NPGCD Currently Achieving its Adopted Desired Future Conditions

Posted July 24, 2017 in: District Reports

In June, the district’s board adopted desired future conditions (DFCs) for each of the aquifers in the district, completing the current joint planning cycle for Groundwater Management Area 1 (GMA 1). A DFC is a quantitative description of the desired condition of the groundwater resources in a management area at one or more specified future times. The Ogallala aquifer’s DFCs also include the Rita Blanca aquifer located in Dallam County, and they are the same DFCs that were adopted in 2010. The board adopted that the Ogallala and Rita Blanca aquifers’ DFCs remaining in 50 years, for the period 2012-2062 are as follows:

At least 40 percent of volume in storage collectively in Dallam, Hartley, Moore, and Sherman counties; and
At least 50 percent of volume in storage collectively in Hansford, Lipscomb, and Ochiltree counties and that portion of Hutchinson County with North Plains GCD.

The Dockum aquifer’s DFC is similar to that adopted in 2009. The board adopted that the Dockum aquifer’s DFC is at least 40 percent of the available drawdown remaining in 50 years for the period 2012-2062 collectively for Dallam, Hartley, Moore, and Sherman counties.

The Texas Water Development Board (TWDB) released the Modeled Available Groundwater (MAG) to the district on April 19, 2017. The collective MAG for the aquifers in the district are as follows (Table 1):

Table 1: Collective MAG for Aquifers in NPGCD
County	2016	2020	2030	2040	2050	2060	2062
Dallam ^[A][B]	435,583	401,663	301,393	239,759	181,074	127,048	117,442
Hartley ^[A]	440,083	402,386	276,055	216,814	158,850	104,696	95,103
Moore ^[A]	242,451	226,455	183,387	149,846	115,576	84,199	78,545
Sherman ^[A]	422,960	398,183	349,022	281,817	212,871	148,647	136,869
Hansford	275,929	275,016	272,656	271,226	270,281	269,589	269,479
Hutchinson	61,964	62,803	64,522	65,652	66,075	66,027	65,956
Ochiltree	243,725	243,778	243,932	244,002	244,051	244,082	244,085
Lipscomb	266,852	266,809	266,710	266,640	266,591	266,559	266,557
West	1,541,077	1,428,687	1,109,857	888,236	668,371	464,590	427,959
East	848,469	848,406	847,820	847,520	846,998	846,257	846,077
Total	2,389,546	2,277,093	1,957,677	1,735,756	1,515,369	1,310,847	1,274,036

^[A]Counties with the Dockum aquifer included in their MAG.
^[B]Counties with the Rita Blanca aquifer included in their MAG.

The district requires all owners of non-exempt water wells to annually report their groundwater production. Table 2 below shows the groundwater volumes reported to the district from 2012 through 2016. Over the last five years, groundwater withdrawals in the district averaged 1.7 million acre-feet per year. The eastern four counties’ (Hansford, Hutchinson, Lipscomb, and Ochiltree) groundwater production averaged 399 thousand acre-feet per year, while the western four counties’ (Dallam, Hartley, Moore, and Sherman) production averaged 1.3 million acre-feet per year. Of the total groundwater production, the eastern and western counties’ groundwater pumping averaged 23.5% and 76.5%, respectively. Total groundwater withdrawals in the district during 2016 totaled 1.56 million acre-feet.

The eastern counties pumped 362 thousand acre-feet (21.3%) while the western counties pumped 1.2 million acre-feet (70.8%). 2016 district-wide production is 8% below the average of the past five years. The east counties are 9.33% below the average, and the west counties are 7.47% below the average.

Table 2: Groundwater Production Reported to The District, 2012-2016 (Volumes in Acre-feet)
County	2012	2013	2014	2015	2016	Average
Dallam	372,000	399,300	393,700	297,000	339,200	360,240
Hartley	458,700	459,000	442,100	332,700	391,600	416,820
Moore	234,700	228,300	210,000	156,700	185,700	203,080
Sherman	348,100	346,700	361,400	251,700	285,300	318,640
Hansford	218,800	202,000	211,700	148,800	170,400	190,340
Hutchinson	72,300	69,800	74,000	57,700	67,600	68,280
Lipscomb	55,600	42,600	48,800	39,400	42,300	45,740
Ochiltree	109,300	98,300	106,300	77,400	81,400	94,540
West	1,413,500	1,433,300	1,407,200	1,038,100	1,201,800	1,298,780
East	456,000	412,700	440,800	323,300	361,700	398,900
Total	1,869,500	1,846,000	1,848,000	1,361,400	1,563,500	1,697,680

^[A] 2016 Production data are provisional and subject to change.
^[B]Average is an average of the last five years.

The average annual groundwater production is below the MAG provided by the TWDB which means the district is well on its way to achieving its adopted DFCs.

Though the board has adopted DFCs for the next 50 years, the joint planning process continues. The district will begin the next cycle shortly with its joint planning partners: Hemphill County Underground Water Conservation District, High Plains Underground Water Conservation District, and Panhandle Groundwater Conservation District.