Anndria Newhouse

Some Donley County ag producers could be facing restricted groundwater use if the Panhandle Groundwater Conservation District takes action next week.

A room full of ag producers and other concerned citizens gathered at the Bairfield Activity Center at Clarendon College on Monday to hear from the PGCD during the public meeting concerning water issues.

The PGCD discussed the need to cut back and possible restrictions on water use in the eastern portions of Donley County which has been designated as a proposed Conservation Area.

The PGCD presented a slideshow with several models that showed a study done for Regional Planning efforts that predicted parts of the Panhandle running out of water. In the mid 1990s, several events occurred in the District that led the Board to determine the need for a long term goal for conservation.

Jason Green represents Donley County on the PGCD board and said in an interview with the Enterprise on Tuesday morning that the district is just trying to stay ahead of Austin in regards to groundwater.

“The state did tell us if we don’t take care of the matter ourselves, they will take care of it in Austin,” Green said. “Right now the District is years ahead of Austin.”

In 1998 the PGCD adopted the 50/50 Standard which is a “management standard that ensures at least 50% of the current supplies or saturated thickness of the aquifer remains after 50 years.”

The acceptable annual decline rate is 1.25 percent of the saturated thickness per year. If an area is declining at a rate greater that 1.25 percent per year, it will be initially considered for a study area. After the PGCD studied area 05-4, which is the area in the Eastern portion of Donley County around Hedley, they are recommending to designate the area into Conservation Area C08-05-04.

If this area is approved as a conservation area, within 120 days meters will be installed on every well capable of producing over 25,000 gallons per day at the owner’s expense.

Each producer will be checked to make sure they are only producing 1 acre-foot per contiguous acre owned or leased the first year. Production will never be reduced below 0.2 acre-feet per acre.

Producers who exceed the maximum usage could face fines of up to $10,000 per day under state law.

While ag producers understand the concerns of the declining groundwater levels, they are equally concerned about their ability to produce sufficient crops and maintain their livelihoods if restrictions are placed on the amount of water they can pump.

Green says he understands the concerns of local farmers.

“I’m right there with them. I am an irrigation farmer, and the water is my life.”

But Green also said that the District is trying to make sure that future generations have water available.

“In the High Plains and North Plains districts, they have already gone too far and pumped too much water,” Green said. “Some areas in Colorado and New Mexico can’t even drill new wells. We don’t want to get to that point.”

Suggestions to farmers include growing a crop that requires 15” or less of water per year, splitting crops under the pivot with a lower water use crop, or leasing water rights from grasslands contiguous to you. To be contiguous, your property lines must be joined by ¼ mile.

In the worst case scenario, if we do not receive sufficient rainfall, producers could face further restrictions in the future.

Green said that there are a lot of things that need to be discussed and understood before final decisions are made.

“I personally don’t think we have enough information to start the regulation business,” he said.

The PGCD encourages all interested parties to attend the public hearing and express their concerns on Wednesday, August 20, at 1:30 p.m. at the District Office at 201 West Third Street, White Deer, Texas.

Following the public hearing, the PGCD board will take action in regard to initiating the restrictions in the Conservation Area. Green said the PGCD board will have to choose between enacting the Conservation Area rules or just continuing the Study Area.

For a map of the affected area, visit the Panhandle Groundwater Conservation District’s website at www.pgcd.us.