During December, the Middle Trinity Groundwater Conservation District announced its annual scholarship essay contest and provided an analysis of projected water shortages in Bosque and Coryell counties within 50 years.
MTGCD is the governing body responsible for cataloguing well registration, ensuring the proper installation of wells and upholding the conservation of groundwater within the district’s member counties (Erath, Comanche, Bosque and Coryell).
The discussion on longterm water availability happened in the regular monthly meeting Dec. 5. In regular reports, MTGCD General Manager Patrick Wagner revealed the area was listed in “extreme Drought” according to the Palmer Drought Severity Index and “Severely Dry” under the Crop Moisture Index. Field Tech Johnny Wells reported plugging five wells in the month of November, performing seven water quality tests and checking levels in Coryell County wells, revealing seven higher than the previous reading, 14 down and three unchanged.
Wagner provided the following notes Bosque/ Coryell water availability: “The discussion focused on the long-term availability of groundwater resources in Bosque and Coryell Counties, both of which have been designated as Priority Groundwater Management Areas (PGMAs). These areas were identified by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) as regions likely to experience critical groundwater issues within the next 50 years due to factors such as over-pumping, declining recharge rates, and increasing water demands.
“Using the best available historical and current water level data, the District conducted a detailed analysis to identify trends and project future groundwater availability. The preliminary results indicate that, without effective and timely management strategies, Bosque and Coryell Counties could face significant groundwater shortages within the next 50 years, with some areas potentially encountering critical issues much sooner.
“To address these pressing concerns, the District is committed to enhancing the quality and reliability of water level data collected from wells in both counties. Currently, much of the data is derived from public water supply wells, which operate more consistently than private wells. However, such reliance can introduce variability, particularly when measurements are taken during or immediately following pumping activities. To improve data accuracy, the District will implement measures to determine whether water level readings were taken during or after pumping. This distinction is crucial for ensuring consistent and reliable trend analysis.
“Furthermore, the District is planning a comprehensive expansion of monitoring well coverage across both counties. This effort will target all major aquifer intervals and will include the installation of continuous monitoring systems, such as pressure transducers and sonic sensors. These systems will provide real-time data on water levels, enabling a more nuanced understanding of pumping impacts during both drought and wet conditions.
“To support this initiative, the District will collaborate with public water systems and private well owners to test the feasibility of continuous monitoring devices. Establishing longterm monitoring agreements with these stakeholders will be critical for collecting reliable data over time. Following a pilot program to identify suitable wells and evaluate the performance of monitoring technologies, the District will explore expanding its water level monitoring network as part of the Fiscal Year 2026 (FY26) budget. This strategic expansion aims to provide the data necessary to create more accurate trend projections and, if needed, to inform management decisions designed to sustain groundwater resources over the long term.
“In addition to efforts in Bosque and Coryell Counties, the District is actively working to bring online continuous monitoring wells equipped with pressure transducers and sonic sensors in Comanche and Erath Counties. These wells will further enhance the District’s ability to monitor groundwater conditions, providing critical data to guide resource management and support sustainable use across multiple counties.”
The Groundwater Stewardship Scholarship Essay Contest is open to all 2025 senior high school students in the four member counties and aims to reward them for demonstrating excellence in research and writing. Essays will be evaluated and scored based on the following criteria: content, accuracy of information, originality, grammar, quality of research, and style.
Essays will be evaluated and scored based on the following criteria: content, accuracy of information, originality, grammar, quality of research, and style.
Each county’s firstplace recipient will receive a $1,000 scholarship and second place recipients will receive an $875 scholarship. These scholarships can be applied to the community college, university, or technical training institution of the recipient’s choice. Scholarship funds will be disbursed directly to the selected school upon confirmation of enrollment.
All complete applications are due Friday, March 7, 2025. For more information, visit middletrinitygcd.org/ scholarships.
The next MTGCD meeting will be held at 1 p.m., Thursday, Jan. 9 in the Stephenville office (930 Wolfe Nursery Rd.).