public hearing, which occurred for the 2024 increase. The District may only use
Staff Report & Agenda Item Details
public hearing, which occurred for the 2024 increase. The District may only use funds obtained from the rate increase under this subsection for costs related to assessing and addressing impacts associated with groundwater development as provided by Section 36.207 of the Texas Water Code Section, including: (A) maintaining operability of wells significantly affected by groundwater development (B) developing or distributing alternative water supplies; and (C) conducting aquifer monitoring, data collection, and aquifer science. Page 3 of 8 —————E—EEEEEE————————— Eee ee Minutes of 04-15-2025 Puja Boinpally makes a motion to set up a separate account to track and maintain all export fees collected for groundwater exported outside Pecos County for the purposes of a Mitigation Fund and for other purposes authorized by law. All export fees will be deposited into this account. The first 20 cents of the export fee is available to be used in the General Operating Account if necessary for District business. The District may only use funds obtained from the rate increase above 20 cents under this subsection for costs related to assessing and addressing impacts associated with groundwater development as provided by Section 36.207 of the Texas Water Code Section, including: (A) maintaining operability of wells significantly affected by groundwater development (B) developing or distributing alternative water supplies and (C) conducting aquifer monitoring, data collection, and aquifer science. The District during a Hearing held on November 19, 2024 set its export fee to 20 cents with the 3% increase allowed for the calendar year (2024). The current export fee for 2024 is 20.60 cents for each 1,000 gallons of water exported. Motion seconded by Vanessa Cardwell. Motion passed. Vote: 8FOR. -0-Oppose 3Absent 0 Abstain Vil State legislative update (89'" Legislative Session commencing January 14, 2025). The District updated the Board on all relevant bills. The District is tracking all bills filed that affect GCD’s, open government or elections. We will be providing testimony as necessary and are actively involved in the Legislative Committee through TAGD. Ty Embrey joined the meeting and gave the Board a high-level overview of the status of the Capitol. Vill Update and possible action on Pecos County Groundwater Flow Model and Timeline on Tech Memos. A new draft tech memo has been created for the model grid and in support of model development. That tech memo and all the tech memos have been and continue to be on the District's webpage with peer review and feedback encouraged. Belding Farms Data processed 5600 data points from 1957 to 2023. TWDB had over 47,000 water levels from 1940 to 2024. EcoKai transducer data from FSH joint study had over 500,000 data points for 2021-2024. LRE and the Halff data management system had 15,000 groundwater data points. While calibrating the database we realized all the data from numerous studies have not been added to the database. Several discrepancies were recognized on some of Page 4 of 8 Dt Minutes of 04-15-2025 the Belding Farms’ wells for elevations compared to the model grid. Belding Farms corrected the coordinates on the suspected wells and LRE updated the database. We have finalized the existing groundwater pumping data, recharge, aquifer parameters, boundary flows, spring locations, and surface water. We have begun working on groundwater evapotranspiration, model run specifications, Model calibration datasets, model calibration, groundwater budget, and model sensitivity. Dr. Hutchison will be at the next meeting to give a full update to the Board. All tech memos associated with the model can be assessed at the following google link: https://drive.qoogle.com/drive/folders/1HY|8JRV4omAgKPJWBta- T20hZUbtyaPS?usp=drive_link IX Update and possible action on San Andres efforts at RRC and TCEQ, and MPGCD v. RRC and Commissioners, Cause No. D-1-GN-24-005222 (200! District Court, Travis County)