Владельцы земель в долине Бразос требуют ограничить падение уровня грунтовых вод

Landowners give feedback on proposed aquifer drops in the Brazos Valley HEARNE, Texas (KBTX) - Landowners in the Brazos Valley are pushing back against a newly proposed groundwater management plan that would allow local aquifers to drop hundreds of feet over the next 50 years. During a public hearing on Thursday, the Brazos Valley Groundwater Conservation District debated long-term water levels through the year 2080. A key point of contention is a proposal to allow the Simsboro Aquifer, the region’s deepest water source, to drop by up to 330 feet to accommodate regional growth. Some local landowners are asking officials to cap that drawdown at 283 feet instead, warning that a deeper drop will threaten private water supplies. “Fifty feet deeper represents about 30,000 more acre-feet per year in production, but it also represents 100-plus wells that will be impacted and have to be mitigated,” one local landowner warned during the hearing. The sentiment was shared by a fourth-generation Robertson County rancher, who said their livelihood depends on the aquifer’s stability. “I’m going to be severely impacted as a landowner because you have to drill deeper to get water for me,” the rancher said. Alan Day, the general manager of the water district, sought to ease those concerns, stating that the region is nowhere close to running out of water. Day added that any private wells physically impacted by the declining aquifer levels would be restored using revenue generated from regional water distribution. The public comment period remains open. Residents have until Aug. 31 to submit feedback by emailing the district at [email protected] Copyright 2026 KBTX. All rights reserved.