Brian Sledge of Sledge Law Group PLLC said work is continuing on proposed legislation to create a regional groundwater conservation district (GCD) serving portions of the Carrizo-Wilcox Aquifer in Northeast Texas.
If established, the district would allow participating counties to coordinate groundwater management across the shared aquifer.
“The goal is to get everyone over the common aquifer working together,” Sledge said. “We want cohesive management of the aquifer.”
As of Monday afternoon, July 20, Sledge said 10 counties had agreed to participate in the planning process. Those counties are Cass, Camp, Gregg, Harrison, Morris, Smith, Upshur, Titus, Van Zandt and Wood.
According to Sledge, Bowie, Franklin, Hopkins, Marion and Rains counties had not yet signed agreements with Sledge Law Group PLLC to participate in the planning effort. However, he said those counties are expected to consider participation within the next week or two.
Sledge said discussions with legislators and county officials suggest the remaining counties are likely to participate, although no final decisions have been announced.
A map provided by Sledge identifies the counties overlying the Carrizo-Wilcox Aquifer and distinguishes those participating in the effort from those still considering it. According to the map, the proposed district includes counties overlying the aquifer’s outcrop, shown in solid red, and its subcrop, shown with red striping.
According to the Texas Water Development Board (TWDB), the Carrizo-Wilcox Aquifer’s outcrop extends across 66 Texas counties, from the Rio Grande to the Louisiana border. The outcrop consists of sandy, permeable soils where rainfall can seep into the aquifer, making it the primary recharge area.
The TWDB reports recharge rates in the Northeast Texas portion of the aquifer are generally higher than those in South Texas. Beneath the outcrop lies the aquifer’s subcrop, where the water-bearing sands dip beneath younger geologic formations rather than being exposed at the surface.
More information about the Carrizo-Wilcox Aquifer and Groundwater Management Area 11 is available through the Texas Water Development Board.