NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING

July 18, 2022

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN to all interested persons in Ellis, Hill, Johnson, and Somervell Counties, Texas:

That the Board of Directors (“Board”) of the Prairielands Groundwater Conservation District (“District”) will hold a public hearing, accept public comment, and may act to adopt amendments to the District Rules regulating water wells within the boundaries of the District, including Ellis, Hill, Johnson, and Somervell Counties, Texas. Prior to its adoption of these amendments, the Board adopted permanent District Rules on December 17, 2018, and has subsequently amended them. The proposed amendments to the District Rules include: (1) giving the Board permissive authority to increase groundwater production by Board resolution during periods of extreme drought by authorizing permittees to overproduce their permits by a certain percentage designated by the Board in any calendar year in a collective total amount that will still promote achievement of the desired future conditions for the aquifers; (2) requiring permittees that are required by law to have drought contingency plans to implement those plans in order to be eligible for the increased groundwater production; (3) granting the Board similar permissive authority to increase production for a calendar year by resolution for a specific public water system or other permittee that is experiencing an emergency or other unforeseen event that could cause imminent public health or safety risks; and (4) other minor clarifying or non-substantive changes.

This hearing will be held on Monday, July 18, 2022, beginning at 9:00 a.m., at the District office located at 208 Kimberly Drive, Cleburne, TX 76031. Any person who desires to appear at the hearing and present comment or other information on the proposed adoption of amendments to the District Rules may do so in person, by legal representative, or both. Comments may be presented verbally or in written form. Limits may be placed on the amount of time that each person is allowed to present verbal comments. Persons interested in submitting written comments on the proposed amendments may do so by sending any such comments to the District office at 208 Kimberly Drive, Cleburne, TX 76031. The Board may act to adopt the amendments to the rules as proposed or with additional changes based upon comments and discussion at the hearing. The hearing posted in this notice may be recessed from day to day or continued where appropriate. At any time during the hearing, the Board may recess into a closed session under Section 551.071, Government Code, to receive legal advice regarding the rules amendments.

The public hearing is available to all persons regardless of disability. If you require special assistance to attend the hearing, please contact the Prairielands Groundwater Conservation District at (817) 556-2299 at least 24 hours in advance of the hearing.

A copy of the proposed amendments to the District Rules may be requested by email at kjones@prairielandsgcd.org, is available for reviewing or downloading at www.prairielandsgcd.org, and may be reviewed, inspected, or obtained in person at the District office located at 208 Kimberly Drive, Cleburne, TX 76031. For more information, contact the District’s General Manager, Kathy Turner Jones, at (817) 556-2299.