Local Groundwater

Local Groundwater. . , The Trinity Aquifer , Our groundwater is stored in a complex system of aquifers, collectively known as the Trinity Aquifer. This differs from San Antonio, which has one large, fairly uniform aquifer known as the Edwards Aquifer. Depending on the location over the Trinity Aquifer in Kendall County, you may be standing over one or more of as many as eight aquifers. They may be shallow or deep, contain a lot of water or only a little, and recharge quickly or not at all. This limited resource requires careful stewardship., Creating a Conservation District , Recognizing that local control of groundwater is best, the state authorized the formation of groundwater districts over 50 years ago to preserve and protect our groundwater. In a confirmation election in November 2002, Kendall County voters confirmed the creation of the Cow Creek Groundwater Conservation District (CCGCD). It consists of five unpaid, elected directors along with a general manager and small staff. The CCGCD works to understand and protect our groundwater and manage it for the benefit of all citizens., Monitoring Wells , The District's activities include monitoring several dozen wells across the county as well as authorizing and conducting scientific research to better understand our water supply. The directors establish well spacing standards and limit drilling into certain aquifers to protect springflow and prevent overpumping our aquifers. While CCGCD rules prohibit requiring meters on individual domestic and livestock wells, commercial users must obtain permits and measure pumpage in order to protect the property rights of surrounding landowners and make sure that their water supply is not impacted by larger users. The district also establishes "drought rules" to limit pumping in times of low rainfall and recharge., Conserving our Resource , It is very important that all citizens of Kendall County understand what a precious resource our groundwater is and actively work to conserve it. This means planting adapted, low water using plants in our landscapes, using water conserving fixtures and appliances, avoiding water waste at all times, and supplementing our water supply through rainwater catchment and condensate collection, recycled water and stormwater management techniques wherever possible., Between 1860 and 1880, good well water could be reached at 30 to 35 feet. By 1900, windmills were very popular, extracting water from 100 to 125 feet. Now, a great many of the private water wells are getting water at 500 to 550 feet below the surface. Obviously, this trend can’t go on forever. Water will be a limiting factor in the future growth and development of Kendall County. , , Judge Garland Perry in History of Kendall County (1987), The term “aquifer” often suggests the idea of an underground lake, but aquifers usually are in layers of porous rocks as shown in this image., Overview , The Cow Creek Groundwater Conservation District protects and preserves groundwater in Kendall County through education, research, and well permitting., Did you know? , Unlike the Edwards Aquifer, Boerne’s water supply from the Trinity Aquifer recharges gradually. Only 4–5% of the rainfall in the area actually reaches the aquifer., Part of CCGCD’s goal is to make sure that we do not overpump our aquifers. Assume that a rainstorm provides 20,000 gallons of rainwater. The aquifer only receives 4% of this rain. How much water would go into the aquifer? If you used 100 gallons of water a day, how many days would it last? Use the formulas below. , Rainwater (gallons) × Capture (%) = Total (gallons) , Total (gallons) ÷ Your water usage = Number of days , Would rainwater harvest give you a greater water supply?, [Captions:] , View of water within aquifers , Porous rock , Well monitoring location , Major aquifers in Texas , Major aquifers in region , Well monitoring sites