North Plains Water News

June 2024

Maximize Your Available Acres to Increase Allowable Water

Have you bought any new water rights this year?

Have you made plans or are you considering obtaining more water rights to ensure you do not overproduce your GPU (Groundwater Production Unit)?

Do you know how to maximize the number of acres available to you for the District's Conservation Reserve Program?

The district understands that property changes, leases and reconfigurations happen every year, however; you may not know how important this information is to be able to report your production and comply with the deadlines and production limits of the district. Providing the district with purchases, sales or leases of property before the end of each year can not only make reporting your production easier, but it can also maximize your Annual Allowable Production and/or increase your banked Conservation Reserve.

If you filed a production report for the year 2023, we will be sending out a Water Rights Ownership Verification form in July. This report will contain the GPU number(s), section(s), and acres we show you are responsible for reporting annual production for 2024. We ask that you carefully review the document for accuracy and contact the district if you have any questions.

Telling us about your property changes benefit you in multiple ways:

Getting the right reports at production time ensures you have ample time to report your production without incurring late fees.
Joining contiguous acres allows you to increase your allowable production to help keep you from over-producing AND may increase your available bank for application during those dry years.
Checking with the district on the status of the wells ensures you stay in compliance.
Reporting the production when you sell a property ensures you will not be responsible for any overages, late fees, or misunderstandings.

District staff are committed to helping you succeed and are ready and willing to answer questions, draft needed documents and provide education. In some instances, we may be able to provide money on conservation methods we have vetted at our Water Conservation Center.

Come by the office at 603 E. 1st Street in Dumas, call us at 806-935-6401 or send an email to productionreporting@northplainsgcd.org.

XericZone Entries Being Accepted for Yard Recognition!

A xeriscape is a landscape design that does not require much water, usually utilizing native or drought-tolerant plants and hardscape elements such as rocks or pavers. If you know of a business or residence that uses any water-friendly landscaping practices, please send us a tip to info@northplainsgcd.org or fill out the nomination form found at here.

We’ll get in touch with the home or business owner and adorn their landscape with a special XericZone sign. They’ll also receive a deluxe rain gauge and a gardening gift card! Feel free to nominate your own xeriscape, or any that you see!

4-H2O Water Ambassador Visit to the WCC.

The Texas 4-H Water Ambassadors Program was formed in 2017 in an effort to educate youth about water resources in Texas. Every spring, up to 30 high school youth are selected to participate in a summer 4-H2O Leadership Academy (tour). Students travel throughout Texas to learn how water is collected, conveyed, treated, conserved and managed to meet the need of our economy and citizenry.

One of the stops on this tour is the North Plains Water Conservation Center. The students get to explore our working farm and see the technologies farmers use to help manage and conserve our water resources.

Students were able to hear from Moore County Director of the NPGCD Board, Harold Grall. He spoke about his experience with farming and explained to the students what a piviot is and how watering has changed with the water table level changes. Stan Spain the farmer for the WCC also spoke to the attendees on the pros and cons of subsurface drip irrigation systems (SDI) used on the farm. Employees Kirk Welch and Curtis Schwertner discussed what a well is, as well as, what demonstrations are on the farm and why.

The district enjoys being able to host the future generation of water leaders and teach them why water in the panhandle is so important for the economy.

If you would like to learn more about the program, check out the website here.

Upcoming 2024 Director Election!

The above map shows the North Plains GCD divided up into the seven precincts in which a Director for the Board is elected to represent their precinct. This year, the NPGCD has three (3) Board of Directors' positions up for election. In order to run, a candidate must be a resident and a registered voter in the precinct that the person desires to represent. The filing period opens July 20, 2024 and closes August 19, 2024.

The next District election will be held on Tuesday, November 5, 2024 to fill the vacancy in Lipscomb County (Precinct 7), Texas, as well as for the officers in Ochiltree (Precinct 6), Texas, Hansford and Hutchinson Counties (Precinct 5), Texas. The election will be held during the November General Election. The November 5, 2024 election will be held within the respective confines of: Lipscomb County, Texas; Hansford County, Texas; Hutchinson County, Texas and Ochiltree County, Texas.

The current Board Members and their respective precinct are as follows:

Allan Frerich - Dallam County
Mark Howard - Hartley County
Justin Crownover - Sherman County
Harold Grall - Moore County
Bob Zimmer - Hutchinson & Hansford County
Danny Krienke - Ochiltree County
Vacant - Lipscomb County

The Board’s responsibilities include, but are not limited to, adopting and monitoring the District’s annual budget, setting an annual tax rate and other fees to fund the budget, setting district goals, developing and implementing the district’s management plan, adopting and enforcing District Rules, ensuring the district operates within its statutory authority, and developing and implementing policies and other orders.

Important Dates for the Upcoming Election:

Last Day to File for a Place on the General Election Ballot: Monday, August 19, 2024 at 5:00 p.m.
Last Day to File a Declaration of Write-in Candidacy: Friday, August 23, 2024
Uniform Election Date: November 5, 2024

Are you are interested in running?

Contact District Election Administrator, Kristen Blackwell at klane@northplainsgcd.org

For more election information go here.

Important Links...

North Plains Groundwater Conservation District

(806) 935-6401

info@northplainsgcd.org

northplainsgcd.org

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