Sign up period for conservancy program extended

The Post Oak Savannah Groundwater Conservation District is extending the sign up period for the Post Oak Savannah Aquifer Conservancy Program. 

This action was in response to the ongoing filings and requests by landowners in the District. The ACP was designed to create a legacy of stewardship for landowners, and involves local citizens in the important efforts of conserving water locally for future generations. The registration period to enroll in the for the year 2020 has been extended to Oct. 31. 

Applications are currently being processed, with contracts drafted and set to be mailed out mid-to-late September. The program has been a success with more than 21,000 acres are currently enrolled with more and more applications processed each day.

The ACP will enable persons owning land above the Carrizo-Wilcox aquifers in the District to commit their groundwater resources into a long-term conservation program for terms of five, ten, or twenty years while still maintaining full ownership and control of their private property. 

The district will compensate landowners for their legacy effort in stewardship. Each landowner can still drill or maintain an exempt well for domestic and livestock uses. Landowners will receive $5 per acre, per year, with a 5 year commitment, $8 per acre, per year, with a 10 year commitment and $10 per acre, per year, with a 20 year commitment. 

This is a strictly volunteer program, which is funded by fees collected by the district. Payments will be dispersed annually to participating landowners at the end of each year’s commitment.

POSGCD is empowered by the State of Texas to preserve, conserve, and protect groundwater resources in Burleson and Milam Counties. This ground-breaking conservation program will allow most land owners in the two counties to partner with the District in its mission to conserve the aquifers in this area.

POSGCD also has many additional programs of benefit to local citizens including providing grants to local water utilities, assisting fire departments with the cost of water conservation efforts, assisting landowners with the cost of plugging abandoned water wells, and providing grants for Rain Water Harvesting efforts in the District. 

To learn more about Post Oak Savannah, visit website at www.posgcd.org