In Defense of Groundwater Stewardship

Why Gonzales County Needs Its Water Watchdog

By the Gonzales County Underground Water Conservation District (GCUWCD) Laura Martin & Tania Johnson

Here in Gonzales County, we know that water is life. It fills our wells, feeds our crops, sustains our businesses, and keeps our communities thriving. But more and more, we’re seeing confusion and misinformation about who’s looking out for our water and why it matters.

As the folks at the Gonzales County Underground Water Conservation District (GCUWCD), we’d like to set the record straight.

We’re not a far-off agency or a bunch of bureaucrats. We’re your neighbors. We live here. We work here. And just like you, we depend on the water under our feet every single day. Our mission is simple: to protect that groundwater so it’s there for all of us now and in the future.

Groundwater Is Our Lifeline: Most people are surprised to learn that over half the water used in Texas comes from groundwater not lakes or rivers, but underground aquifers. Here in Gonzales County, we sit on top of some big ones, like the Carrizo-Wilcox, which holds about 200 million acre-feet of water. Scientists say about 25%, 50 million acre-feet is recoverable. At the current rate of all production that amounts to 440 years of viable water from one of the four main available aquifers. 

That’s plenty of water to support our families, farms, and businesses. But only if we treat it with care.

That’s why the GCUWCD was created: to keep watch, to plan ahead, and to make sure we don’t waste what we’ve got.

Clearing Up the Misinformation: Some folks have claimed that Gonzales County doesn’t have enough water to worry about managing it. That couldn’t be more wrong.

The Carrizo-Wilcox aquifer alone has 50 million acre-feet of usable water under current planning standards. And that doesn’t even count the Queen City, Sparta, and Yegua-Jackson aquifers, which also supply our wells and fields.

We’re not running out of water. But we could be if we don’t take care of it.

Growth Is Coming Fast: It’s no secret that Texas is growing and fast. Our region, including Gonzales County and surrounding areas, is experiencing steady population growth as more people move away from crowded urban centers looking for space, opportunity, and a better quality of life.

State projections show that Texas could double its population by 2050. Even our own county is seeing new homes, new businesses, and new developments every year. And every one of those new homes needs water for drinking, for cooking, for farming, for daily living.

That kind of growth is exciting, but it also means we must be smart. More people equal more water demand, and that demand will only increase. If we don’t manage our groundwater now, we could find ourselves facing shortages later when it’s too late to fix.

That’s why planning isn’t a luxury, it’s a necessity. GCUWCD’s job is to look ahead, prepare for that growth, and make sure we’re using our water in ways that are responsible, fair, and sustainable.

What We Actually Do: There’s been talk lately that the district is too strict or unnecessary. But here’s the truth: our job isn’t to stop people from using their water, it’s to help folks use it responsibly, so it’ll still be there when their kids and grandkids need it.

We work with farmers, landowners, developers, and residents every day to monitor water use, review well permits, and make sure water is being used fairly and within reason. We also coordinate with other districts across the region to make a 50-year plan, using science, not guesswork to guide our decisions.

We’re part of Groundwater Management Area 13 (GMA13), which helps set long-term goals for aquifers called Desired Future Conditions (DFCs). From these, we figure out how much water can safely be used each year called Modeled Available Groundwater (MAG). These numbers are updated every five years based on real data, so we’re always planning with the latest information in hand.

Why Regulation Matters Even in Texas: We know that in Texas, landowners value their rights. So do we. But the fact is, water doesn’t stop at your fence line. If one person over-pumps, it can affect wells across the county.

Texas law still follows the “Rule of Capture,” which allows landowners to pump as much water as they want from beneath their land even if it runs their neighbor’s well dry. That’s why districts like ours exist: to keep things fair, sustainable, and transparent.

We’re not trying to take control. We’re trying to make sure no one loses out because someone else went too far.

We certainly don’t want to impede upon landowner rights; right to produce, right to own, right to lease their resource. 

We’re Here For You: The GCUWCD isn’t here to slow things down, we’re here to keep things going. We want to help landowners, farmers, and residents understand their wells, their water rights, and how to use water in ways that make sense to everyone.

We’ll always be honest with you. We’ll always share the science behind our decisions. And we’ll always stand up for the resource that supports everything we do here in Gonzales County.

If you’ve got questions about your well, your rights, or your role in protecting our water, give us a call. Stop by. We’re here to help. Let’s work together to protect what’s ours is not just for today, but for the future.

Contact Gonzales County Underground Water Conservation District (GCUWCD)

https://www.gcuwcd.org/, 522 Saint Matthew St., Gonzales, TX 78629, Generalmanager@gcuwcd.ord, 830-672-1047

Harry Grant Potter, III Williams-Bailey Law Firm, L.L.P. (n.d.). History and Evolution of the Rule of Capture. Https://www.Twdb.Texas.gov/Publications/Reports/Numbered_reports/doc/R361/1%20CH%20Potter.pdf. Retrieved June 30, 2025, Texas Water Development Board (n.d.). Groundwater Management Area 13. Https://www.Twdb.Texas.gov/Groundwater/Management_areas/Gma13.asp. Retrieved June 30, 2025, from Texas Water Development Board Groundwater Resources Division (2013, July 13). GAM TASK 13-036 (REVISED): TOTAL ESTIMATED RECOVERABLE STORAGE FOR AQUIFERS IN GROUNDWATER MANAGEMENT AREA 13. Https://www.Twdb.Texas.gov/Groundwater/Docs/GAMruns/Task13-036revised.pdf. Retrieved June 30, 2025,

Texas Water Development Board Report 4 (n.d.). Groundwater Resources of Gonzales County. Https://www.Twdb.Texas.gov/Publications/Reports/Numbered_reports/doc/r4/r04.pdf.