TGR NEWS - March 2025
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This TGR Resource newsletter was published in March, 2025
Putting a Lid on Abandoned Wells
Representatives from the Trinity Glen Rose Groundwater Conservation District, San Antonio Water System, Edwards Aquifer Authority, Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation, Texas Water Development Board and the property owner’s consultant met to discuss how the abandoned well (covered by the concrete block) should be plugged.
There are thousands of water wells drilled into local aquifers that are accounted for and mapped for easy location and inspection. But what happens when an old, sometimes unaccounted for abandoned well is found on a piece of property?
“There are lots of rules about how abandoned wells must be plugged before a property owner can improve that parcel,” said Trinity Glen Rose Groundwater Conservation District (TGR) General Manager Amanda Maloukis. “Old wells can be conduits for pollution getting into fresh water aquifers people rely on for drinking water. So, it is critical that all responsible agencies are notified when an abandoned well is discovered, and that the plugging of that well is done in an approved manner to prevent any future pollution as the property is developed.”
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Over the past several months, two such abandoned wells have popped up on local and state agency radar. One of them has the potential of being 2,000 feet deep and to run through both the Edwards Aquifer and the Trinity Aquifer. In instances like that, the group of agencies being notified increases.
Maloukis described a recent meeting at an abandoned well site on a large parcel outside of Loop 1604 on the north central side of San Antonio. “I was there representing the Trinity Glen Rose District. The Edwards Aquifer Authority was there because the top portion of the well ran through the Edwards Aquifer before it got to the Trinity Aquifer. The San Antonio Water System was on site because the well is located within their service area and the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation (TDLR) was there to inform the property owner’s consultant the appropriate means of plugging that old well. Additionally, a representative from the United States Geological Survey to help provide some background on the well since they held some older records.”
In dealing with old wells, sometimes old maps must be overlaid on current maps to verify the location. In addition to location, important information about the well is provided. For example, notes will reflect the age of the well, its depth, the type and size of well casing in place, how far down the well the casing goes, ownership information and any history of well improvements or past plugging methods. In some cases, records are not available and a downhole assessment is needed.
“All of these inspections, rules and collaborative efforts are in place to protect our groundwater sources because they provide high-quality water to millions of people each day,” Maloukis emphasized. “In essence, water quality protection is a public health and safety matter, which is why the agencies work together to make sure our aquifers are protected to the greatest extent possible.”
Any new well drilling or well plugging must be permitted and inspected by the appropriate agency. The Trinity Glen Rose District’s jurisdiction is for wells in the Trinity Aquifer located outside of North Loop 1604 to the Bexar County line and within the City of Fair Oaks Ranch. You can call the TGR District offices for more information.
Landowner Workshop Set for March 21
Camp Bullis Sentinel Landscape Region
If you own land near Camp Bullis on Bexar County’s northwest side, you should plan to attend a workshop planned for Friday, March 21, at the Cibolo Nature Center in Boerne, Texas located at 140 City Park Road in Boerne. This is event is free, but space is limited. Topics will include:
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Riparian Management and Success Stories: Steve Nelle, Natural Resource Specialist & Wildlife Biologist
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Planning a Successful Native Grassland Restoration: Tim Siegmund, Private Lands Program Leader, Texas Parks & Wildlife Department
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What is the Camp Bullis Sentinel Landscape: Daniel Oppenheimer, Land Program Director & Camp Bullis Sentinel Landscape Partnership Coordinator, Hill Country Alliance
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Landowner Opportunities through the Camp Bullis Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP): George Clendenin, Camp Bullis RCPP Project Coordinator, Texas A&M Natural Resources Institute
Presentations will end at 12 PM with Q&A to follow. You can also tour Cibolo Creek and the demo prairie after the meeting wraps up around 12:45 PM.
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If you are registering multiple people, please fill out a new form for each attendee. Click here to register. You can download the flyer by clicking here.
National Groundwater Awareness Week (GWAW) is an annual observance established in 1999 to highlight the responsible development, management, and use of groundwater, the event is also a platform to encourage yearly water well testing and well maintenance, and the promotion of policies impacting groundwater quality and supply. Groundwater advocates across the country also use GWAW to highlight local water issues in their communities.
The National Ground Water Association and its partners will be focusing their advocacy on promoting professional opportunities in the groundwater industry. According to the American Geosciences Institute, nationally there are more than 135,000 open positions in the industry now, which is far too high to keep up with consumer demand.
As more than 44 percent of the population depends on groundwater as a primary water source, developing an interest in the groundwater industry is of vital importance to both the health and economy of the country. Groundwater professionals span a wide variety of careers and skills including well contractors, hydrogeologists, groundwater policy advocates, and suppliers and manufacturers of groundwater technology.
Fair Oaks Ranch Updates its Drought Management Contingency Plan
As part of its water conservation and sustainability programs, the City of Fair Oaks Ranch updated its Drought Contingency Plan to better align with other regional entities such as the Guadalupe-Blanco River Authority (GBRA) and Trinity Glen Rose Groundwater Conservation District (TGRCD). The Fair Oaks Ranch City Council adopted these updates to the Drought Contingency Plan on February 6, with the new rules becoming effective date of April 1.
The key changes to the Drought Contingency Plan include:
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New 4-Stage Drought Plan: The previous 3-stage system has been expanded to a 4-stage plan to provide a more gradual and effective approach to water conservation.
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Stage 3 Watering Restrictions: Landscape irrigation will now be limited to every other week to further reduce non-essential water use.
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Drip Irrigation Adjustments: Drip irrigation is now limited to Monday, Wednesday, and Friday under Stage 3, and further reduced to once per week under Stage 4.
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Power Washing Restrictions: Power washing is now prohibited at Stage 3 to help conserve water during critical periods.
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Ornamental Fountains: Use of ornamental fountains is now allowed only in Stage 2, provided they feature recirculating technology to minimize water loss.
These updates reflect Fair Oaks Ranch’s ongoing commitment to water conservation and proactive water resource management. By implementing these new measures, the City aims to prevent water shortages, protect the environment, and support long-term water supply sustainability. For a detailed breakdown of the updated Drought Contingency Plan, please visit the City's Drought Contingency Plan webpage.
TxGIO to Map 23,000 Square Miles of Texas Using Highly Accurate Lidar Technology
For all of you who are interested in learning about water and the environment in the State of Texas, you should subscribe to the Texas Water Newsroom. For example, this month, Texas Water Newsroom featured a story about the Texas Geographic Information Office (TGIO) launching its largest Lidar collection in the Strategic Mapping Program’s history. The Lidar data acquired from a 23,000-square-mile area between Dallas, Austin, and Abilene will be used for various purposes, including emergency evacuation planning.
To gather the data, TGIO flies Lidar-equipped airplanes which can actually differentiate between a tree that's tall or grass or bare ground or water or houses. The accuracy of the data that they capture is between 10 centimeters and 25 centimeters. You can watch a fascinating video about the whole project and technology employed at this link.
GARDENING
GO
Check out what’s happening in the May edition of your favorite landscape show - Go Gardening!
Go Gardening Season 4 - Episode 2 Now Online
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Season 4 of the popular Go Gardening Show has kicked off. In March, the show is featuring an interview with Lee Marlowe from the San Antonio River Authority. Lee took the crew on a tour of the San Pedro Creek Culture Park to show viewers how a winter garden can have some nice color using evergreen native plants and some flowering native plants that can withstand the few months South Texas experiences some cold weather. She also points out how these native plant landscapes are great for the environment, save water and attract butterflies, bees and other wildlife.
Next the Go Gardening team visited a home in the Alamo Heights area that features raised beds for their vegetables and decorative native plant gardens. Liz Campanella from Uprooted Gardens provided some very interesting information about how raised bed gardening can be beneficial to your landscape design and help save lots of water.
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You can watch Go Gardening at: www.TrinityGlenRose.com/gogardening.
TGR's Drought Tolerant Plant Picks
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Having a water-saving garden doesn’t mean you have to sacrifice color and even year round color in your landscape. Here are our Plant Picks for the spring.
The Shrimp Plant (top photo) is an evergreen with beautiful salmon bracts that hold white flowers. It can grow to heights of up to 39 inches. It will grow in deep shade and might take over grassy areas and other less hearty plants. Best of all, once established, they never need watering.
The Pride of Barbados is another gorgeous shrub and surprisingly a member of the pea family. The colorful yellow, red and orange blooms will lighten up your landscape throughout the summer. Because it loves heat, it will be slow growing in the spring but will take off and bloom throughout the summer. The Pride of Barbados attracts lots of butterflies and will grow to about 6 feet tall or more.
DROUGHT
MONITOR
San Antonio
Drought conditions for Texas as of March 6, 2025
The U.S. Drought Monitor depicts the location and intensity of drought across the country. The map uses 5 classifications: Abnormally Dry (D0), showing areas that may be going into or are coming out of drought, and four levels of drought (D1–D4). This map is used by the U.S. Department of Agriculture to trigger some disaster declarations and loan eligibility. Individual states and water supply planning may use additional information to inform their declarations and actions.
You can find out more information where Texas drought conditions stand each day by visiting the U.S. Drought Monitor website at: https://www.drought.gov/states/texas.
Due to continued low aquifer levels, minimal rainfall, and the extreme drought conditions that may expand into the exceptional drought this spring leave the District in Drought Stage 3. According to NOAA, La Niña’s warmer and dryer conditions may persist through April, followed by a 60% chance of neutral conditions. You can find more here on it.
TGR DISTRICT
NEWS
BRIEFS
TGR District has a New Email Address
We are in the process of updating our IT system which will include a new email for the office. That new email address is: office@TGRGCD.org.
Call to Set Appointments with TGR District Staff
If you need to meet with the TGR District staff, we ask that you call to make an appointment so we can make sure you connect with the appropriate person who can answer questions and/or resolve problems. Call us at (210) 698-1155.
