Burnet County government takes public stance against unstudied groundwater permits
This large sign is one of many along Hoover Valley Road where Asphalt Inc. wants to build a large rock quarry. Staff photo by Dakota Morrissiey
The Burnet County Commissioners Court filed a formal resolution on Tuesday, Jan. 13, opposing the issuance of any groundwater production permits without “thorough study” in the county. The resolution comes as concerns rise about potential groundwater use by the proposed, 715-acre Asphalt Inc. rock quarry on Hoover Valley Road near Burnet.
The resolution touches upon Burnet County’s explicit commitment to protecting groundwater resources, general concerns about the impacts of rock-crushing facilities on local aquifers, and calls for encouragement for the Central Texas Groundwater Conservation District to do its due diligence when assessing all groundwater-use permit applications.
The close of the resolution reads:
“Burnet County formally opposes the issuance of any new groundwater production permit—temporary or permanent— without a thorough study having been presented to (Central Texas Groundwater Conservation District) and a finding is made by CTGCD that said permit application and issuance poses no risk to domestic wells, agricultural operations, public water systems, natural resources, or the long-term sustainability of the Hickory Aquifer or any groundwater source within Burnet County.”
The resolution was passed unanimously by the five-member Burnet County Commissioners Court on Tuesday. Read the full document at this link.
While the resolution applies to any and all groundwater permits that could adversely affect Burnet County groundwater, the court and several residents were specifically concerned about the proposed Asphalt Inc. rock quarry and its potential usage of groundwater from the local Hickory Aquifer.
The quarry is planned for a 715-acre tract on FM 3509, better known as Hoover Valley Road. It is just down the road from children’s summer camp Camp Longhorn, Inks Lake State Park, Longhorn Cavern State Park, and several heritage ranches. It has been on the radar of concerned Burnet County residents since 2024, with many worried about its potential impacts on nearby wells and the environment.
“I am very encouraged to see the resolution,” Randy Printz told the court.
Printz lives near the proposed quarry site and runs the local group Save Burnet, which was established to help raise awareness and opposition to the project. He was one of four residents who spoke during public comment, thanking the court for the resolution and encouraging the ongoing fight against the proposed rock quarry.
The Asphalt Inc. project has already received permit approvals from the Lower Colorado River Authority for water runoff and the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality for air pollution control, but it still needs a groundwater-use permit from the Central Texas Groundwater Conservation District to move forward.
As of Wednesday, Jan. 14, Asphalt Inc. has not yet applied for a permit with the CTGCD, and the exact amount it would use has not been determined. The CTGCD is responsible for issuing groundwater-use permits and regulating groundwater overall in Burnet County.
The quarry would lie within Burnet County Precinct 1, which is represented by Burnet County Commissioner Jim Luther. Luther believes that the CTGCD will do its due diligence when it comes to regulating the permit, but hopes that the county’s resolution will also encourage the public.
“Water is probably the biggest issue that Burnet County will face in the future, and, really, we are already seeing it now,” he told DailyTrib. “We hope that this (resolution) helps protect the groundwater in (the Hoover Valley area) and all over the county.”
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we will see.. who gets paid off.. it’s all about the Benjamin’s.. never in my life would I ever have had that thought in my brain….