• Mike Forman •
• Originally published January 16, 2009 at 11:54 p.m., updated January 16, 2009 at 11:54 p.m.

Local protectors of the Edwards Aquifer will keep a close eye on legislation this session.

The Victoria County Groundwater Conservation District will keep in close communication with attorney Jim Allison in Austin during the 81st Legislature in order to take positions on certain bills.

The board of directors must make sure not to overstep its bounds, but one resident said the board is the only entity looking out for local groundwater.

Allison briefed the directors at the Friday morning groundwater district meeting to discuss pre-filed bills, but the board won’t take any action until legislators take further action.

Allison will review all bills relating to water or oil and gas production and will provide the board and general public with summaries and his own analyses.

Allison advised the district to advocate only for protecting the aquifer, its mission by law, and to be careful not to advocate for other issues like economics or property rights.

For instance, House Bill 43 would grant those with transfer permits a 30-year production or pumping permit. But the district already adopted a plan to review and renew all permits every five years.

“This bill in my opinion would run counter to the purpose of the district and replace your present authority,” Allison said.

Local wells don’t even get 30-year production permits, he added.

But Bill Richter, a Victoria resident who would like to submit proposals to legislators, disagreed that the board of directors should not advocate for local interests.

“We know there’s competing interest for the water,” he said. “That’s undeniable. We have nobody representing local interest use.”

Richter fears that with most legislators coming from urban areas, rural counties will lose out, only to be out-permitted by growth in Central Texas.

He would at least like to see measures to rein in transported water during times of drought.

Allison prefers citizens’ groups, economic development corporations, chambers of commerce and cities take the lead in advocating policy not directly related to sustaining levels in the aquifer.

“I understand what you’re saying,” he told Richter. “Maybe nobody in the past has stepped up to that role.”

James Dodson, president of Goliad Sands Limited, agreed with Allison, but warned the board about saying science doesn’t support an analysis 30 years in the future when the district’s management plan thinks long-term.

“You have to find a fine line, a balance on what is your role,” he said.

Dodson doesn’t want to risk creating an argument for singular state control over groundwater.

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