Tag: pollution

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HCUWCD Meeting of 4/26/2023

The HCUWCD’s Board heard comments and concerns from nearby residents about the permit application by Firefly LLC for 26.94 acre-ft of water annually across 4 wells @ Firefly, LLC on FM1376. 
 
Why would the Pedernales River Alliance be concerned with this? We are concerned with anything like this that is happening in the Pedernales River Watershed in Gillespie County. This new development is within the watershed because South Grape Creek flows from just south of there up to the Pedernales. Yes, we are concerned. Much of the Pedernales falls within the

Ellenburger Critical Groundwater Depletion Area 1 which was declared earlier this month. Clearly, this is not surface water but it does directly affect it. As you read on, you will hear about pollution, the unnecessary removal of vegetation, excessive use of water and more. These things effect our surface water and surface water often flows to the aquifer. Runoff certainly does. So, yes, the Pedernales River Alliance is concerned.

Comments were clear and to the point. Many residents were very unhappy with Firefly as they felt that Firefly was asking for too much water and had not shown care for the land or the neighbors. Discussion on many of the points was lively and considerable.

Residents Asked Questions

The HCUWCD addressed these questions about water as follows:–Would their well levels be affected by Firefly’s wells? unknown. Select neighboring wells will be monitored and if dips in production are seen, the HCUWCD will take action.

–Why did Firefly not have to get a permit for their 4 wells? wells in Gillespie county do not require permits. They are required to be registered and Firefly’s 4 wells were appropriately registered.

–Will their wells be metered? Yes, all of the Firefly wells will be metered but only 2 will be outfitted for online monitoring.

–What penalties would Firefly incur if they use more water than allowed? The penalties for using more water than allowed are not significant. The penalties are set by the state.

Residents Asked About Other Things

Apart from concerns about wells, the residents also spoke about

–airborne dust and dirt from construction – there has been no watering of the construction areas to prevent dust and dirt pollution.

–Removal of nearly all trees and vegetation from Firefly – Firefly scraped all vegetation and trees from most of their property. They do plan to plant new trees and some wildflowers but it will take years for the trees to grow.

–Noise of construction which begins each day at 7:00a.

–Huge trucks ruining private roads that should not have been driving on in the first place.

Board Approved with Conditions

In the end, however, The Board voted to approve Firefly’s permit application with the following conditions:

–All four of Firefly wells will be metered. Two will have monitoring equipment installed to enable virtual monitoring.

–Firefly must provide receipts for the purchase of water used to refill the swimming pools in order to show that the water is not coming from a well in Gillespie County.

–HCUWCD will work with select owners of neighboring wells to equip their wells with monitoring equipment. This will provide them monthly production reports and metering data and enable HCUWCD to monitor for draw down on the neighboring wells. If this occurs, they will reconvene for further action.

–Recommended that Firefly’s landscape should be xeriscaped instead of landscaped with traditional lawns and that they set up a rainwater collection system.

Last item, Firefly has purchased 26 acres adjacent to the backside of their property. They claim to have no plans for it just yet. I asked them clearly to not cut down all the trees and vegetation. One of the Firefly reps said they would not. We shall see.

Many thanks to all who showed up to be heard. As I mentioned above, it was standing room only and few were silent. Folks were respectful but passionate. In the end, it was clear that we must all continue to be present and participate if we are to be heard. 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
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When Dirt Pollutes

Recently, I spoke with a landowner who wanted to do some dirt work on property fronting the river. This work would be done with a bulldozer. I asked if any precautions would be taken to prevent dirt from falling into the river.  The answer was, “Why would I?”

Dirt becomes a pollutant when it is dumped into the river by out actions. Even when it is washed into the river in runoff associated with rain, it is a pollutant. It sounds really odd when you think about it. Sometimes when you go down to the river, you can even see dirt in the river and it likely has been in the river for awhile. So how can dirt, be a pollutant in the river? 

The Clean Water Act (CWA) was intended to keep our nation’s water supplies clean and protected from pollution, so it defines many different substances, chemicals, and acts that can pollute water. But along with actual things that could be harmful to the environment, the CWA defines dirt as a “pollutant.”

Dirt from farmers’ fields is likely to have fertilizer or pesticides in it. Dirt from ranchers’ fields may have ecoli in it from cattle manure. Dirt that is washed into rivers and creeks from roads, will carry bits of tar, rubber and oil into the water. Dirt + water= mud or slurry or silt that can clog the river. Dirt has naturally occurring bacteria,  pathogens,  and parasites but we really may not want these in the river. When you see a river with trees and grass in the middle of the river, it is likely from dirt that has been washed downstream or dumped in the river.  We need good dirt but too much of a good thing is not so good.

Dirt that washes into the river can cause

    • Siltation of creeks and reservoirs.
    • Reduced fish and wildlife habitat.
    • Increased growth of aquatic weeds.
    • Algal blooms and fish kills.
    • Reduced recreational opportunities because of bacterial contamination and increased turbidity.
    • Contamination of food and water sources.

We want to make sure our water stays clean so before you fire up the bulldozer to move dirt on a river or creek bank, be sure to check with LCRA to determine if a permit will be required. Small projects requiring the movement of less than 500 cubic yards may be authorized without a permit by submitting a Notification of No Permit Required form and an erosion/sediment control plan.  One simple plan to protect the river may simply require the erection of a barrier to prevent loose dirt from falling into the river. If you are planning  any type of roadway or creek crossing, contact LCRA at 512-578-2324, just to be sure.

Let’s take good care of our river.

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What’s a Watershed?

A watershed is a system, land that drains rain and melting snow to creeks and then rivers and eventually, the ocean. Most of us here in Gillespie County live in the Pedernales River Watershed. Near the headwaters of the Pedernales are two areas of land where water drains to a creek and each land area draining to each creek is a watershed. One creek is called the Klein Branch and the other is called the Banta Branch. These two creeks join together and become the Pedernales River. As the Pedernales River flows eastward, there are many more creeks that feed into it. Each of these creeks is a sub-watershed of the Pedernales River Watershed.

The Pedernales River Watershed extends into Blanco County and then on to Travis County, where you will find the mouth of the river at Lake Travis which was formed by damming the Colorado River. The Pedernales River is a sub-watershed of the Colorado River.

Now, pull out a map and trace along the route of the Pedernales River and you can easily see how many communities depend upon this river for water. Ultimately, even Austin depends, in part, upon our River as does a state park, an LCRA park, a national park and numerous county and private parks. These are very good reasons for keeping our River clean.

The kinds of things that can adversely affect our River’s water quality include runoff, littering, excess fertilizer, and malfunctioning sewage systems.

Fast flow of water draining to Grape Creek
Fast flow of water draining to Grape Creek

Runoff includes sediment. Who knew dirt could be a form of pollution? Weird but true. When dirt is washed into the river from large construction sites, it’s just too much of a good thing.

Littering is an easily preventable source of pollution – just don’t do it! And even if you did not, go ahead and pick it up anyway. That’s called being a good citizen. Litter can get into drainage systems and ultimately affect the health of the river.

 

Excess fertilizer can wash out of your yard, into the drainage system, into the creek and on to the river. It can wash out of farms, too. This is called non-point pollution because we cannot always pinpoint where it comes from but you can be sure that when the river is choked with thick, green algae, fertilizer might just be the source. The solution? Plant native plants that love the sandy loam and clay soil around here and you won’t have to fertilize. Put in native grasses instead of turf grasses that need to be fertilized and watered to be pretty.

Baron's Creek below the Sewage Treatment Facility Outfall
Baron’s Creek below the Sewage Treatment Facility Outfall

A big source of pollution is malfunctioning sewage systems. Reality check, we need our septic tanks! But we CAN make sure they are working correctly. If the grass over your septic tank and drain field is nice and green, your septic system may be leaking. A septic system’s drain field that is working properly usually looks pretty rough. Investigate to find out what is making your grass so unexpectedly and beautifully green.

Another source of pollution comes from treated wastewater. Sewage treatment facilities clean sewage and then release the cleaned water into creeks and rivers. The only problem with that is a huge problem: the water contains phospates and nitrogen, the same nutrients in fertilizer. Algae love it and a creek of river contaminated with treated wastewater will become clogged with green algae in short order. The correction to this is to clean wastewater to make it potable or to use the treated wastewater to water golf courses, lawns, and other non-food sources.

Bottom line, the Pedernales River watershed is a system that includes you. Doing your part to keep the Pedernales River Watershed clean will help keep our River clean.