Groundwater Regulatory Program and Conjunctive Use Study

1. Groundwater Regulatory Program and Conjunctive Use Study

2. AGENDA • Introduction of Lone Star Groundwater Conservation District • Background of Study Authorization • Review of the Problem • Summary of Study Findings • Questions and Answers

3. Lone Star Groundwater Conservation District • Authorized by 77th Legislature in 2001 by HB 2362 • Geographic boundaries encompass ALL of Montgomery County • Creation confirmed by popular vote on Nov 6, 2001 with 73.85 % approval • Amended Enabling Legislation in 2003 by SB 1930 to protect rulemaking authority

4. Board Members Legislative Act provided for a nine-member Board of Board appointments are for staggered four-year terms, • MUDs east of I-45 • small cities excluding Conroe • Commissioner’s Court • MUDs west of I-45 • San Jacinto River Authority • Commissioner’s Court • City of Conroe • Woodlands Joint Powers Agency • Soil and Water Conservation District

5. Role of the Lone Star Groundwater District • Conserve and Protect groundwater resources in Montgomery County • Control land subsidence • Develop rules and regulations as necessary to meet these objectives • Establish well registration and permit system • Work with Federal Government to monitor groundwater levels • Participate in joint planning with GMA 14

6. Why is Planning and Regulation Necessary? Texas Water Development Board Projections of Available Groundwater in Montgomery County (per approved plan) 64,000 a-f /year Current GW Permit Requests 70,000 a-f/year Projected water demand by 2040 154,000 a-f /year Shortage 90,000 a-f/year

8. Groundwater Regulatory Program and Conjunctive Use Study

9. Study Background Authorization • Authorized by Board action of February 20, 2004 • Delayed until Planning Grant Application reviewed by TWDB ( April 2004) • Notice to Proceed in June 2004

10. Cost Sharing and Obligation • TWDB $141,000 • LSGCD Cash $ 25,000 • SJRA Cash $ 40,000 • LSGCD In-Kind $ 70,000 • SJRA In-Kind $ 25,000 • Total $302,000

11. Purpose and Scope • Groundwater Regulatory Plan (GRP) • Provides science and engineering justification for establishing management zones and goals for each zone • Establishes a need for reduction in groundwater usage to meet goals • Facilities Plan • Technical mechanism for implementing the GRP • Sets timetable for implementation of surface water ( or other alternatives) based on goals established in GRP

12. Groundwater Regulatory Plan • Establishes population and water demand projections for next 40 years based on 5 year increments • Apply water demand projections to the TWDB GAM • Establishes goal for future water level declines • Evaluates alternative scenarios of management zones • Projects aquifer response based on scenario

13. Facilities Implementation Plan • Interface with current planning, operating and management entities • Develop sizes for plant, storage and conveyance facilities for surface water treatment and conveyance • Establish preliminary routing and location of plants and pipelines • Discuss TCEQ requirements for blending surface and groundwater sources • Develop draft financial plan for implementing surface water • Impact on water districts • Current groundwater debt • Rate and debt structure • Review options for institutional mechanisms for implementing

14. REVIEW OF THE PROBLEM

15. Discussion of the Fundamental Issue Facing Montgomery County • 26th fastest growing county in the United States • 5th fastest growing county in Texas • To date, entire water supply originates as groundwater from Gulf Coast Aquifer • Current usage is approaching (exceeding) sustainable yield of the aquifer

16. Existing Sources of Water Evangeline Aquifer Recharge Zone Grimes Montgomery Liberty Chicot Aquifer Recharge Zone Direction of Groundwater Flow Waller Harris Fort Bend Aquifer Recharge Areas Galveston Source: Harris Galveston Coastal Subsidence District

17. Conroe Aquifer Characteristics

19. Historic Decline in Water Levels1990-2004 Chicot Aquifer Water-Level Change

20. Historic Decline in Water Levels1990-2004 Evangeline Aquifer Water-Level Change

21. Historic Decline in Water Levels2000-2004 Jasper Aquifer Water-Level Change Decline > 50 ‘ Decline 20’ < 50’ Decline 1‘ < 20’

22. Projected Decline in Water Levels (Evangeline 2000-2040)

23. Projected Decline in Water Levels(Jasper 2000-2040)

24. Regulatory Plan to Conserve Groundwater

25. Projections of Water Usage Texas Water Development Board Projections of Available Groundwater in Montgomery County (per approved plan) 64,000 a-f /year Current GW Permit Requests 70,000 a-f/year Projected water demand by 2040 154,000 a-f /year Shortage 90,000 a-f/year Note: 97% of the water used is for public water supply

26. Growth in Water Demand Alternative source requirement 55% 46% 34% 15%

28. Issues With Severe Water Level Decline Aquifer begins to dewater in areas of heavy pumpage. Potential problems include: • Worsens conditions that contribute to land subsidence • Water levels dropping below top of screen, reducing pump efficiency • Reduced saturated thickness and availability • Water quality degradation: arsenic, radioactivity, TDS

29. Groundwater Regulatory Program Development

30. What are the impacts of Regulating Groundwater • Regulation is structured to encourage conservation. • Conversion to alternative sources, including increased conservation, reclaimed water, surface water and other strategies will be necessary. • The cost for water will likely rise.

31. What is a Regulatory Zone Accomplishing • Authorized by enabling legislation and board rules as a method on management • Establishes geographic boundaries and the allowable groundwater withdrawal within that boundary at a point in time. • It sets periodic milestone dates for groundwater reduction. • It provides for a continued “growth on groundwater” in the zone in between the milestone dates. • It does not preclude subdividing the zone at some future date, but makes it difficult to move from one zone to another zone. • It does not preclude changing the milestone dates, nor the amount of groundwater reduction within a zone at those milestone date.

32. Population/Demand Projections 80% of Demand in these 5 areas

33. Single Management Zone - Countywide HUP – 59,603 af Allow GW – 64,000 af 2013 Demand – 83,600 af 2013 Reduction – 30% 2040 Demand – 154,000 af 2040 Reduction – 60%

34. Conroe/Woodlands Management Zone Balance of County HUP – 22,032 af Allowable GW withdrawal – 56,641 af 2013 Demand – 45,226 af 2013 Reduction – 0% 2040 Demand – 94,435 af 2040 Reduction – 40% Conroe/Woodlands HUP – 36,968 af Allowable GW withdrawal – 7,359 af 2013 Demand – 38,376 af 2013 Reduction – 81% 2040 Demand – 59,928 af 2040 Reduction – 88%

35. Two Management Zones Balance of County HUP – 8,320 af Allowable GW withdrawal – 32,712 af 2013 Demand – 16,436 af 2013 Reduction – 0% 2040 Demand – 29,340 af 2040 Reduction – 0% Zone covers 80% of the demand Increase from 2000 to 2040 HUP – 50,680 af Allowable GW withdrawal – 31,288 af 2013 Demand – 67,166 af 2013 Reduction – 53% 2040 Demand – 125,023 af 2040 Reduction – 75%

36. Three Management Zones HUP – 18,092 af Allow GW – 30,516 af 2013 Demand – 25,116 af 2013 Reduction – 0% 2040 Demand – 43,107 ac 2040 Reduction – 35% HUP – 30,492 af Allow GW – 15,673 af 2013 Demand – 36,343 af 2013 Reduction – 60% 2040 Demand – 60,079 af 2040 Reduction – 76% HUP – 10,416 af Allow GW – 17,811 af 2013 Demand – 22,142 af 2013 Reduction – 26% 2040 Demand – 51,177 ac 2040 Reduction – 68%

37. 4 Management Zones HUP – 6,402 af Allow GW – 8,192 af 2013 Demand – 4,485 af 2013 Reduction – 0% 2040 Demand – 7,700 ac 2040 Reduction – 0% HUP – 5,463 af Allowable GW withdrawal – 20,185 af 2013 Demand – 11,046 af 2013 Reduction – 0% 2040 Demand – 19,325 af 2040 Reduction – 0% HUP – 10,416 af Allow GW – 17,929 af 2013 Demand – 20,943 af 2013 Reduction – 14% 2040 Demand – 47,105 af 2040 Reduction – 49% HUP – 36,968 af Allow GW – 17,692 af 2013 Demand – 47,129 af 2013 Reduction – 62% 2040 Demand – 80,233 ac 2040 Reduction – 78%

38. Water Level Change in Evangeline Aquifer from 2000 to 2040Baseline Run: Total Water Demand 50 ft contour

39. Water Level Change in Evangeline Aquifer from 2000 to 2040Reduction Scenario 2 : Four Zone Reduction 50 ft contour

40. Water Level Change in Jasper Aquifer from 2000 to 2040Baseline Run: Total Water Demand 50 ft contour

41. Water Level Change in Jasper Aquifer from 2000 to 2040Reduction Scenario 2 : Four Zone Reduction 50 ft contour

42. Who is using the water?

43. Who should be regulated ? • Types of users ? • agriculture, irrigation, public, commercial, industrial • Size of users ? • small users, large users, single demand users, wholesale suppliers, retail suppliers • Which of these users is causing the problem ? • Is it necessary to capture all users or only 90% of them ( what is the cost of the last 10%) • What would be the impact of regulation to the user group? • Is it gaining a positive impact ? • Is it punitive to the user group • Do you regulate by owner or by well?

49. Wholesale Surface Water Supply

50. Planning aspects of the Surface Water System • It will be a “wholesale” supply system that augments current retail systems • It will be designed cost effectively, providing surface water to areas needing expansion or experiencing problems • It will be designed to address the problems of over pumping