Gonzales County’s water at risk: New Region L Water Plan proposes more groundwater projects

The Texas 2026 regional water planning process is underway — a critical initiative to plan the state's future water supply. Gonzales and Caldwell Counties are part of Region L, the South Central Texas Regional Water Planning Group, which covers 21 counties.

Region L has released its 2026 Initially Prepared Plan (IPP) — 1,172 pages proposing many water management strategies.

For residents of Gonzales County, the IPP raises serious concerns. The IPP proposes more groundwater production and expanded export — despite the Gonzales County Underground Water Conservation District having already permitted more than 92,000 acre-feet per year of groundwater from the Carrizo-Wilcox aquifer, most of it allocated to exporters. Some of the major IPP projects include:

• • GBRA WaterSECURE – a large-scale initiative by Guadalupe-Blanco River Authority with surface water diversion, brackish groundwater production, and aquifer storage and recovery (ASR).
• • CRWA Wells Ranch Phase 3 – a project in the Carrizo-Wilcox Aquifer to produce fresh groundwater by Canyon Regional Water Authority
• • ARWA: Carrizo-Wilcox Project (Phase 2)
• • Gonzales & Guadalupe Brackish Partnership Project
• • SSLGC Expanded Brackish Wilcox Project

ASR projects are pitched as a drought-resilience strategy, involving injection of treated water into the aquifer for later extraction. However, research shows poorly managed ASR systems can damage aquifer health. Risks include: mobilization of arsenic and other harmful elements, altered geochemistry of native groundwater, and long-term degradation of water quality.

These impacts are especially concerning in areas like Gonzales County, where groundwater is for many residents the only source of drinking and agricultural water.

The IPP’s proposed projects come despite already excessive permitting levels. Decades of high-volume pumping have lowered aquifer levels and driven the need for well mitigation. Unlike the cities, family farms and ranches in Gonzales County rely exclusively on groundwater, while cities have multiple sources and continue to waste large amounts due to leaking infrastructure.

Further, Region L’s voting membership roster leaves Gonzales County underrepresented. The voting members often represent utilities and authorities with direct project interests such as San Antonio Water System (SAWS), Schertz-Seguin Local Government Corporation, and GBRA. They sponsor projects in the plan and hold voting seats. Gonzales County has no direct voting member, leaving local residents to rely on public comment directly to the planning process.

The Region L 2026 IPP remains a draft and is open for public comment through July 20, 2025, at 5 p.m. Now is the time for Gonzales County residents to speak up.

Submit your comments to:  Caye Castillo, Administrative Agent for Region L

Email: ccastillo@sariverauthority.org

If you can't email, then mail your comments on paper to: San Antonio River Authority, Attn: Caye Castillo, 100 E. Guenther St., San Antonio, TX 78204

To read the full plan, visit: www.regionltexas.org.

Ted Boriack is a Gonzales County landowner and member of the Water Protection Association, committed to safeguarding Texas groundwater resources for future generations.