District representatives for the Groundwater Management Area 14 (GMA 14) at their last meeting approved proposed Desired Future Conditions (DFCs) for relevant aquifers located within GMA 14, and the group is now welcoming public comment.
Texas is divided into 16 Groundwater Management Areas (GMAs), and, on a five-year cycle, district representatives in each GMA are required to establish the DFCs for their area. A DFC is defined by the Texas Administrative Code as “the desired, quantified condition of groundwater resources (such as water levels, spring flows or volumes) within a management area at one or more specified future times as defined by participating groundwater conservation districts within a groundwater management area as part of the joint planning process.”
The Southeast Texas Groundwater Conservation District (LSGCD) is one of five groundwater conservation districts that make up GMA 14. At the last GMA 14 meeting on June 24, GMA 14 district representatives voted unanimously to approve proposed DFCs to present to the general public for comment. These proposed DFCs can be viewed here: Dropbox. The public comment period officially began Monday, July 6, and lasts for 90 days.
Toward the conclusion of this 90-day public comment period, the SETGCD will hold a public hearing to receive both written and oral comments on the proposed DFCs (tentatively set for September 10, 2015). After public comment has been received, each of the five groundwater conservation districts will compile a summary of relevant comments received and present this summary for consideration at the next GMA 14 meeting, which will be held October 28, 2015. The primary focus of this meeting will be to review the summary reports, including any suggestions for revisions to proposed DFCs.
Those wishing to provide comment on the proposed DFCs may do so via e-mail: jmartin@setgcd.org, or via USPS: Attn: John Martin, General Manager, Southeast Texas GCD, P.O. Box 1407, Jasper, Texas 75951. For more information, call (409) 383-1577.
