PUBLIC NOTICE: PRAIRIELANDS GROUNDWATER CONSERVATION DISTRICT
Published in The Ellis County Press on July 4, 2019, July 18, 2019, August 1, 2019, August 8, 2019, August 15, 2019, August 22, 2019, and August 29, 2019.
PUBLIC NOTICE
PRAIRIELANDS GROUNDWATER CONSERVATION DISTRICT
PROTECT YOUR RIGHTS AS A WATER WELL OWNER APPLY FOR A HISTORIC USE PERMIT BY SEPTEMBER 1, 2019, DEADLINE
If you currently own or operate a groundwater well in Ellis, Hill, Johnson, or Somervell county, you may be required to obtain a Historic Use Permit to protect your water rights. Please read the following notice to determine if you may be eligible for a Historic Use Permit.
The Prairielands Groundwater Conservation District (“District”) was created by the 81st Texas Legislature in 2009 and has been delegated the responsibility of conserving, preserving, protecting, and recharging the groundwater in Ellis, Hill, Johnson, and Somervell counties under the authority of Chapter 36 of the Texas Water Code. State law requires the District to implement a permitting system for water wells.
The District is now accepting applications for Historic Use Permits from well owners and operators in Ellis, Hill, Johnson, and Somervell counties. The only way to ensure that the District may protect your rights and your investment in your well against future well owners and operators is to obtain a Historic Use Permit.
If you are required to obtain a permit, you must file an application for a Historic Use Permit with the District by September 1, 2019, or you will forever lose your right to be protected as a historic user.
Also, it is a violation of the District’s Rules to operate a well without a permit if it is required to have one.
Wells used solely for domestic residential (household) or livestock watering purposes are exempt from the requirement to obtain a permit, and do not need to file a permit application.
Other types of small capacity wells may also be exempt from the District’s requirement to apply for a Historic Use Permit. If your water well is not used exclusively for domestic or livestock use, we encourage you to promptly contact the District to ensure that you qualify for such a permit exemption in order to not risk missing the September 1, 2019, deadline and to avoid violating the District’s Rules.
Historic users receive a greater degree of protection than non-historic users on the amount of groundwater that can be produced in the future. Don’t miss your chance to protect your interest in the future to operate your water well if it is not exempt from the Historic Use Permit requirement. While you may choose to amend your Historic Use Permit application for a specified period of time as set forth in the District’s Rules, it is critical to file an application with the District by the September 1, 2019, deadline.
For more information on how you can protect your rights as a well owner or operator or to obtain a copy of the District’s Rules or a Historic Use Permit application form, please visit our website or contact:
Kathy Turner Jones, General Manager
Prairielands Groundwater Conservation District
205 South Caddo Street
Cleburne, Texas, 76031
Phone: (817) 556-2299 Fax: (817) 556-2305
Email: kjones@prairielandsgcd.or