Harris Files Bill to Study Aquifer

 The controversy surrounding the Neches Trinity Groundwater District issuing drilling permits continues to resonate not only in our East Texas area, but now to a state or even national level.

Texas House District 8 Representative Cody Harris introduced HB 27 which mandates that the Texas Water Development Board (TWDB) conduct a study focusing on groundwater resources within the Neches Trinity Valley Groundwater Conservation District. The study must determine how much groundwater can be sustainably produced each year from the aquifer beneath the district without exceeding available groundwater levels. Additionally, it must evaluate the hydrological effects within the district from transferring groundwater out of the area. This includes analyzing factors like annual recharge, inflows and discharges, spring flows, and the relationship between groundwater and surface water. 

This bill is the result of applicants seeking to drill more than 40 high-capacity wells across over 11,000 acres in the Neches and Trinity Valleys Groundwater Conservation District through the Carrizo-Wilcox Aquifer, the main water source for much of East Texas.
Governor Abbott added the bill to the second special session. The TWDB would be required to complete the study and submit a comprehensive report with findings to state leadership, including the governor, lieutenant governor, speaker of the House, and relevant legislative committees, by January 12, 2027. Until the study is complete and the report is submitted, the district is prohibited from issuing new permits or amending existing permits for the purpose of producing and transferring groundwater out of the district. This temporary moratorium ensures that no additional groundwater export activities occur before a full understanding of their potential impacts is established.
Since the announcement concerning the proposed wells became public knowledge, several of the water companies from our area have banded together to cost share the legal expenses involved with contesting the drilling and transfer of the water. Sanderson Farms has also filed a lawsuit against the Neches Trinity Groundwater District, claiming a possible conflict of interest from one of their board members.