|
District Programs and Activities
|
Joint Planning Groundwater Conservation Districts are the State’s preferred method of groundwater management The Texas legislature has committed to groundwater conservation districts the duty of groundwater management. This management is accomplished through the rules developed, adopted and promulgated by a district. The 79th Legislature adopted legislation that requires joint planning by districts within a management area. The Southern Ogallala Regional Groundwater Alliance (SORGA) was formed in April 2004 between the seven groundwater conservation districts (click here for map) of the southern Ogallala region. This region has been designated Groundwater Management Area (GMA) #2 by the Texas Water Development Board. The initial SORGA agreement outlines the programs, rules and activities common among the districts. The Alliance agreement provides for the continuity and consistency of District Rules, as well as coordination and cooperation of District programs within GMA #2. The Alliance provides a framework for joint studies and other projects benefiting a significant portion of the southern Ogallala Aquifer. The Alliance covers a land area of approximately 11.2 million acres (click here for map). Of this, about 3.4 million acres are irrigated crop land. Irrigation comprises about 95% of the annual groundwater usage. Several irrigation methods are commonly used within the region. Cultural practices, soil characteristics and crop type are factors affecting the feasibility of various irrigation methods. About 2.8 million acres are irrigated using high efficiency center pivots. The remaining acres are irrigated using furrow, sprinkler or subsurface drip irrigation. Proper management of groundwater requires a commitment to understanding the dynamic aquifer conditions. Within SORGA there are approximately: · 1,800 Water level measurement wells · 1,400 Water quality monitoring wells · 450 Rainfall measurement sites. The availability of this information provides unique opportunities for data analysis and a greater understanding of groundwater resources within the region.
|