Updated: June 5, 2022 Project Collaborators and Participant Environmental Stewardship’s interest is to have an ongoing monitoring program to ensure that the surface water and groundwater interests of the communities and environment of Bastrop and Lee Counties are protected. We are grateful to our collaborators and participants who bring additional resources, skills, outreach, and educational…
We are outfitting a trailer to serve as a mobile field laboratory. Updated May 15, 2022 We are re-purposing “Dale’s Toolbox” to serve as a mobile field laboratory. Dale Morrison, Master Trail Steward, was instrumental in the layout, design and construction of the granite hike and bike trails, concrete and wooden picnic tables, and pavilions…
We have purchased state-of-the-art instruments to bring science to decision-making. Updated May 14, 2022 Rather than continue to wait, and rely upon government entities to do the field studies that are needed to validate the groundwater availability model and provide empirical data to decision-maker, Environmental Stewardship has used the public funds from our individual and…
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The “Proposed desired future conditions (DFCs)” that are about to be voted on by the five groundwater conservation districts in the counties listed below are at the heart of this issue. They are members of Groundwater Management Area 12 (GMA-12). We have the opportunity now to make our desires known and re-direct how our aquifers are to be managed.
The clock is ticking on our ability to reject the manage-to-depletion mindset that is imbedded in GMA-12’s “Proposed Desired Future Conditions”. We have a very short time period to raise our voices and require that our water resources be sustainably managed in a way that protects landowners’ exempt domestic and irrigation wells, and the resilience of our rivers and streams to the droughts that are just around the corner. Water, and how it is managed, will determine the future of our communities, our environment, and our rivers, including the Colorado, Brazos, Trinity and the Navasota rivers.
The WaterDefenders.org Coalition of Environmental Stewardship and the Simsboro Aquifer Water Defense Fund invite all citizens, landowners, local government officials, businesses, and community organizations to join us in rejecting the “Proposed Desired Future Conditions” and management policies being set for GMA-12, the Groundwater Management Area in which we live.
Comparison of impacts of Current DFCs vs. Proposed DFCs on Colorado River. Click on graphic to hear discussion of these impacts by Steve Box at GMA-12 Meeting on April 20, 2021.
Mine Aquifers – The proposed DFCs only consider the desire to pump as much groundwater as is possible and protect all existing permits without balancing the impacts of the pumping against predicted, unreasonable impact on landowner’s property rights and surface waters, including the Colorado River and its tributaries. Long-term sustainability of our aquifers and the…
Go to WaterDefenders.org Table of GMA-12 Hearing dates and Contact information (Go to bottom of page for COMMENT GUIDELINES) [wpdatatable id=1 table_view=regular] COMMENT GUIDELINES Actions you can take to reject the proposed desired future conditions and change the course groundwater management in our counties. Here is the message we would like for you to help us…
Environmental Stewardship requests Desired Future Conditions be adopted to protect the Colorado River and its tributaries from impacts of groundwater pumping Environmental Impact of Groundwater Pumping on the Colorado River and its Tributaries Environmental Stewardship’s Executive Director, Steve Box, presented a power point review of its request that Groundwater Management Area 12 establish standards to…
Environmental Stewardship gave a presentation at the December 15, Virtual Meeting of Rotary Club of Bastrop County December 15, 2020 program “Water Exporters and Their Impacts to our Area.” by Steve Box, Board President, Environmental Stewardship, a WATERKEEPER® ALLIANCE Affiliate https://environmental-stewardship.org. Click here for the presentation slides Water Exporters and Their Impacts to our Area Groundwater and surface…
