At a recent meeting, Groundwater Management Area 8 committee members adopted desired future conditions for the Trinity Aquifer. The Trinity encompasses 41 of the 45 counties, including Lampasas, within the GMA-8 boundary.

The DFCs will be forwarded to the Texas Water Development Board to develop managed available groundwater figures that will be included in upcoming regional and state water plans, and will be used by groundwater conservation districts in their well registration process.

Desired future conditions were based on results of the Texas Water Development Board's groundwater availability models completed in 2006. The DFCs in a draft form are available for review online at www.gma8.org. A final report is being prepared and will be posted soon.

The GMA-8 committee, which consists of representatives of 10 groundwater districts, began the joint planning process in November 2005. In December 2007, desired future conditions were adopted for five of the nine major aquifers within the GMA-8 boundary. These aquifers are the Edwards BFZ, Blossom, Brazos River Alluvium, Nacatoch and Woodbine.

DFCs for three additional minor aquifers -- Ellenberger-San Saba, Hickory and Marble Falls -- were adopted in May 2008. With the adoption of the DFCs for Trinity, GMA-8 has adopted DFCs for all nine aquifers within its boundary.

Saratoga Underground Water Conservation District board chairman David Hamilton represented the local district. SUWCD directors Bob Wright and T.P. Wingo also at- tended the GMA-8 meeting.

Hamilton said the consensus vote of the 10 water districts was the culmination of more than two years of study and interaction with the Texas Water Development Board, TCB Hydrological Engineers and other water districts within GMA-8.

"Many of the other districts are funded by tax revenue and thus have access to professional data resources on which to base their decisions," Hamilton said. "The Saratoga district is funded only by a minimal stipend by the Lampasas County Commissioners Court, and therefore we are forced to make decisions based on empirical data from TWDB and similar studies.

"Saratoga directors have played a leadership role in moving GMA- 8 forward in defending our rights to manage the underground water resources of Lampasas County."

Groundwater Management Area- 8 encompasses 45 counties from Travis County in the south to the Texas/Oklahoma border. Groundwater conservation districts within GMA-8 include the Saratoga (Lampasas County), Central Texas Groundwater Conservation District (Burnet County), Clearwater Underground Water Conservation District (Bell County), Fox Crossing Water District (Mills County), McLennan County Groundwater Conservation District, Middle Trinity GCD (Comanche and Erath counties), Northern Trinity GCD (Tarrant County), Post Oak GCD (Milam and Burleson counties), Tablerock (Coryell County) and Upper Trinity GCD (Hood, Montage, Parker and Wise counties).

Clearwater UWCD board chairman Horace Grace presided over the GMA-8 meeting, and he commended committee members for their hard work.

"The GMA-8 committee has worked diligently to achieve this goal," he said. "Completing this initial round of joint planning is a milestone. We are the only GMA in the state to accomplish this task.

"We are proud to show that locally controlled groundwater districts can come together and manage groundwater resources that encompass a much larger area."

Grace noted that the joint planning process is ongoing, and revised DFCs will be submitted as additional data is provided.

State legislation requires groundwater conservation districts to determine the desired future conditions for the major and minor aquifers within 16 Groundwater Management Areas across Texas. The goal of the planning process is to ensure sufficient water is available for future generations. This mandate must be completed by September 2010, with updates to occur every five years.