Some Burnet County well owners might have to reduce groundwater usage by 15 percent in 2025. The proposed restriction is one of the possible changes the Central Texas Groundwater Conservation District is considering to its Drought Management Plan. 

A public hearing to review those updates is 9 a.m. Friday, Dec. 20, in the Hill Country Community Foundation building, 402 E. Jackson St. in Burnet.

The Groundwater Conservation District oversees groundwater use and conservation in Burnet County. Each December, the district’s Board of Directors reviews possible water usage restrictions for the next year based on drought conditions. The GCD’s goal is to promote sustainable groundwater use while considering the needs of agriculture, industry, and municipalities.

The proposed usage restrictions in 2025 are in line with the previous two years.

“We had 15 percent mandatory restrictions for non-exempt permit holders in 2023 and 2024,” said Mitchell Sodek, the GCD’s general manager. “In 2024, we started with 15 percent, but after the rains, we reduced it to 10 percent.” 

The district had to recalculate its conservation needs based on its Drought Management Plan following a dry fall this year.

If implemented, restrictions for non-exempt well owners would begin on Jan. 1, 2025, and last until Dec. 31, 2025, unless the GCD board decides to lift them earlier.

The 15 percent usage reduction would be mandatory for the district’s 168 largest water customers, including the cities of Burnet, Bertram, and Highland Haven and users in parts of Kingsland and Marble Falls. 

“We will also ask the exempt well owners to conserve and reduce usage voluntarily,” Sodek said. “We have 1,000 exempt well owners who don’t have meters, so they can’t measure their usage. We are asking everyone to conserve, but only 168 will be required to do so.”

For more information, call the Central Texas Groundwater Conservation District at 512-756-4900 or visit its website.

elizabeth@thepicayune.com

The Lower Colorado River Authority has proposed raising rates for downstream rice and turf farmers in 2025. The Board of Directors is expected to vote on the increase for interruptible water users at its Jan. 22 meeting. The deadline for public comments is Jan. 6.

Contracts for downstream users in the Gulf Coast region are termed “interruptible” because, during a drought, the LCRA can withhold water releases to the farmers based on levels in the authority’s two Highland Lakes reservoirs: Buchanan and Travis. 

The LCRA evaluates the water supply on March 1 and July 1 each year to determine how much water will be made available to interruptible customers. No Highland Lakes water was sent downstream the past two years, except to one district with a grandfathered contract. 

Interruptible rates were raised in January 2022 and again in January 2023.

Three rate structures were proposed: one for the Gulf Coast and Lakeside divisions and two for the Garwood division, which has a grandfathered contract. 

The minimum charge for Gulf Coast and Lakeside growers would go up to $35.01 per acre-foot from $34.22. Garwood’s minimum would remain at $25. An acre-foot of water is equal to 325,851 gallons.

Supplemental fees would increase by $1.05 per acre-foot to $77.79 from $76.04 for Gulf Coast and Lakeside. Garwood’s one-lift rate would go up by $1.15 to $43.47 per acre-foot from $42.32. Rates for two lifts would increase by $1.36 per acre-foot to $51.53 from $50.17. The farmers use electric lifts to move water from the Colorado River tributaries into their irrigation lines. Lifts are also used to measure the amount of water the growers take.

The LCRA increased firm water rates by 6.45 percent in October for the 2025 billing cycle. Those rates rose from $155 per acre-foot to $165. Firm water users are municipalities, water supply companies, and industrial users as well as residents who draw their water directly from a lake.

suzanne@thepicayune.com

The Burnet County Commissioners Court accepted the donation of around 800 acres of land valued at $17.2 million with the stipulation it be public and not commercial. The four unlinked tracts near the intersection of Texas 29 West and FM 2341 potentially could be used for recreation and conservation.

Known as the Hattie and Laymond Parks Family Ranch, the land was bequeathed through the probated wills of Donna Parks and Doris Parks Gonzales. Before the two women died, they shared their public-use wish for the property with Burnet County.

“Commissioner (Jim) Luther and I met with (Donna) about three or four years ago,” Burnet County Judge James Oakley told DailyTrib.com. “We confirmed the family’s intent and vision (for the land), and I committed to her that we would fulfill that.”

The donation comes with a second stipulation: that Parks’ family friend, Arnold Warden, has the right to use the property during his lifetime. He also has grazing lease and deer lease rights.

The donated acres are in Precinct 1, represented by Commissioner Luther, who explained that the county came by the donation through family ties.

“My dad knew Mr. Parks way back in the day, and so did Oakley’s parents,” Luther said.

When Parks and Gonzales sent a letter to Burnet County and other government entities expressing their desire to donate the land for public use, Judge Oakley was the first to take them up on the offer.

“The letter was very vague; it didn’t have any contact number, only a Dallas address,” he said. “But I recognized the names, so I did some research and talked to (Donna).”

Oakley called the donation “good news for Burnet County—today, tomorrow, and the next century.” 

He would like to see the land developed for public use with hiking trails, public facilities, and recreational areas focused on conservation.

“It’s a canvas, and we have the privilege of being the artists while respecting the boundaries set by the Parks family,” Oakley said. 

The planning process for the land could start in early 2025, commissioners said. 

“This is truly a game-changer for Burnet County,” Oakley concluded. “We are honored to steward this land and ensure its legacy endures for generations to come.”

elizabeth@thepicayune.com

Residents of all walks of life and ages strongly voiced their opposition to an air-quality permit for a proposed rock crusher near Burnet during a Texas Commission on Environmental Quality-hosted public meeting Dec. 10. 

Around 100 people spoke out against the permit at the four-hour event, which was held Tuesday evening at Hill Country Fellowship in Burnet. Their main concerns were the facility’s impact on the environment as well as a perceived lack of consideration for the community’s health and welfare by Asphalt Inc., the Austin-based company that wants to build the plant. 

The proposed site at 3221 FM 3509, just south of the Burnet city limits, has sparked widespread opposition due to its proximity to Inks Lake and Longhorn Cavern state parks, Camp Longhorn, and the city of Burnet’s Delaware Springs Golf Course. Soon after plans were announced, several residents started the group Save Burnet to contest the project. Some local musicians even wrote a protest song.

The Tuesday meeting included a period for questions and formal comments, during which residents addressed a panel responsible for the air-quality permit application (#176835). The panel was made up of the applicant, Asphalt Inc., represented by Chief Operating Officer Ben Liggett; application consultant Melissa Fitts of Westward; multiple members of the TCEQ air-quality division, including Anna Nugent and Joe Nicosia; and lawyers Contessa Gay and Katherine Keithley.

Local and state leaders also spoke during the public meeting. State Rep. Ellen Troxclair (R-District 19) announced her plan to introduce a new bill in the upcoming Texas legislative session to require stricter air-quality monitoring of industrial projects.

“I already have this bill drafted,” Troxclair said. “I’ve also been in touch with Texas Parks and Wildlife to make sure they understand our concerns about the nearby caves and park systems. We must protect our air, water, natural resources, and the culture of this community.”

Residents expressed frustration with the TCEQ, accusing the state agency of prioritizing industry interests over community health and safety.

“It feels like TCEQ is rubber-stamping this project without truly considering how it will affect those of us who live here,” one resident told the room. “We are the ones breathing this air and suffering the consequences, not them.”

Health concerns dominated much of the evening, with several speakers sharing personal stories.

“I already have COPD (a lung disease), and the dust and particles from this facility will only make it worse,” another resident said. “The same applies to so many others in this community who are already struggling with asthma and other respiratory illnesses.”

Others questioned the logic of placing the rock crusher so close to recreational and residential areas.

Community members from all walks of life, including surgeons, lawyers, teachers, and even kids, took to the mic to speak out.

“This rock quarry will threaten so many of the best things I know about being at Camp Longhorn,” a young camper said. “The peace, rest, and relaxation of our time during the camp will be interrupted by the constant grinding and pounding of massive machines.”

TCEQ Program Specialist Deanna Avalos mediated the meeting and said its purpose was to gather formal, oral comments from the public and add them to the record. The state agency will then respond to every comment or question before considering the Asphalt Inc.’s air-quality permit application. In addition to Tuesday’s comments, over 4,000 online comments have already been received.

elizabeth@thepicayune.com

Dec. 27 is the deadline to apply for Precinct 4 justice of the peace, a position that will open in February 2025 after JP Debbie Bindseil retires two years into a four-year term.

The Burnet County Commissioners Court on Tuesday, Dec. 10, appointed an advisory committee to accept and review applications, interview people, and recommend top candidates to the court, which will make the final decision. Applications are available online. 

The committee is made up of residents Glenna Hodge and Bill Earnest, Precinct 4 County Commissioner Joe Don Dockery, and Precinct 4 Constable Missy Bindseil. All current county JPs will participate in the evaluation process. They are Roxanne Nelson (Precinct 1), Lisa Whitehead (Precinct 2), Jane Marie Hurst (Precinct 3) and the retiring Bindseil. Commissioner Dockery will serve as the committee’s chairperson.

“We, the committee, will convene probably the first week in January to review the applications and then pick our top two and submit those selections to Commissioners Court, hopefully at our first meeting in January,” Dockery told DailyTrib.com.

According to Dockery, the ideal candidate will have some relevant experience and meet the eligibility requirements, including being a resident of Precinct 4 for at least six months as of Feb. 8, 2025.

JP duties include conducting preliminary hearings, handling civil matters, and overseeing death investigations. 

Committee member Hodge, who is an attorney and longtime Precinct 4 resident, described what she is looking for in a candidate.      

“I believe this role requires someone with deep legal experience,” she said. “The duties of a JP have grown more complex over time, and I hope we can find a candidate who can meet the demands of the position with competence and care.”

Debbie Bindseil emphasized the importance of legal knowledge, mediation skills, and familiarity with the court system.

“The person coming in will need to handle an increasing caseload due to growth in our precinct,” she said. “They’ll also need to be ready for new judge training and to adapt to the challenges of a rapidly expanding community.”

For more information on how to apply and job requirements, contact the Burnet County Human Resources office at 512-756-5489 or sbullard@burnetcountytexas.org.

elizabeth@thepicayune.com

The city of Horseshoe Bay’s historical committee installed an informational marker at the site of the old Tiger Mill on Thanksgiving Mountain. It tells the story of the mill and community.

The marker, which is not an official Texas Historical Commission monument, can be found at Fox Hollow Springs Park at the corner of Mountain Dew and Bowie Knife streets. 

Named after Tiger Creek, Tiger Mill was established by German settler Conrad Fuchs when he and his family moved to the area in the late 1800s. Fuchs established a post office in 1872, which was later moved to Marble Falls. He also built a gristmill, sawmill, and cotton gin.  

“Our historical committee plans to put out one historical marker a year,” committee Chair Jim Jorden told DailyTrib.com. “We have some places already lined up—maybe two or three more.”

The committee was instrumental in researching information for the marker and cleaning up the park, which has playscapes and picnic tables.

Jorden said the goal is to make the area an integrated historic site.

suzanne@thepicayune.com

A Kingsland School teacher was killed in a two-vehicle collision on Texas 71 near County Road 306A on Saturday, Dec. 7. Mattison Lyttle, 49, was pronounced dead at the scene by a Llano County justice of the peace.

According to a Texas Department of Public Safety report, Lyttle was driving a Chevrolet Tahoe in the westbound lane in of Texas 71 when he was struck head on by a Toyota Corolla. The other driver was travelling southeast on the highway when their vehicle left the road and they overcorrected, entering the westbound lane.

The Corolla’s driver and a passenger in the Tahoe were transported to a local hospital for medical treatment. 

An investigation into the crash is ongoing. 

Lyttle was an art and physical education teacher at Kingsland School, an Orenda Education charter school in Kingsland.

editor@thepicayune.com

Based on the results of a residential survey, Burnet officials plan to expand email outreach, implement text notifications, and increase the frequency of updates shared on the city’s website and social media. Residents also suggested improvements such as consistent email newsletters, enhanced digital communications, and timely updates on infrastructure projects and community events.

“As a city, we really believe in the idea that feedback is the breakfast of champions,” Keith McBurnett, assistant to the city manager, told DailyTrib.com. “The more feedback we can get from our residents, then the better decisions we can make.”

Burnet officials recently used a FlashVote survey to learn how residents prefer to receive city updates. The survey results are now shaping the city’s communication strategies.

“Every comment submitted has been carefully reviewed by city staff and taken to heart, even those unrelated to the survey’s primary topic of communication,” City Manager David Vaughn said in his weekly media release.

Over 200 people participated in the survey, highlighting the city’s website and social media pages as primary sources for updates, with utility bill inserts and local newspapers also playing a role. Email emerged as the most preferred communication method, followed by text messages and weekly notifications.

“This communication survey is the perfect example of the importance of feedback,” McBurnett said. “FlashVote survey has done an outstanding job to inform our future decisions.”

Burnet is also launching a new website that will let residents customize email and text updates by topic, Vaughn noted in his recent media release.

FlashVote surveys include an open-ended portion for Burnet residents to share ideas on a variety of topics. To participate, visit flashvote.com/burnettx.

elizabeth@thepicayune.com

When words weren’t enough, music became the voice of resistance in Burnet County. A group of local musicians came together to write a protest song, “A Rock and a Hard Place,” opposing a proposed rock-crushing facility at 3221 FM 3509, just south of the Burnet city limits.

Austin-based Asphalt Inc. has applied to the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality for an air-quality permit to build the rock-crushing plant in an area that is home to Inks Lake State Park, Longhorn Cavern State Park, and the city of Burnet’s Delaware Springs Golf Course. The TCEQ is holding a public hearing on the matter at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 10, at Hill Country Fellowship, 200 Houston Clinton Drive in Burnet.

Written by Randy Wright and Martin Langford, “A Rock and a Hard Place” is a lyrical call to action that amplifies the public outcry against the proposed facility. The lyrics decry corporate greed and urge the community to protect the natural beauty of the Texas Hill Country.

LISTEN TO “A ROCK AND A HARD PLACE”

“This is a song about protecting the pristine land and the way of life that drew us all here in the first place,” lead vocalist Jeff Haese told DailyTrib.com. “We can’t let it be destroyed for profit.”

Wright drew inspiration from a story he found on the Nextdoor app about the original property owner of the proposed site being misled by Asphalt Inc. into believing the land would be used for affordable housing rather than aggregate mining.

“If he had known what they were really going to do, he said he’d have never sold it,” Wright said. “That story stuck with me and shaped the message of the song.”

Wright started writing after a friend suggested he channel the community’s concerns about the rock crusher into a song.

“He gave me the title and everything,” Wright said. “A couple of days later, I wrote it. I wanted the song to reflect what’s at stake—not just the environment, but our future.”

With lyrics like, “The future of this land depends on us” and “We love the hills, the lakes, the skies, but they love their money so much more,” the song captures the community’s frustration and determination.

Langford, a Houston-based music teacher with ties to the Highland Lakes, helped refine the lyrics. He also performed the saxophone and flute parts in the recording.

“He played four different saxophones and a flute on the song,” Wright said. “He’s a very talented guy.”

Haese, who has lived in the area for 25 years, lent his voice to the project after being approached by Wright.

“He asked me to narrate and sing it,” Haese said. “I sat down with him and helped with some of the arrangement for the narration and the actual song. It resonated with me because this is about where we live and what we love.”

The song also featured drummer Pat Moran and background vocalist Katie Jenkins. It was recorded at Dup Studio in Burnet and was a collaborative and fast-paced project.

“We recorded it in about two to three hours,” Haese said.

The song’s final refrain, “What are you gonna do?” is a poignant challenge to listeners, urging them to reflect and join the protest.

“This song is about standing up for something that matters,” Haese said. “It’s our way of making sure our voices are heard.”

elizabeth@thepicayune.com