About
- About
  
  The Barton Springs/Edwards Aquifer Conservation District is committed to conserving, protecting, recharging, and preventing waste of groundwater and preserving all aquifers in the District. The Barton Springs/Edwards Aquifer Conservation District was created in 1987 with a directive to conserve, protect, and enhance the groundwater resources in its jurisdictional area.
Aquifer Science
- Aquifer Science
  
  BSEACD Aquifer Science team provides sound science to support policy and tactical decisions made by the District that affect water supply users and endangered species habitat. Collecting basic hydrogeologic data and planning and executing projects enhances the understanding of the water resources within the District’s boundaries.
Regulatory Program
- Regulatory Program
  
  The Regulatory Compliance Team is responsible for a wide range of the District’s responsibilities. Regulatory Compliance Team members have also actively attended and participated in community outreach and regional development and planning groups and served as District liaisons to local municipalities, political subdivisions, permittees, and licensed drillers and pump installers in the area.
Education
- Education
  
  The Barton Springs/Edwards Aquifer District actively participates and hosts events designed to engage and educate groundwater users and District residents. Events include stewardship awards, festivals, creek cleanups, presentations to schools and community groups, and teacher trainings.
Projects
- Projects
  
  The Barton Springs/Edwards Aquifer Conservation District has a number of special projects to help advance the scientific understanding and better manage groundwater resources within the District.
Publications
- Publications
  
  One of the most effective ways to conserve, protect, and manage our the groundwater resources is to keep you informed of the science, current conditions, and regulations affecting our District. Sign up on the Friends of the District email list and receive: Quarterly newsletters, Aquifer status updates, Drought declarations, Conservation information, and Important news.
Transparency
- Transparency
  
  The Barton Springs/Edwards Aquifer Conservation District strives to meet a high standard by providing clear, consistent pictures of spending, and by sharing information in user-friendly formats, to promote financial transparency and accountability, not only through financial reports but also through summaries, visualizations, downloadable data, and other relevant information.

Publications

Proposed Rule Changes

The proposed rule changes were approved by the Board on April 28. The Rules in mark-up, associated documents and explanation can be found below.

At the March 1st Work Session and special-called Board Meeting, the Barton Springs/Edwards Aquifer Conservation District Board initiated a formal rule-making process to better equip the District to manage prospective large-scale Trinity aquifer water projects, clarify definitions, update application requirements, and update actions on permits. Overall, the rule changes focus on management strategies that will protect both localized, short-term impacts and long-term aquifer health.

A statutory 20-day notice period ended on March 24. The District Board held a public hearing on the proposed changes to the Rules on March 24, 2016 (meeting details). At the March 24th Board Meeting, the Board of Directors closed the public hearing on proposed rule changes but took no action to allow staff time to compile, research, and prepare responses to the public comments and allow Directors time to research and review comments. The City of Buda, Edmond McCarthy on behalf of landowner and lessee clients, Save Our Springs Alliance (SOS), and the Trinity Edwards Springs Protection Association (TESPA) submitted written comments before the public hearing was closed.

Proposed Rules and supporting documents are available below:

Proposed Rules in mark-up (3/1/2016, pdf)
Overview of Rule Changes (pdf)
Presentation of Rule Changes (pdf)
Press Release (3/3/2016)
Written Public Comments to Proposed Rules (3/24/2016, pdf)
Response to Comments (4/27/2016)
Final Draft of Proposed Rules in mark-up (4/25/2016)
Overview of Proposed Permit Process (4/25/2016)
Finalized Rules and Bylaws (adopted 4/28/2016)