Groundwater conservation districts (GCDs) are integral parts of Texas’ long-term planning process for water management and the State Water Plan. The Barton Springs-Edwards Aquifer Conservation District participates in each part of the planning process including surface water, groundwater, and flood planning.
The Planning Process
The State Water Plan and State Flood Plan both include citizen and stakeholder input. These plans are based on 50-year horizons with five-year planning cycles.
Groundwater management areas (GMAs) are geographically defined regions based on aquifer boundaries. GCDs in each GMA work together to coordinate groundwater management planning, including setting Desired Future Conditions (DFCs). DFCs are then incorporated into the Regional Water Plan by the regional water planning group.
There are 16 regional water planning groups throughout Texas, one for each regional water planning area. The planning group participants include representatives from a variety of industries, water districts, river authorities, and more. Once a planning group adopts its Regional Water Plan, it is sent to the Texas Water Development Board and used to help develop the State Water Plan.
Aquifer Wide Groundwater Planning
Groundwater Management Area 9 (GMA-9)
- The GMA-9 boundary focuses on the Hill Country portion of the Trinity Aquifer.
- While the District is not an official member of GMA-9, we work closely with this group because we oversee a portion of the Trinity Aquifer in Central Texas.
- GMA-9 includes the following groundwater conservation districts:
Bandera County River Authority and Groundwater District, Blanco-Pedernales GCD, Comal Trinity GCD, Cow Creek GCD, Hays Trinity GCD, Headwaters GCD, Medina County GCD, Southwestern Travis County GCD, and Trinity-Glen Rose GCD
Groundwater Management Area 10 (GMA-10)
- The GMA-10 boundary focuses on the Edwards Aquifer.
- GMA-10 includes the following groundwater conservation districts:
Balcones Fault Zone Aquifers: Barton Springs-Edwards Aquifer Conservation District, Comal Trinity GCD, Kinney County GCD, Medina County GCD, Plum Creek Conservation District, and Uvalde County Underground Water Conservation District
Proposed Desired Future Conditions for relevant aquifers within Groundwater Management Area 10 as approved on April 27, 2026. Please send public comments to Charlie Flatten, GMA-10 Chair, at cflatten@bseacd.org.
Regional Water Planning
- Covers the Lower Colorado River Basin
- Includes Barton, Onion, and Bear creeks
- Covers the Blanco and San Marcos River Basins
- Includes Halifax, Sink, Plum and Pergatory creeks
- This is Texas’ current State Water Plan
- The 2027 State Water Plan will be adopted later in 2026
Regional Flood Planning
Region 10 Flood Planning Group
- Covers the Lower Colorado River Basin
- Includes the Pedernales River and Barton, Onion, and Bear creeks
Region 11 Flood Planning Group
- Covers the Blanco River Basin
- Includes Cypress Creek, the Blanco River, and the Little Blanco River
- This is Texas’ first State Flood Plan
- The regional and state flood planning processes recur in five-year cycles