A new development is being proposed in Kendall County on the old Broken-O ranch. The Broken-O is a 5,000-acre tract of land in the Champee Springs area. It is bordered to the north by Ranger Creek Road and to the south by Tapatio Springs. A recent Boerne Star article (dated 8/17/07) reported"there would be approximately 3660 acres developed on the ranch," and this new development will require approximately 360 acre-feet of groundwater. This request is currently being considered the Cow Creek Groundwater District.
What do you think about this proposed development?
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There are two large developments underway in Kendall County - Esperanza and Lerrin Hills, neither of which will be using groundwater. They will be using GBRA water for 100% of their water needs. Why can't this new development use GBRA water instead of draining our fragile aquifer?
The book 'The Worst Hard Times', details how the government and land speculators encouraged landowners to come in and plow up as much land as possible in arid areas of the plains. They told new residents that scientific evidence proved plowing created an atmospheric change that caused it to rain and that would make the land suitable for crops. The results of that were the dust storms that destroyed much of the plains. Sometimes you have to wonder if the basis for water allocations in Texas are much further along in terms of scientific evidence...
Unfortunately there seems to be very little control delegated to local government. The agencies, which should be protecting the residents i.e.: Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) are nothing more than puppets controlled by the big developers. The TCEQ commissioners are all appointees of the Governor of course.
The residents of Tapatio Springs protested the expansion of their water company to include the Broken-O. The TCEQ approved the expansion in June. The ratepayers have subsequently appealed the TCEQ's decision to the District Court in Austin. The water companies affected by the expansion are Tapatio Springs Service Company and Kendall County Utility Company.
At the GMA-9 meeting last Thursday (8/23), Tommy Mathews, Cow Creek Groundwater District president, stated the springs in the Champee Springs area feed Boerne Lake. This proposed Broken-O development encompasses a good portion of the Champee Springs area.
This "undisclosed" developer wants to pump 360 acre-feet of groundwater from Champee Springs annually. Has anyone considered how this proposed development might impact the water supply for the City of Boerne and the surrounding area?
September 10, the Cow Creek board will consider granting 638 acre-feet of water to for a 918-unit development on the Broken-O Ranch. According to the Cow Creek Groundwater District management plan, this 638 acre-feet request represents over 13% of the total sustainable groundwater in Kendall County! Oddly enough, the request does not reveal who the developer is. Nor, does it offer any proof there is even groundwater available. In fact, the request indicates they do not intend to produce a Groundwater Availability Report, until the time of "subdivision platting as required by Kendall County Subdivision Rules and Regulations." The engineer believes his request is "unique" and the "current guidelines of the CCGCD rules do not adequately address our situation."
At the Cow Creek meeting in August, the developer’s engineer said they would need 360 acre-feet of groundwater. This request is a 77% increase over what he said was needed just a month ago!
According to the" Production Analysis" submitted, this Broken-O development is relying on 250 acre-feet of groundwater from the GBRA. But, that water currently does not exist, because there is no pipeline from the access
point at Cascade Caverns road to the Johns Road distribution facility, approximately six miles away.
A number of critical questions come to mind regarding this proposed development:
1.How will this affect the existing domestic well owners in the County? The Cow Creek board has yet to make provisions to reserve sustainable groundwater for existing well owners.
2. How will the sewage from the 918-unit development be handled? Will there be septic tanks, a central system? And, how will this affect water quality in the area?
3. What is the impact on the water supply for the City of Boerne?
Specifically how does this affect Boerne Lake? Tommy Mathews, Cow
Creek President has publicly stated Boerne Lake is fed by the springs on the Broken-O.
4. How many wells will be drilled, or re-drilled to come up with the
638 acre-feet? And what affectr will this have on the environment?
5. How will this development affect the water quality and water
production of the existing wells in the Champee Springs, Ranger
Creek and Tapatio Springs area?
6. How will this development affect the aquifer's ability to recharge? Impervious cover can negatively affect existing caves and caverns, and thereby
affect the aquifer recharge capability.
7. How will the development affect over all water quality of the
aquifer?
8. How will the increased run off and erosion due increased impervious cover affect the homes and businesses down stream?
The Broken-O development was discussed at the 9/10 Cow Creek Groundwater District meeting. Board members seemed very sceptical of 638 acre-feet request made by the Broken-O engineer, and the information the engineer provided last week. Tommy Mathews (president) was concerned because in the meeting last month the engineer stated they may only need 100 acre-fee, yet the request they submitted was for 638 acre-feet. John Kight (vice president) said he didn't see where the Broken-O should require any groundwater at all. He read a letter he had written to the Broken-O engineer, where he analyzed the Broken-O requirements in detail and came to this conclusion.
They need the additional water because they are talking to Tiger Woods about designing a golf course on the property and are going to sell lots starting at $1M. They think they are going to get the wealthy across the US buy a piece of the hill country associated with Tiger Woods.
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