About Us

Proposed Management Plan and Rules

• Public Meetings
• Comment on Management Plan and Rules
• Corrections and Clarifications
• Water Conservation
• Victoria County monitor well
• Victoria County river levels and rainfall

History

The Victoria County groundwater district was born in November 2005, following efforts by citizens and county commissioners that led to enabling legislation and confirmation by local voters.

The district was approved by 73 percent of Victoria County voters.

Why such a big margin? Many felt that the county's underground water needed protection from out-of-county interests who might seek additional water supplies for rapidly growing cities such as San Antonio and Corpus Christi. In addition, drought is an ever-present threat to water supplies in Texas.

The district serves as a counterbalance to the state's rule of capture, which allows landowners or exporters to claim all the groundwater they want to pump - regardless of whether that pumping causes neighboring wells to go dry, damages the quality of the water in the aquifer or even hurts the community's economic growth potential.

The Victoria County Groundwater Conservation District has the authority to ensure that groundwater is fairly shared by all users.

Under Texas law, groundwater districts like ours - there are some 85 groundwater districts currently in Texas - are designated as the state's preferred method of protecting a county's underground water supplies.

Groundwater districts are locally controlled - though some would argue that there is not enough local control extended under current state statutes.

Victoria County voters elect the five-member board of directors which oversees our district. Four of the directors are elected from the four precincts of Victoria County. The fifth holds an at-large or countywide seat. Terms of office are for four years.

Current directors are:

	Mark Meek Chairman An Inez-area rancher and farmer, represents Precinct 4. His term ends in 2008.
	Jerry Hroch Vice-chairman A farmer from the Bloomington-Placedo area, represents Precinct 1. His term ends in 2010.
	Barbara Dietzel Secretary An artist and bookkeeper who ranches with her husband southwest of Victoria, represents Precinct 3. Her term ends in 2010.
	Thurman S. Clements Jr. Director He is in real estate and ranches along the Guadalupe River northwest of Victoria, represents Precinct 2. His term ends in 2008.
	Kenneth Eller Director Retired owner of Eller's Hunting Post, holds the countywide at-large seat. His term ends in 2008.
	Tim Andruss General Manager Tim holds an B.S. in Wildlife and Fisheries Science - Ecology from Texas A&M University.
- Office administrative secretary: Vacant

Funding