State Senate honors Tramm for groundwater leadership, service

In this March 20, 2017 photo, on behalf of State Sen. Brandon Creighton, R-Conroe, County Judge Craig Doyal, center, reads Senate Resolution No. 425, honoring Richard J. Tramm, left, for his service to the Lone Star Groundwater Conservation District…

In this March 20, 2017 photo, on behalf of State Sen. Brandon Creighton, R-Conroe, County Judge Craig Doyal, center, reads Senate Resolution No. 425, honoring Richard J. Tramm, left, for his service to the Lone Star Groundwater Conservation District during a recognition reception held at LSGCD’s office in Conroe. Standing to the right is newly elected LSGCD Board President Rick Moffatt.

CONROE, TX – March 21, 2017 – Friends, family and professional colleagues gathered Monday afternoon to recognize Richard J. Tramm, Lone Star Groundwater Conservation District’s former president and longest-serving board member, for his many years of dedicated service on behalf of Montgomery County.

On behalf of State Sen. Brandon Creighton, R-Conroe, County Judge Craig Doyal presented a senate resolution commending Tramm “on his outstanding service and commitment” to LSGCD.

“Under his leadership, the Lone Star Groundwater Conservation District has consistently worked to balance the needs of large and small volume water users and to promote the long-term viability of Montgomery County’s groundwater supply; he has been a consistent proponent of protecting the rights of all well owners and of using the best available science in managing the county’s water supply,” the resolution read.

Doyal echoed the resolution’s sentiment.

“On behalf of Montgomery County, Richard, thank you for your service to this community. Thank you for your willingness to be here … Thank you for an outstanding job,” Doyal said.

Tramm said it had been his pleasure to serve on the LSGCD board since its inception 16 years ago.

“I can honestly say I felt like I’ve been able to do the best I can, under sometimes difficult circumstances,” Tramm said. “And while I’ve been willing to work with everyone and deal with everyone on a fair and open basis, I also don’t feel like I’ve ever had to compromise my integrity to be able to work with everyone.”

He said he is proud of the work LSGCD has accomplished and knows that it will make a lasting difference.

“Richard’s leadership of the District—from its inception in 2001 through its achievement of long-term viable aquifer management and a diversified water portfolio for Montgomery County in 2016—will leave a lasting legacy amongst his fellow board members, the District staff, and residents throughout Montgomery County,” said LSGCD General Manager Kathy Turner Jones.

Newly elected Board President, Rick Moffatt, acknowledged he has some big shoes to fill.

“Fortunately, Richard has set an excellent example for those of us who follow in his footsteps,” Moffatt said.

Tramm has an extensive background in the drinking water and public utility fields, having held several professional certifications from the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality and its predecessor agencies, and the Texas Rural Water Association. Following six years of service with the United States Marine Corps, he earned a Bachelor of Science Degree from the University of Houston in 1994. He has previously worked as the Operations Manager of A-1 Utility and Construction Services, Inc., a locally owned and operated utility contract operations company. Currently, he serves as the general manager of the Porter Special Utility District, the third largest water system in Montgomery County.

Tramm was originally appointed to the position of Director of the Lone Star Groundwater Conservation District by the Montgomery County Commissioners Court in 2001, as one of the two countywide representatives. He initially served as President until 2005, when he chose not to seek reelection to that position. During the next several years he also served as Secretary and Vice-President of the Board of Directors, until again being elected as President in 2009. He continued to serve in that capacity until the conclusion of his recently completed fourth term in office.

LSGCD advocates for Groundwater Awareness Week

CONROE, TX – March 6, 2017 – The Apollo 17 crew, from 28,000 miles away, took one of the most iconic photos in history on December 7, 1972. The image is known as “The Blue Marble,” a fitting name considering 71 percent of the Earth’s surface is covered by water. Yet, about 99 percent of all water on this planet isn’t suitable for human consumption. The remaining one percent comes almost entirely from one source—groundwater.

The Lone Star Groundwater Conservation District is one of many organizations around the country recognizing National Groundwater Awareness Week from March 5-11.

“This awareness week, led by the National Groundwater Association, is the perfect time to take a moment and contemplate just how significant our groundwater resources really are,” said James Ridgway, Jr., LSGCD education / public awareness coordinator. “It’s also a great time for parents and educators to engage our younger generations on the subject.”

Ridgway said, according to a report from the American Geosciences Institute, there is a projected shortage of 135,000 geoscientists expected by 2025.

“The water scientists of tomorrow are being cultivated right now.”

Groundwater Basics:

Groundwater is the water that soaks into the soil from rain or other precipitation and moves downward to fill cracks and other openings in beds of rocks and sand. It is, therefore, a renewable resource, although renewal rates vary greatly according to environmental conditions.

Fortunately, groundwater is under most of the Earth’s surface. For instance, there is an estimated 660,000 cubic kilometers of water under the Sahara Desert, twenty times more water than in all of Africa’s Lakes. Groundwater is also the world’s most extracted raw material with withdrawal rates currently in the estimated range of 259 trillion gallons per year, according to NGWA.

About 60 percent of groundwater withdrawn worldwide is used for agriculture; the rest is almost equally divided between the domestic and industrial sectors.

The United States uses 79.3 billion gallons of groundwater a day, according to NGWA. That’s equivalent to about 1.5 million baths, enough bathtubs full of water to circle the Earth more than 60 times

A 2014 report from the U.S. Geological Survey states that, of the total U.S. groundwater supply, public supply accounts for 20.7 percent, individual households account for 4.66 percent, irrigation accounts for 65.1 percent, livestock/aquaculture accounts for 3.97 percent, industrial accounts for 3.82 percent, and mining accounts for 1.47 percent.

NGWA also estimates that groundwater feeds nearly 500 billion gallons of water into U.S. lakes and streams. It’s estimated by the USGS that about 30 percent of U.S. streamflow is from groundwater, although it is higher in some locations and less in others.

Approximately 500,000 new residential wells are constructed annually, according to NGWA estimates. The construction of these vitally needed water supply systems involves the use of more than 18,460 drilling machines by an estimated 8,085 groundwater contracting firms.

A Farm and Ranch Irrigation Survey from the U.S. Department of Agriculture reports that irrigation accounts for the largest use of groundwater in the United States. Some 53.5 billion gallons of groundwater are used daily for agricultural irrigation from 407,923 wells. In 1900, the United States used only 2.2 billion gallons of groundwater daily for irrigation from 17,000 wells

Texas leads the nation in the number of irrigation wells with 77,389.

In Montgomery County, LSGCD’s most recent permitted pumpage records show that 23.2 billion gallons of groundwater were pumped in 2015.

To learn more about National Groundwater Awareness Week, visit NGWA.org. To learn more about LSGCD, visit LoneStarGCD.org.

LMC rain harvesters still catching accolades

CONROE, TX – February 7, 2017 – A series of local rainwater harvesting systems installed in 2014 have been catching more than raindrops over the past few years.
During the Water for Texas 2017 Conference, hosted January 23-25 by the Texas Water Development Board, the Leadership Montgomery County Class of 2014 received the All-Star Rain Catcher Award. A few years prior, upon nomination by the Lone Star Groundwater Conservation District, the same LMC class had raked in TWDB’s 2014 Texas Rain Catcher Award.

The All-Star Rain Catcher Award celebrates a decade of the TWDB’s Rain Catcher rainharvesting competition and recognition program. State Rep. Will Metcalf, R-Conroe, a member of the 2014 LMC class, accepted the award on behalf of his LMC peers.

“I was honored to accept the All-Star Rain Catcher Award from the Texas Water Development Board tonight on behalf of the Leadership Montgomery County Class of 2014,” Metcalf wrote via Facebook. “Our class established three rainwater harvesting systems throughout Montgomery County. Congratulations to my fellow classmates and board of the LMC Class of 2014 for this award! I’m proud to be an LMC alumni!”

Kathy Turner Jones, LSGCD general manager, said bringing home the All-Star accolade is a big win for LMC alumni and Montgomery County as a whole.

“We’d really crossed our fingers upon nominating the 2014 LMC class for the Texas Rain Catcher Award. They’d invested a great deal of time and energy into these rain harvesting systems,” Jones said. “We were thrilled they ended up winning it.”

Still, for the same group to now receive the All-Star Rain Catcher Award, on top of the original award, is a real testament to just how far-reaching of an impact such projects, when executed well, can potentially be, Jones said.

LSGCD Education / Public Awareness Coordinator James Ridgway Jr. echoed Jones’ sentiment.

“As educational displays, these rain harvesters continue to engage the public, young and old, on a water conservation technique older than recorded history,” Ridgway said. “It makes me think of the saying— from little acorns, mighty oaks do grow.”

For more information, visit Harvesting the Rain Project at LoneStarGCD.org. The rain harvesting systems can be seen at the Bear Branch Sports Complex in The Woodlands, Oak Ridge Elementary and the North Montgomery County Community Center in Willis. The locations can use the collected water for landscape irrigation. Each location includes other educational components to shed light on the project’s conservation mission.

State Appeals Court Sides with Lone Star GCD Directors

Ruling Also Rejects City of Conroe’s Claim for Attorneys’ Fees

CONROE, TX – Feb, 2, 2017 – A Texas state appeals court ruled today that litigation claims against Lone Star Groundwater Conservation District directors should be dismissed with prejudice and that the City of Conroe and others cannot seek attorneys’ fees from the Lone Star district in the ongoing case.

According to the opinion from the Court of Appeals for the Ninth District of Texas in Beaumont, “We hold the Directors established that they were immune from being sued for their official votes and actions in passing the rules the Large Water Producers challenged” in the underlying lawsuit brought by the City of Conroe, Quadvest, L.P., and others. The Court of Appeals’ opinion went on to hold that the City of Conroe, Quadvest, and the other plaintiff’s “claims for attorney’s fees must be dismissed, with prejudice.”

Lone Star Board President Richard J. Tramm said, “This is a major victory for Lone Star. This appeals court ruling moves us another step closer to defeating the City of Conroe’s costly, taxpayer-funded litigation, which is simply intended to weaken our state’s established system of groundwater management. Before today’s ruling, the City of Conroe had previously abandoned 16 of its 18 original lawsuit claims against Lone Star and its directors. This court opinion removes one of the two remaining original claims, and ensures that the plaintiffs, and unfortunately their citizens and water customers, are responsible for funding the remainder of its costly litigation. We look forward to defeating the remaining claims in the trial court.”

The underlying case is “City of Conroe, et al., v. Lone Star Groundwater Conservation District, et al.,” Case No. 15-08-08942-CV in the 284th District Court of Montgomery County.

Lone Star Board Lowers Fee Rate for Catahoula Aquifer; Prepares to Defend Itself against New Conroe Litigation

CONROE, TX – September 13, 2016 –On Tuesday, during September’s regular meeting, the Lone Star Groundwater Conservation District Board of Directors approved a reduced fee rate for pumping groundwater from the Catahoula Aquifer in Montgomery County. “With the adoption of this lower pumping fee for the Catahoula, we hope to send a message that the Lone Star Board encourages use of this alternative water supply and hope it will help provide an incentive for water users to pursue additional development of this deeper aquifer to relieve pressure from the overlying Gulf Coast Aquifer,” said Billy Wood, Chairman of Lone Star’s Budget and Finance committee.

Also approved by the Lone Star Board of Directors was a motion to begin defensive preparations against another legal jab thrown by the City of Conroe.

At a Special City Council meeting held on August 16, 2016, Conroe council members approved a resolution to appeal the Desired Future Conditions (DFCs) adopted by the Lone Star Groundwater Conservation District on August 9. In Texas, DFCs are set on a regional basis within a Groundwater Management Area (GMA), and represent the goals for groundwater conditions in the aquifers in 50 years (defined in terms of water levels, quality, spring flows, etc.). Lone Star is part of GMA 14, which in April completed the five-year planning process necessary to adopt the most current DFCs, which are then required by law to be adopted without changes by the individual groundwater districts like Lone Star.

“With the adoption of this lower pumping fee for the Catahoula, we hope to send a message that the Lone Star Board encourages use of this alternative water supply and hope it will help provide an incentive for water users to pursue additional development of this deeper aquifer to relieve pressure from the overlying Gulf Coast Aquifer.”
— Billy Wood, Chairman of Budget and Finance committee
“In 2014, Lone Star was asked by Conroe to pursue a technical study to determine if more groundwater could be developed. And now, in the middle of that study that Conroe requested and Lone Star agreed to fund, and even after the Lone Star board has committed publicly to seek amendments to the DFCs if the science from the study supports it, Conroe votes to start another round of litigation which will do nothing but lengthen the process and cost the taxpayers and fee-payers even more money.”
— Rick Moffatt, Chairman of Findings and Review Committee

Board members questioned the timing and wisdom of Conroe’s decision to pursue additional litigation to challenge the DFCs. Rick Moffatt, Chairman of Lone Star’s Findings and Review Committee pointed out that Lone Star is in the middle of a 3-year technical study requested by the City of Conroe to develop the science to support changes to the DFCs to allow additional groundwater pumping. “In 2014, Lone Star was asked by Conroe to pursue a technical study to determine if more groundwater could be developed,” said Moffatt, whose committee oversees technical studies. “And now, in the middle of that study that Conroe requested and Lone Star agreed to fund, and even after the Lone Star board has committed publicly to seek amendments to the DFCs if the science from the study supports it, Conroe votes to start another round of litigation which will do nothing but lengthen the process and cost the taxpayers and fee-payers even more money.”

Lone Star’s President, Richard J. Tramm, reminded the other directors that Lone Star had even hired the consultants that the City of Conroe requested them to hire to spearhead the study.

Brian Sledge, Lone Star’s General Counsel, noted that the study was designed from its beginning to provide the science to support amendments to the DFCs in the next cycle of planning, because the results from it would not be available until then. He estimated that the City of Conroe’s maneuver will cost Montgomery County citizens at least another half million dollars in legal fees and consultant fees for both sides. “This is not something we asked for, and it makes no sense for anyone involved,” Sledge said. “Lone Star will now unfortunately have to divert resources and spend additional public funds to defend itself in this new litigation, and it will not do anything but delay our ability to amend the DFCs as Conroe has requested.”

Students showcase water resource savvy during 2016 Minecraft Water Challenge

CONROE, TX – August 31, 2016 – It was standing room only Sunday at the Winner Announcement portion of the Lone Star Groundwater Conservation District’s 2016 Minecraft Water Challenge. The event, hosted by the Microsoft Store in The Woodlands Mall, served as a platform to publically celebrate the many hours of hard work invested by the contestants.

Elementary | First Place

 

The educationally-focused contest, an inaugural undertaking by LSGCD, was unveiled over the summer and invited Montgomery County area students, from 1st through 12th grade, to research their respective local water resources and, through a series of objectives, depict these within the video game, Minecraft, via an uploaded YouTube video.

“Entries came in from every school district in the county, several private schools and home schools, too.” said James Ridgway, Jr., LSGCD education / public awareness coordinator. “We are just blown away by what these students accomplished.”

Ridgway said the time and effort students put into their respective submissions was very evident in the end product.

Jr. High | First Place

 

“I think it’s also important to acknowledge the many parents who got involved in this contest as well. Not everyone can answer the question—where does my water come from?” Ridgway said. “But these families definitely can,

High School | First Place

 

“We also really appreciate our four volunteer judges. They spent a lot of time watching and evaluating the entries, and there were a lot of good ones, so narrowing it down to the top three in each category was no easy task.”

The judges included: Dr. Jaime A. Bone, Conroe ISD admin coordinator/human resources; Stephen Green, world geography/speech teacher; Jennifer L. Mitchell, Conroe ISD professional systems support analyst; and Cale Reneau, marketing/communication manager at The Club at Carlton Woods.

The winners in the Elementary School group include: First-place winner Zander Staines, home school, second-place winner Seb Woodhead, David Elementary; and third-place winner Christopher Holmes, Kaufman Elementary.

The winners in the Jr. High School group include: First-place winner Daniel Stonecipher, McCullough Jr. High, second-place winner Isabella Woodhead, Collins Intermediate; and third-place winner Cole Rigsby, McCullough Jr. High.

The winners in the High School group include: First-place winner Jordan Schmid, Montgomery High School, second-place winner Alex Bradshaw, Splendora High School; and third-place winner Houston Bailey, Magnolia High School.

“Water is a precious resource,” Ridgway said. “And I think it’s often the case that when we learn and understand more about a subject, we tend to appreciate and respect it more—and waste it less.”

For more information on the 2016 Minecraft Water Challenge, or to learn about future iterations of the contest, visit http://lonestargcd.org/minecraft-water-challenge or email jridgway@LoneStarGCD.org.

LSGCD launches 2016 Minecraft Water Challenge

CONROE, TX – June 16, 2016 – Summertime—and the living’s easy, especially when young and school’s out for summer. It’s important to enjoy plenty of outdoor fun, but, during those indoor breaks, the Lone Star Groundwater Conservation District has something area students might find interesting—the inaugural Minecraft Water Challenge.

As many already know, Minecraft is a very popular video game. It’s available on multiple platforms, including various smartphones, tablets, PC, Xbox. The game is also a tool many educators have been incorporating into the classroom.

“LSGCD recognized that, really, Minecraft contained everything necessary to create a contest with an educational focus on local water resources,” said James Ridgway, Jr., LSGCD education / public awareness coordinator. “Open-ended games like these, along with the contest’s specific challenges, seta framework for students to be highly creative and deeply analytical.”

Ridgway added that LSGCD hopes the contest will inspire curiosity about local water resources for both kids and adults.

“Water is a precious resource,” Ridgway said. “And I think it’s often the case that when we learn and understand more about a subject, we tend to appreciate and respect it more—and waste it less.”

The contest is for 1st- through 12th-grade students residing in Montgomery County or attending a school within the county’s boundaries. Home-schooled students residing within the county are welcome to enter, too. There are three contest brackets: 1st-5th grade; 6th-8th grade; and 9th-12th grade. All must get parental permission to enter the contest.

For each age bracket, there is a first-, second-, and third-place prize. First place will receive $500. Second place will receive $250. Third place will receive $100.

The contest is based off the completion of three open-ended objectives: depict where entrant’s water comes from; how it’s delivered; and where it ends up. The judging, first and foremost, will seek out projects that successfully meet all three objectives. From there, originality, creativity, and application of critical thinking will be driving factors.

To officially enter contest, entrants must create and upload a 30-second video to YouTube with a brief summary in video’s description box outlining what was made and how it meets each of the three objectives. Lastly, an online submission form requiring parental approval, with a parent’s contact number, is required to be submitted. Deadline for contest entry is August 21, 2016.

For a more complete and detailed account of contest rules and submission guidelines, visit http://lonestargcd.org/minecraft-water-challenge. Parents may also email jridgway@LoneStarGCD.org for any further clarification.

Water experts to examine new frontiers in conservation

CONROE, TX – March 1, 2016 – The Fifth Annual Gulf Coast Water Conservation Symposium is around the corner. Beginning at 8 a.m. on March 9 in Houston, local water experts are lined up to speak on a variety of timely and relevant water conservation topics.

In this March 4, 2015, courtesy photo, Paul R. Nelson, assistant general manager with the Lone Star Groundwater Conservation District, addresses attendees at the 2015 Gulf Coast Water Conservation Symposium. Registration is open for the 2016 Gulf Coast Water Conservation Symposium, which will be held March 9, at TexasWater.org. This year’s theme is ‘New Frontiers in Conservation.’

The symposium, hosted by the Gulf Coast/Montgomery County Water Efficiency Network and others, has selected New Frontiers in Conservation as this year’s theme. The event will be held at the United Way Community Resource Center at 50 Waugh Drive, Houston. Registration is required and can be completed at TexasWater.org.

“As water demands continue to rise, there are a great deal of innovative minds looking at water conservation efforts in entirely new and substantive ways,” said Paul R. Nelson, assistant general manager with the Lone Star Groundwater Conservation District. “These annual symposiums capitalize on such innovation and help good ideas reach a broader audience.”

Nelson, who coordinates the GC/MCWEN, said the symposium is a valuable educational resource to business and community leaders, including mayors, city council members, city managers, county commissioners, MUD Board members, CFOs, finance directors, water providers, water utility directors, and water conservation program staff.

Registration for the event is $45 and lunch is provided. The event is presented by GC/MCWEN, LSGCD, Sierra Club-Lone Star Chapter, Texas Water Foundation, National Wildlife Federation, Galveston Bay Foundation, City of Sugar Land, Texas AWWA, Woodlands Joint Powers Agency, Municipal District Services, San Jacinto River Authority, Allen, Boone, Humphries, Robinson LLP, West Harris County Regional Water Authority, Brown and Gay Engineers, North Ford Bend Water Authority, and City of Houston.

LSGCD to court: Waste injection well a threat to groundwater

CONROE, TX – Feb. 19, 2016 – In an effort to overturn a decision which would allow TexCom Gulf Disposal, LLC to operate a Class 1 waste injection well in Montgomery County, the Lone Star Groundwater Conservation District filed an amicus brief with Travis County’s 345th District Court Wednesday.

An ongoing lawsuit against the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, filed by multiple plaintiffs, including Montgomery County, the City of Conroe and a private oil and gas company, is awaiting the court’s final ruling.

“This is a very serious matter,” said LSGCD President Richard J. Tramm. “Our Board is committed to continuing to protect Montgomery County’s drinking water.”

The Railroad Commission had previously determined that waste injection activities from the site would likely migrate upward to overlying geologic formations and even to the land surface because of the high pressures that will occur underground with the addition of the waste—causing harm to oil and gas resources. LSGCD’s legal brief argued, by the same reasoning, such upward migration could pose a danger to overlying fresh groundwater resources.

“The judge heard arguments from both sides Thursday on motions for a summary judgment to overturn the TCEQ’s decision to issue the waste permits on grounds that they failed to properly consider the Railroad Commission’s determination of harm to natural resources in the matter,” said Kathy Turner Jones, LSGCD’s general manager. “As a matter of law, TCEQ was therefore not legally authorized to issue the permits.”

State District Judge Tim Sulak, who is presiding over the case, took the matter under advisement yesterday afternoon at the conclusion of the hearing. 

The plaintiffs have sued the TCEQ on multiple grounds, including an allegation that the TCEQ commissioners overturned or ignored many of the findings of fact made by the Administrative Law Judges assigned by the State Office of Administrative Hearings to conduct the contested hearing on the permit application on TCEQ’s behalf.

“The ALJs determined that TexCom did not prove that the waste injection activities would protect groundwater and surface water resources in Montgomery County,” Jones said.

The waste injection well site is located in the City of Conroe off FM 3083.

Gregg Hope, LSGCD board member appointed by Montgomery County, reaffirmed Tramm’s sentiments.

“The District has heard the concerns of the citizens,” Hope said. “We hope the court will make the right decision.”

LSGCD APPROVES GROUNDWATER MANAGEMENT RULE AMENDMENTS

The Lone Star Groundwater Conservation District’s board of directors approved a number of amendments to its rules and regulatory plan at its December board meeting on Tuesday. The approved amendments primarily address three areas of groundwater management.

LSGCD General Manager Kathy Turner Jones said, “These updates are practical, common-sense additions that better serve our permittees, the public, and the District’s ongoing mission to conserve, protect, and enhance Montgomery County’s groundwater resources.”

While the first two District Rules amended were unanimous, the last was approved by a 6-3 decision. This item creates a variance process in which a landowner may petition LSGCD for additional groundwater production authorization over and above that allowed under the District Regulatory Plan in situations where the landowner feels that the pumping limits imposed by the regulations impede his or her ability to obtain a fair share of the common groundwater resources in the aquifers underlying Montgomery County, based upon the particular facts and circumstances related to the individual landowner.

The criteria approved by the board of directors for considering and acting on such a variance application were taken directly from the laws governing groundwater management as established recently by the Texas Supreme Court and the Texas Legislature.

Additionally, all three amendments, prior to the board’s vote on Tuesday, were supported by the Stakeholder Advisory Committee which was specifically set up to assist the board during review processes.

Of the unanimously passed amendments, the first authorizes the creation of temporary permits for water wells used to supply water to construction projects or to supply water for the drilling of permanent wells. It also establishes the requirements related to obtaining such permits, including an obligation for the well driller who obtains such a temporary permit to plug the well upon completion of the project in order to protect groundwater quality in Montgomery County.

The second unanimously passed amendment eliminates certain provisions that prohibited the utilization of groundwater produced from the Gulf Coast Aquifer in counties immediately adjacent to Montgomery County as an acceptable alternative water source to comply with the LSGCD’s regulatory system.

LSGCD’s next board meeting will be at 10 a.m. on Jan. 12. Visit www.LoneStarGCD.org for more information.

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