Conservation Conversation - Sept 3, 2021 Newsletter

DID YOU KNOW? — About 60 percent of the water used in Texas is supplied by nine major aquifers and 22 minor aquifers. The remaining 40 percent is supplied by surface water.

SANDY LAND GCD MANAGER ELECTED TAGD PRESIDENT — Amber Blount is the new President of the Texas Alliance of Groundwater Districts (TAGD). Blount is Manager of the Sandy Land Underground Water Conservation District in Plains, TX. She succeeds Zach Holland in the position. He is Manager of Bluebonnet Groundwater Conservation District in Navasota. Our congratulations to Amber and our thanks to Zach for his service!

STAKEHOLDERS IDENTIFY COMMON GROUNDWATER PRINCIPLES — A new report by Environmental Defense Fund outlines five principles of groundwater management that were agreed upon by a diverse group of stakeholders. This includes groundwater managers, farmers and ranchers, city water managers, landowners, academic and technical experts, and conservation/wildlife advocates. CLICK HERE to read the 18-page report.

TEXAS ENVIRONMENTAL EXCELLENCE AWARDS — The Texas Environmental Excellence Awards honor achievements in environmental preservation and protection. Applications for awards are due by Friday, Sept. 30, 2021. CLICK HERE for applications, instructions, and other information!

TWDB GROUNDWATER VIDEO MODULES — Want to learn about Texas aquifers, how they work, and the role they play in future water planning? If so, be sure to watch the four Texas Water Development Board’s (TWDB) groundwater video modules. They are: Aquifers in Texas; How Do Aquifers Work?; Groundwater Budget and Availability Models; and Using Groundwater Availability Models (GAMs) in Water Planning.

WSI 2021 TO FEATURE NOBEL PRIZE SHARING SCIENTIST — Dr. Jonathan Overpeck with the University of Michigan returns as keynote speaker for the 13th annual WaterSmart Innovations (WSI) Conference and Expo, Oct. 6-7, in Las Vegas. A WSI news release states “In addition to addressing this summer’s headline grabbing climate impacts, Overpeck will discuss impacts that have yet to manifest themselves and how we can better prepare to meet these ever-accelerating climate challenges.” He was the keynote speaker for the inaugural conference in 2008. CLICK HERE for the conference schedule and additional information.

Check Your Property For Open / Deteriorated Wells

October 2019 marks the 32nd anniversary of the rescue of 18-month-old Jessica McClure from an abandoned water well in Midland. The infant was trapped 22 feet below land surface for nearly 60 hours.

 With that in mind, HPWD encourages all landowners/operators to check their properties for any open, uncovered, or deteriorated wells.

 “Open, uncovered, and deteriorated wells are prohibited within the HPWD service area,” said General Manager Jason Coleman.

 He added that locating and getting these wells properly covered and/or repaired is an important duty of the HPWD staff.

 “There have been two children who have fallen into open, uncovered wells since HPWD was created in Sept. 1951.  Both children were rescued unharmed.  Proper closure of wells will help avoid dangerous situations like this in the future,” said Coleman.

 In addition to potential dangers, uncovered well openings also provide a direct conduit for contaminants to enter the groundwater stored in the Ogallala Formation.
 
“Open wells can provide tempting disposal places for anything unwanted, which can lead to serious groundwater contamination problems. Once groundwater in an aquifer is contaminated, it is extremely difficult to return it to an unpolluted state suitable for use by humans and livestock,” said Coleman.
 
Rainfall runoff can also carry pollutants into open wells, especially if the casing and pump have been removed.
 
Open wells are usually reported by telephone calls and/or emails from the public, or by HPWD personnel conducting field work.
 
Field technicians carry two sizes of well caps in their pickups. If an open, abandoned water well is located, the field technician will close the well, get a GPS reading on its location, and contact the landowner and/or operator.  The landowner/operator has the option to pay $75 for the well cap installed by HPWD or they may remove the cap and close the well themselves. In both instances, HPWD personnel return to the site to make sure the well is closed in accordance with state law and HPWD rules.

 “HPWD wants to work with landowners/operators to make sure issues with open, uncovered, and deteriorated wells are handled properly. We appreciate those who have promptly covered or repaired problem wells to preserve life and groundwater quality,” said Coleman.

 Additional information about well capping is available at http://www.hpwd.org/well-monitoring