIFE Extension Service, USDA-Natural Resources Conservation Service and Pedernales Soil & Water Conservation District
Did You Know - Groundwater Facts
The water planning process mandated by the Texas legislature in 2005 continues. The preliminary results of the computer modeling requested from the Texas Water Development Board (TWDB) are now out, in draft report form. Preserve Our Water continues to monitor and participate in the process. We will be preparing a status report in the next week to help Blanco County citizens stay up to date with the process.
In anticipation of that status report, it may be helpful to review some of the key concepts and terms associated with this new, state-wide planning program.
Groundwater Management Areas (GMA) - The Texas Water Development Board designated these planning areas in response to the 2005 legislation. Generally speaking the areas are composed of those counties - and Groundwater Conservation Districts (GCD) where those are established - that sit atop major aquifers. A GMA is not an official public body but an ad hoc planning group made up of representatives of the various GCD. Blanco County is in GMA 9, which is concerned with managing the Trinity aquifer.
Desired Future Conditions (DFC) - The legislation requires that each GMA must agree on what measurable aquifer conditions are to be achieved over the 50 year planning period. Examples of a Desired Future Condition include the level in the aquifer to be maintained, a rate of spring flow to be protected or other similar targets. The DFC is established as policy by a 2/3 majority vote of the representatives to the GMA.
Groundwater Availability Model (GAM) - This is a computer program. Many such programs exist. In the case of this planning process, most Groundwater Management Areas have elected to use the Groundwater Availability Model for their aquifer developed, maintained, and operated by TWDB staff. The program contains available data regarding the physical characteristics of the aquifer.
Many independent geologists express reservations about the accuracy and predictive reliability of GAM programs, for a variety of technical reasons. However, they do represent the best available tool for attempting to predict aquifer performance under varying conditions. GMA 9 is using the Hill Country/Trinity GAM in its planning efforts for the Trinity aquifer. There is no GAM for the minor aquifers on which northern Blanco County relies.
Managed Available Groundwater (MAG) Once the TWDB successfully completes the modeling of the aquifer to achieve the DFC submitted by the Groundwater Management Area, it reports the results of that effort. The amount of groundwater the model predicts can be withdrawn from the aquifer each year under the DFC is an important component of that report and is referred to as a MAG. The report also contains other critical information, such as effects predicted for spring flow or the groundwater that is contributed to creeks and rivers, called "baseflow."
Although some of the terminology is new to this process, the only really new aspect is the planning unit. In the past, Regional Water Planning Areas had this responsibility. Relying on many of the same computer tools and approaches; those Regions produced a MAG for each county in the region, though this was not the terminology used at the time.
In the case of Blanco County and the Trinity Aquifer, the current MAG is 1600 acre feet per year - about 520 million gallons. The DFC used for that planning was based on spring flow. The target established was to maintain 90% of the spring flow recorded during the drought of the 50’s (also called the drought of record) when an equally severe drought strikes our area again.
