Letter to the Editor
To the Editor,
A new groundwater lawsuit in Caldwell County is moving forward under a detailed court schedule and with the first round of disclosures now on file from both sides. The dispute centers on how much water the Guadalupe-Blanco River Authority (GBRA) can pump from Gonzales County and move to customers outside the local groundwater conservation district.
What the lawsuit is about
GBRA has sued the Gonzales County Underground Water Conservation District (GCUWCD) in the 421st Judicial District Court in Caldwell County, challenging the district’s July 30, 2025, final board decision on GBRA’s permit amendment applications. GBRA had sought to increase its authorized production by an additional 9,000 acre-feet per year on top of an existing 15,000 acre-feet permit and to expand its transport/export authority to move that groundwater outside the district’s boundaries. After a contested case hearing at the State Office of Administrative Hearings (SOAH), an administrative law judge recommended denying the transport/export amendment but allowing the additional production; the district’s board ultimately denied both amendments, finding no beneficial use for the extra pumping without corresponding export authority and pointing to regional water plan limits.
Key positions of each side
In its initial disclosures, GCUWCD states that it followed all constitutional, statutory, and rule requirements in denying GBRA’s applications and emphasizes that the regional water plan only recognizes the existing 15,000 acre-feet for GBRA, not the additional 9,000 acre-feet requested. The district notes that without a transport/export amendment, there is no demonstrated beneficial use for the extra water, and it cites the Texas Water Code requirement that groundwater export decisions align with approved regional and district management plans. GBRA, in its disclosures, points to its October 2, 2025, Original Petition for Review as laying out its legal theories and indicates it is not presently seeking money damages but is instead asking the court to review and overturn the district’s denial.
Who is involved
The case is styled Guadalupe-Blanco River Authority v. Gonzales County Underground Water Conservation District, Cause No. 25-204CVA, in Caldwell County’s 421st Judicial District Court. The initial disclosures from both sides list numerous individuals with knowledge of the dispute, including GCUWCD’s general manager and board members, landowners who participated in the contested case hearing, and GBRA engineering staff, reflecting both local stakeholder concerns and regional water planning issues.
The court’s schedule and next steps
Under an agreed docket control order signed in early December 2025, all parties were required to exchange their initial disclosures by December 3, 2025. The order sets January 30, 2026, as the deadline for GCUWCD to file the full administrative record, followed by a motions hearing on February 18, 2026, a joinder deadline of February 20, and a discovery cutoff on March 26. Briefing on the merits will run through spring 2026, with GBRA’s opening brief due April 9, GCUWCD’s response due May 7, and GBRA’s reply due May 28, culminating in mediation by June 11 and a two-hour final hearing on June 25, 2026.
Why it matters for the region
The case touches on a central tension in Texas water law: balancing private property rights and local aquifer protection with regional demands for municipal and industrial supplies. The court’s eventual ruling on the validity of the district’s denial could influence groundwater regulation across the state.
Staying Informed
Members of the public may stay informed by attending public meetings of the Gonzales County Underground Water Conservation District The public can also engage with local landowner associations or water protection groups identified in the case filings, which often organize community discussions, and share updates about the litigation.
Thank you,
Laura Martin, General Manager, Gonzales County UWCD
