TWCA Virtual Mid-Year Conference 2020

1. presented to the
Texas Water Conservation Association Virtual Mid-Year Conference
June 19, 2020 1
Robert E. Mace, Ph.D., P.G.
The Meadows Center for Water and the Environment
Texas State University
Sharlene Leurig
Texas Water Trade

2. National Fish and Wildlife Foundation
Fort Stockton Convention and Visitors Bureau
Cynthia and George Mitchell Foundation
The People of Fort Stockton
2

3. from Collitt (2011)
swimming in Comanche Springs circa 1900
3

4. 4

5. 5

6. 1875
springs
6

7. 7

8. 8

9. 9
Leon-Belding Area
Comanche Springs
Balmorheaarea

10. 10
Flow-enhancing wells at Leon Springs, 1916-17
Leon Springs Irrigation Company
map from USGS (1970)
flow increased here from ~16.5 cfs to 26.5 cfs
but decreased at Comanche springs from ~65 cfs to 45 cfs

11. 11
Davenport Irrigation
Land Associates (1917)
Fort Stockton Pioneer (1917)
Layne and Bowler
1,000 gpm

12. irrigation well in the Belding area
from Pollard and Gwin (2011)
12
M.C. Slaton opened the first irrigation project in the area,
later joined by Bill Cochran and T.B. Armentrout Fort Stockton Pioneer (1951)

13. springflow at Comanche Springs
year
Springflow
(cubicfeetpersecond)
1941 1950 1960
13
lawsuit

14. base map from Clark and others (2014)
14
flow at Comanche Springsno-flow at Comanche Springs
production issues 1958
~100,000 afy
~200,000 afy
~300,000 afy

15. What would it take to bring the springs back?

16. Reducing pumping in
Edwards-Trinity in MZ1
• Management Zone 1 of Middle
Pecos Groundwater
Conservation District is most
closely associated with flow at
Comanche Springs

17. Permitted
Volume and
Annual
Groundwater
Use in MZ1
0
10,000
20,000
30,000
40,000
50,000
60,000
70,000
80,000
90,000
2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016
GroundwaterPumping(AF)
Edwards-Trinity Other
PermittedVolume =85,975 AF
17
8-year average ETA usage ~46,000 AFY

18. MZ1 Irrigated Land
Fallow, 2,206.1
Field Crop,
8,354.1
Pecans, 3,613.2
18

19. Pumping could be
reduced by:
• Permit purchase and
retirement
• Incentivizing other sources
(going deeper)
• Incentivizing conservation
(and sharing savings)
~50% of irrigated land still
flood irrigated

20. Estimated
Volume and
Annual Cost
by
Alternative
〉Interesting point of comparison: Fort Stockton Holdings’ unit
price recently sold to Midland, Abilene and San Angelo is
$100/AFY
20
Alternative
Potential Volume
(AF)
Annual Cost
($/AFY)
Full Season Lease 8,400 $75 - $150
Partial Season Lease 1,800 $75 - $150
Permit Purchase > 9,200 Redacted
Irrigation Efficiency 2,000 $40 - $100
Crop Switch 2,250 $534
Source Switch 9,235 $144

21. Potential
Funding
Sources:
Government
21
Relevant Funding Source
US Bureau of
Reclamation
WaterSMART
US Fish and
Wildlife
Service
Section VI
Natural
Resources
Conservation
Service
Texas Water
Development Board
Agricultural
Conservation
Program
Texas Water
Development
Board State
Revolving
Funds
Texas Water
Development
Board SWIFT
Funds
Alternative
Full Season
Lease
Partial Season
Lease
Permit
Purchase
Irrigation
Efficiency
Crop Switch
Source
Switch

22. Potential
Funding
Sources:
Market
22
Relevant Funding Source
Annual Fund
Replenished
by Pool
Revenues
Annual Fund
Replenished by
Surface Water
Leasing
Revenues
Municipal
Bond
Private
Equity
Alternative
Full Season Lease
Partial Season
Lease
Permit Purchase
Irrigation
Efficiency
Crop Switch
Source Switch

23. Economic Benefits of
Springflow
• Nearby Balmorhea gets >200,000
visitors a year
– Generates $4 million/year in
economic uplift
– Sustains 72 jobs
• Ft. Stockton has far more
supporting infrastructure to capture
visitors for additional tax revenues
• Steady economic generator to
smooth out boom-and-bust oil
cycles

24. Pledgeable
Revenues
• Estimate that revenues
could support a $45
million bond issuance to
fund groundwater
acquisition
24
Revenue Source Estimated Annual
Revenue
Sales Tax $80,000
Hotel Occupancy Tax $300,000
Pool Entrance Fees $1,000,000
Surface Water Sales $543,000
TOTAL NEW REVENUES $1,923,000

25. Robert E. Mace, Ph.D., P.G.
The Meadows Center for Water and the Environment
Texas State University
rem142@txstate.edu
@maceatmeadows
25
Sharlene Leurig.
Texas Water Trade
leurig@texaswatertrade.org
@sleurig