Governing Documents
The District is generally governed and controlled by a set of statutes, plans, rules, and policies, which constitutes a framework in which the District operates. Summary descriptions of the component parts of this framework and links to their documentation follow. Note: Some of the links are to external websites or web pages; these are flagged in the summary descriptions below.
Legislative & Legal Statutes
Texas Water Code, Chapter 36
Chapter 36 is the statutory authority for all groundwater conservation districts (GCDs) in Texas. Except as specifically altered by the supervening statutory authority of enabling legislation, Chapter 36 establishes how groundwater is managed and administered by GCDs.
District Enabling Legislation, SDLLC 8802
The District’s enabling legislation, now codified, addresses specific powers and limitations of the District itself, and also designates how it is to be operated and is funded.
District Rules
District Rules and Bylaws: Volume 1, Rules 1 – 4
The Rules and Bylaws of the District are used to guide, define, and achieve the District goals of water conservation and pollution prevention in an effort to preserve, protect, and enhance the groundwater within the District’s jurisdictional boundaries.
District Rules and Bylaws: Volume 2, Rule 5 | District’s Well Construction Standards
The well construction standards detail the requirements for construction, development, and completion of wells to produce from the Edwards aquifer, the Middle Trinity aquifer, or the Lower Trinity aquifer.
The purpose of this enforcement plan is to establish a structure with procedures and guidelines within which the District General Manager (GM) will make decisions relative to the initiation, pursuit, and resolution of enforcement efforts in response to violations of the District Rules and Bylaws.
Fiscal Year 2024 (Effective September 1, 2023)
2023 District Management Plan Body & Appendices
Public Information Act (Open Records Requests)
Texas Government Code, Chapter 552, gives the public the right to access government records, and an officer for public information and the officer’s agent may not ask why the information is wanted. All government information is presumed to be available to the public. Certain exceptions may apply to the disclosure of the information. Governmental bodies shall promptly release requested information that is not confidential by law, either constitutional, statutory, or by judicial decision, or information for which an exception to disclosure has not been sought. Use the form available though the hyperlink above to submit written requests by mail or email to bseacd@bseacd.org.
Annual Budget Plan
The District Board approves an operating budget annually, which sets forth and authorizes expenditures and transfers that are to be made in the current fiscal year. The Board may amend the budget as necessary during the year, but planned expenditures must be matched by planned revenue. A more detailed budget is found in the Records tab of this website.
Policies
Chapter 36 of the Texas Water Code requires a code of ethics for District directors, officers, employees, and persons who are engaged in handling investments for the District.
Chapter 36 of the Texas Water Code requires that groundwater conservation districts adopt a policy relating to District investments that ensures that purchases and sales of investments are initiated by authorized individuals, conform to investment objectives and regulations, and are properly documented and approved; and that periodic review is made of District investments to evaluate investment performance and security. This policy shall govern the investment of all funds of the District as entrusted to the Board and other authorized representatives in accordance with Chapter 2256, Texas Government Code.