Locals learn science behind proposed Briggs-Oakalla water zone

The Central Texas Groundwater Conservation District hosted an introductory public meeting April 22 to present the science behind its proposal for a first-ever groundwater management zone in the Briggs-Oakalla area, an idea met with a mixture of curiosity and concern from locals.

The GCD’s proposal, still in its early stages, is to create a designated groundwater management zone—developed through a stakeholder process—in northeast Burnet County to better regulate usage of the Trinity Aquifer, which supplies hundreds of rural homes via private wells. 

District staff and consultants spent most of Tuesday’s hour-long meeting presenting data about the Briggs-Oakalla area’s low transmissivity (well production), declining water levels, and 30-year projections of severe groundwater drawdown due to rapid development and a limited water supply.

“We’re not in a crisis now,” said Intera water resource engineer Dr. Neil Deeds during the meeting, “but the model shows we could be. The goal is to avoid getting there.”

Attendees were shown years of data collection and predictive modeling that estimated drawdowns of more than 200 feet in some spots over the next 30 years if each platted lot in subdivisions across the area eventually drills a well. “Drawdown” refers to the overall lowering of the groundwater table.

Specifically, Deeds pointed to large subdivisions in the works in northeast Burnet County, like Dominion Ranch with its 210 lots and River Hills Ranch with 214 lots. 

Much of the conversation focused on “clustering,” which refers to wells stacked closely together. 

“So, you can have a big development, but as long as they’ve got 20 lots and there’s only 15 wells going in, it doesn’t have a big impact,” Deeds said. “But when you have a big development with 2½-acre lots and you’ve got 200 wells there, that’s when you really get the impacts that are being predicted by a model.”

Longtime resident Suzanne Gasparotto, who raises goats on her Onion Creek Ranch in Briggs and relies on a private well, said she monitors her water use daily and is already seeing signs of strain. Her well has a pump saver that automatically shuts off water when the yield drops too low, protecting the system from damage. 

She sees her experiences as a warning of what could happen more widely if groundwater levels keep falling.

“Since 2023, I can’t even run one of my sprinkler zones for more than 10 minutes before the pump saver kicks in,” Gasparotto told DailyTrib.com after the meeting. “There are going to be people turning their faucets on with no water coming out. It’s a very serious matter.” 

During the meeting, attendees asked detailed questions about the shared data, including when a major drawdown is expected to begin within the 30-year timeline and how commercial and industrial users might factor into the projections.

GCD General Manager Mitchell Sodek emphasized that the Briggs-Oakalla management zone is still just a proposal and that any future rules would be shaped by the community through a stakeholder group meeting over the summer.

“We’re not here today to give you all the answers,” he told the audience. “We’re here to start building them with you.”

The GCD is seeking volunteers for the stakeholder committee and plans to reconvene with a second public meeting later this year. Any proposed rules would go before the district’s Board of Directors and include a public hearing.

For questions about or to express interest in becoming a stakeholder, contact district@centraltexasgcd.org or 512-756-4900. To learn more about the proposed Briggs-Oakalla groundwater management zone or view the presentation shared during the meeting, visit this webpage. 

elizabeth@thepicayune.com