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Photo by Jessica Nohealapa’ahi
March 5, 2025
Groundwater district declines permit request to increase water usage
By Jessica Nohealapa’ahi
The Bandera Prophet
After an hour-long executive session, Bandera County River Authority and Groundwater District board members on Thursday voted to decline a permit request for more water, and instead stood firm with the original pumping limit approved for two wells owned by Vanderpool Management, LP, in Vanderpool.
The Midland-based company applied for a permit to increase its annual pumping limit from 28 acre-feet of water per well, which BCRAGD granted in 2023, to a total of 200 acre-feet per year for both wells. The contested request was forwarded to the State Office of Administrative Hearings (SOAH) for review. Last year, at the conclusion of a two-day hearing, two administrative judges issued a recommendation that the permit request be granted, with the addendum that groundwater not be pumped into a vanity pond on the property, BCRAGD Attorney Richard Mosty said.
The recommendation drew stark criticism from opposing environmental attorney Lauren Ice, representing Bandera Canyonlands Alliance, as well as many community members who stated concerns of water availability.
BCRAGD General Manager Dave Mauk said the board’s options included granting the increase, remanding the matter back to SOAH, or sticking with the original pumping limit. Board members decided to maintain the status quo.
“The applicant has a right to water, our job is to mitigate how much,” Mauk said in January. “I can’t tell someone they can’t have water…it’s got to be beneficial use without waste.”
The Midland-based company applied for a permit to increase its annual pumping limit from 28 acre-feet of water per well, which BCRAGD granted in 2023, to a total of 200 acre-feet per year for both wells. The contested request was forwarded to the State Office of Administrative Hearings (SOAH) for review. Last year, at the conclusion of a two-day hearing, two administrative judges issued a recommendation that the permit request be granted, with the addendum that groundwater not be pumped into a vanity pond on the property, BCRAGD Attorney Richard Mosty said.
The recommendation drew stark criticism from opposing environmental attorney Lauren Ice, representing Bandera Canyonlands Alliance, as well as many community members who stated concerns of water availability.
BCRAGD General Manager Dave Mauk said the board’s options included granting the increase, remanding the matter back to SOAH, or sticking with the original pumping limit. Board members decided to maintain the status quo.
“The applicant has a right to water, our job is to mitigate how much,” Mauk said in January. “I can’t tell someone they can’t have water…it’s got to be beneficial use without waste.”