SAWDF Update and Legislative Alert – February 4, 2026
Greetings & Happy New Year from the Simsboro Aquifer Water Defense Fund.
It has been some weeks since our last Update. Thank you to all those who submitted letters to your GCD last November urging GMA-12 to re-adopt the current DFCs. Your voices were heard loud and clear, and GMA-12 did re-adopt the current DFCs. You can watch the meeting here.
House Natural Resources Committee to hear invited Testimony on February 10th
The House Natural Resources Committee [HNRC] announced theywill convene on February 10th to hear invited testimony on:
· The conditions and long-term sustainability ofaquifers in this state; and
· Groundwater regulation and management
You can see the hearing notice hereand watch the hearing online here.
Texas residents who wish to electronically submit written commentsrelated to the agenda items can do so until the hearing is adjourned by
visiting: https://comments.house.texas.gov/home?c=c390
Last July, an 11-hour hearing bythe HNRC opened pandora’s box of water law and called for:
· limits on the “rule of capture”,
· limits on export permits, and
· new regulations that support sustainableproduction of groundwater.
You can view a recording here. It is a great primer oncurrent thinking about how to improve groundwater management. We suggest you
watch the 11-hour hearing in segments.
Representative Cody Harris is thecommittee Chair. Chairman Harris has always supported sensible groundwater
regulation and the sustainability of Texas’ aquifers. Now, he is gravely
concerned about the future of the Carrio-Wilcox aquifer, because a new,
large-scale, high-production project proposes to send 49,000 AFY from the heart
of his District, Anderson and Henderson counties, to the DFW area.
You might remember from ourNovember Update that this project is the subject of a documentary by the non-profit
newsroom More Perfect Union. The film makers visited with water wellowners in the Lexington area whose wells failed because of the Vista Ridge
project. Watch our cameos here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RfzwLtWkVjg[Note: John DeGomez is misidentified as MikeOrosco.]
We believe the public hearing on February 10 will flesh outthe critical topics to be considered in Interim Hearings later this year,
possibly as early as May. These hearings will form the basis for new
legislation to be considered in 2027 during the 90th Regular Sessionof the Texas Legislature.
To better understand all that happens between legislativesessions, the “interim”, check out this Guide to What Happens between TxLege Sessionsby Texas 2036, a nonprofit, nonpartisan public policy research organization.
Meetings of Interest: [in person or online, see agenda for links]
FCGCD BoardMeeting; March 16. 2026, 9:30am, 255 Svoboda Lane, Room 115, La Grange, TX
HNRC Public Hearing, February10, 2026, 10 am, State Capitol Bldg., Room E2.036 [ view online]
BVGCD BoardMeeting; February 12, 2026, 2pm, 310 East Ave C, Hearne, TX [online/in-person]
POSGCD Board Meeting; February 10, 2026, 5:30pm, 310 EastAve C, Milano, TX [online/in-person]
LPGCD Board Meeting; February 18, 2026, 3:30pm; 317E Hempstead ST; Giddings, TX [online/in-person]
GMA-12 meeting; November 20,2025, 10am, 310 East Ave C, Milano, TX [online/in-person]
Be Informed—Get Involved—Donate