The date for the 2017 Milam and Burleson Counties Groundwater Summit has been set for August 16, 2017 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. All are welcome to attend.
The Summit is free and open to the public with lunch provided. Topics for this year’s Summit cover a variety of issues. Panels will discuss the impacts of production in the Carrizo-Wilcox, how Groundwater Conservation Districts (GCDs) collaborate within Groundwater Management Area 12, and an overview of the Post Oak Savannah GCD Groundwater Well Assistance Program (GWAP). In addition, there will be presentations about Groundwater Availability Models (GAMs) and how they are developed and used, an overview of Desired Future Conditions, an introduction to Post Oak Savannah’s new Rainwater Harvesting Grant Program, and an update on the POSGCD well-monitoring system.
Citizens of Milam and Burleson Counties, as well as surrounding areas, can benefit from attending the Groundwater Summit. Post Oak Savannah Groundwater Conservation District organizes the event and invites groundwater experts from across Texas to come speak at the local level. It is a great opportunity for people to come and learn about the state’s requirements on local groundwater management and stay up-to-date on current groundwater issues, such as GCD joint planning in Groundwater Management Areas.
The Groundwater Management Area (GMA) 12 Panel will consist of the five general managers of the GCDs within GMA 12. Gary Westbrook from Post Oak Savannah GCD, Alan Day from Brazos Valley GCD, Jim Totten from Lost Pines GCD, David Bailey from Mid-East Texas GCD, and David Van Dresar from Fayette County GCD. The general managers will discuss how the GCDs are working together.
Gary Westbrook has been the General Manager of Post Oak Savannah GCD since 2003. Westbrook served as President of the Texas Alliance of Groundwater Districts (TAGD) from 2005 to 2007 and currently represents GMA 12 on the Brazos G Regional Water Planning Group.
Westbrook said, “This panel represents a great opportunity for citizens to witness first hand how we as general managers in GMA 12 work together on issues. And, since this panel constitutes a quorum of the voting members of GMA 12, it will be posted as a GMA 12 meeting, according to the laws of the state of Texas. As such, it will very much be part of the regular business of GMA 12.”
Alan Day has served as the General Manager for the Brazos Valley GCD for five years. Day served as the County Extension Agent for over 7 years before becoming a Ranch Manager in Bosque County for 27 years. He served on the Middle Trinity GCD Board of Directors for 3 years before moving to the Brazos Valley.
“The Summit will be an excellent opportunity to ask questions of the GMA 12 panelists about aquifer management and why management methods vary so widely,” Day said. “There is a method to the madness.”
Jim Totten joined the staff of Lost Pines Groundwater Conservation District in November of 2012 in the role of assistant general manager and assumed the role of general manager in January of 2015.
David Bailey has been the General Manager of Mid-East Texas GCD since 2010 and serves on the Budget and Finance Committee for TAGD. He is also the voting member for GMA 12 and serves as the GMA 12 representative on both the Region C and Region H Water Planning Groups.
“Managing groundwater resources in today’s legislative and regulatory framework is difficult,” Bailey said. “It can be a delicate balancing act. It is important for people to know that we are here to help. It is our desire for all to have the groundwater they need—we just have to do that in a manner that ensures all are protected.”
David Van Dresar, the General Manager of Fayette County GCD, has been in the water and wastewater field for 30 years. He currently serves on the Texas Drought Preparedness Council and the Texas Groundwater Protection Committee as the TAGD representative.
Van Dresar said that by attending the Summit, residents and well owners would gain insight to how GCDs work, what they provide to the public, and how the GCDs tie in to what their rights as landowners are.
For any questions, please contact the POSGCD office at 512-455-9900, or email at admin@posgcd.org. Please RSVP to your County Extension office by August 11th. Burleson County, 979-567-2308. Milam County, 254-697-7045. For a detailed agenda of the Summit, please visit www.posgcd.org/outreach/2017-milam-burleson-counties-groundwater-summit/.
