City of Bryan and others suing over water rights

2,640 Views | 25 Replies | Last: 9 days ago by BCSWguru
boredatwork08
User Profile Ignore User Stop Ignoring
How long do you want to ignore this user?
24 hours One week Permanently Cancel
10:15a, 11/20/24
AG
https://www.kxxv.com/news/local-news/in-your-neighborhood/brazos-county/bryan/city-of-bryan-takes-legal-action-to-preserve-water-resources

At first glance, I'm happy that our local governments are looking out for our most precious resource. Unfortunately, this article and statement from CoB are a bit sparse on the details. Where would this water go after being extracted? How much of the current annual extraction would 100,000 ac/ft represent?
Reply Quote
FamousAgg
User Profile
Private Message
Ignore User Stop Ignoring
How long do you want to ignore this user?
24 hours One week Permanently Cancel
In reply to boredatwork08 • 10:26a, 11/20/24
Just for a visual, Lake Bryan is approximately 15,000 acre feet.
Reply Quote
1 edit
AgTrip
User Profile Ignore User Stop Ignoring
How long do you want to ignore this user?
24 hours One week Permanently Cancel
11:23a, 11/20/24
I found some more information regarding the Link above. This comes from the COB website.

https://www.bryantx.gov/the-city-of-bryan-sues-to-block-out-of-state-interests-from-raiding-brazos-valley-water/
Quote:
San Francisco-based Upwell LLC, which is backed by over $1 billion in capital from New York and Wall Street investors, is pursuing permits to extract up to 100,000 acre-feet of water annually from the Simsboro Aquifer, a critical water source for communities, agriculture, and institutions in the Brazos Valley. This amount of water is equivalent to over two times the amount of currently used annually by the cities of Bryan, Calvert, College Station, Franklin, and Hearne COMBINED.
I still can't find anything that mentions what they'll do with the extracted water.
Reply Quote
2
FamousAgg
User Profile
Private Message
Ignore User Stop Ignoring
How long do you want to ignore this user?
24 hours One week Permanently Cancel
In reply to AgTrip • 11:33a, 11/20/24
2x the use of all those cities is a huge drain. If we are having water problems now imagine what this would do
Reply Quote
15
Hornbeck
User Profile
Private Message
Ignore User Stop Ignoring
How long do you want to ignore this user?
24 hours One week Permanently Cancel
12:02p, 11/20/24
AG
CoCS didn't go this route. They just decided to drill more and deeper wells at a cost of $70M.

Maybe they should have looked at litigation first?!?
Reply Quote
1
maroon barchetta
User Profile
Private Message
Ignore User Stop Ignoring
How long do you want to ignore this user?
24 hours One week Permanently Cancel
In reply to AgTrip • 12:21p, 11/20/24
Pipe it west and sell it
Reply Quote
12
BQ_90
User Profile
Private Message
Ignore User Stop Ignoring
How long do you want to ignore this user?
24 hours One week Permanently Cancel
In reply to AgTrip • 1:15p, 11/20/24
AG
AgTrip said:
I found some more information regarding the Link above. This comes from the COB website.

https://www.bryantx.gov/the-city-of-bryan-sues-to-block-out-of-state-interests-from-raiding-brazos-valley-water/
Quote:
San Francisco-based Upwell LLC, which is backed by over $1 billion in capital from New York and Wall Street investors, is pursuing permits to extract up to 100,000 acre-feet of water annually from the Simsboro Aquifer, a critical water source for communities, agriculture, and institutions in the Brazos Valley. This amount of water is equivalent to over two times the amount of currently used annually by the cities of Bryan, Calvert, College Station, Franklin, and Hearne COMBINED.
I still can't find anything that mentions what they'll do with the extracted water.
i assume to sell it to Houston
Reply Quote
maroon barchetta
User Profile
Private Message
Ignore User Stop Ignoring
How long do you want to ignore this user?
24 hours One week Permanently Cancel
In reply to BQ_90 • 2:17p, 11/20/24
BQ_90 said:
AgTrip said:
I found some more information regarding the Link above. This comes from the COB website.

https://www.bryantx.gov/the-city-of-bryan-sues-to-block-out-of-state-interests-from-raiding-brazos-valley-water/
Quote:
San Francisco-based Upwell LLC, which is backed by over $1 billion in capital from New York and Wall Street investors, is pursuing permits to extract up to 100,000 acre-feet of water annually from the Simsboro Aquifer, a critical water source for communities, agriculture, and institutions in the Brazos Valley. This amount of water is equivalent to over two times the amount of currently used annually by the cities of Bryan, Calvert, College Station, Franklin, and Hearne COMBINED.
I still can't find anything that mentions what they'll do with the extracted water.
i assume to sell it to San Antonio or Austin or Round Rock or…


FIFY
Reply Quote
9
rsa
User Profile Ignore User Stop Ignoring
How long do you want to ignore this user?
24 hours One week Permanently Cancel
In reply to maroon barchetta • 2:49p, 11/20/24
AG
Their website (www.water.llc) makes it pretty clear that they want to own everything involved in the water system. No thank you!
Reply Quote
4
oklaunion
User Profile Ignore User Stop Ignoring
How long do you want to ignore this user?
24 hours One week Permanently Cancel
3:21p, 11/20/24
The Bryan mayor was on 1620AM this morning and said it is going to Georgetown.
Reply Quote
1
Ag97
User Profile
Private Message
Ignore User Stop Ignoring
How long do you want to ignore this user?
24 hours One week Permanently Cancel
3:23p, 11/20/24
AG
I hope they win the lawsuit and stop them from drilling that many wells. We're already seeing issues with water tables dropping. There is well field in Burleson County near Caldwell that is much smaller than this one that pumps water all the way to San Antonio. 8 foot diameter pipe being pumped full is having a significant drawdown effect on surrounding wells. I know 2 people that have had to have their wells lowered in the last couple years. At some point they won't be able to lower them any more and the water is just gone.

Unless we can stop the Texas population from growing, we're going to learn the hard way that green St. Augustine lawns and lots of landscaping aren't worth the pain it causes everyone once the aquifers are empty. My parents are on the Ogallala aquifer in the Texas Panhandle and they've already reached that point in many areas.
Reply Quote
7
maroon barchetta
User Profile
Private Message
Ignore User Stop Ignoring
How long do you want to ignore this user?
24 hours One week Permanently Cancel
In reply to Ag97 • 3:25p, 11/20/24
Yet we keep seeing more and more people move to Texas. Legally or otherwise.
Reply Quote
4
AgTrip
User Profile Ignore User Stop Ignoring
How long do you want to ignore this user?
24 hours One week Permanently Cancel
4:03p, 11/20/24
I've always thought about this simple diagram of the water cycle. What happens when we remove water from the cycle, and bottle it and put it on pallets in big wholesale warehouses and stores? Do we see less rain? Droughts?



I also find it ironic that we live on a planet 3/4 water and have water shortages.
Reply Quote
boredatwork08
User Profile Ignore User Stop Ignoring
How long do you want to ignore this user?
24 hours One week Permanently Cancel
In reply to AgTrip • 7:20p, 11/20/24
AG
That's a bit of an oversimplification. I really hope you posted that in good faith.

Depletion of groundwater occurs for several reasons. We're essentially using accessible freshwater faster than it can be replenished. Then you have the fact of water that evaporates in one location may not be dumped back in the same location.

Only 3% of water on the entire planet is freshwater. Of that 3%, a good portion is locked up in glaciers/ice and the atmosphere. Desalination of ocean water has made significant progress over the last couple of decades but it is still cost prohibitive on a scale required for our needs.
Reply Quote
9
AgTrip
User Profile Ignore User Stop Ignoring
How long do you want to ignore this user?
24 hours One week Permanently Cancel
7:32p, 11/20/24
Yep, very simplified. Just makes one think. I recall all the summer droughts and lakes and rivers low, Edward's aquifer in San Antonio always at record lows. Pumping water out to put it in a bottle to sit on a shelf didn't make sense. Haha
Reply Quote
AggieCVQ
User Profile Ignore User Stop Ignoring
How long do you want to ignore this user?
24 hours One week Permanently Cancel
9:43p, 11/20/24
I have no idea how this isn't a bigger discussion.

They're basically selling our water to Austin to support their growth. **** off.

What does the city need to fight this? Money, vocal support?
Reply Quote
12
whoop1995
User Profile
Private Message
Ignore User Stop Ignoring
How long do you want to ignore this user?
24 hours One week Permanently Cancel
5:57a, 11/21/24
AG
I collect ticket stubs! looking for a 1944 orange bowl and 1981 independence bowl ticket stub as well as Aggie vs tu stubs - 1926 and below, 1935-1937, 1939-1944, 1946-1948, 1950-1951, 1953, 1956-1957, 1959, 1960, 1963-1966, 1969-1970, 1972-1974, 1980, 1984, 1990, 2004, 2008, 2010
Reply Quote
1
1 edit
Hornbeck
User Profile
Private Message
Ignore User Stop Ignoring
How long do you want to ignore this user?
24 hours One week Permanently Cancel
In reply to AggieCVQ • 12:56a, 11/22/24
AG
AggieCVQ said:
I have no idea how this isn't a bigger discussion.

They're basically selling our water to Austin to support their growth. **** off.

What does the city need to fight this? Money, vocal support?


Changing Texas' backward laws.
Reply Quote
5
Cartographer
User Profile
Private Message
Ignore User Stop Ignoring
How long do you want to ignore this user?
24 hours One week Permanently Cancel
9:09a, 11/22/24
A company did this in Burleson/Milam/Lee and other counties about 10 years ago. Once the larger land owners outside of the city sign their water rights to these people, it's over. Unfortunately, most of the water rights are subsurface and so not covered by surface ownership rights that transfer in typical land transactions.

So the people who live there often don't control what happens below the surface and those subsurface owners who are removed from the actual land have the right to sign contracts and obtain royalties. For them it's free money. For the locals, it loses them the ability to control water that is physically below their feet.

Their water went to San Antonio, IIRC.
Reply Quote
2
Cartographer
User Profile
Private Message
Ignore User Stop Ignoring
How long do you want to ignore this user?
24 hours One week Permanently Cancel
9:12a, 11/22/24
In reading that article, it sounds like some of the larger entities in Robertson county have already signed with this company.

It appears as if this is not going to go well for those who rely on that aquifer.
Reply Quote
maroon barchetta
User Profile
Private Message
Ignore User Stop Ignoring
How long do you want to ignore this user?
24 hours One week Permanently Cancel
In reply to Cartographer • 10:27a, 11/22/24
If they did everything legally.
Reply Quote
3
Stucco
User Profile Ignore User Stop Ignoring
How long do you want to ignore this user?
24 hours One week Permanently Cancel
12:21p, 11/22/24
We will have to import water at some point too and will be happy to buy it from wherever we can. We need advancements in desalination.
Reply Quote
4
Bob Yancy
User Profile
Private Message
Ignore User Stop Ignoring
How long do you want to ignore this user?
24 hours One week Permanently Cancel
In reply to Hornbeck • 9:45a, 11/24/24
Hornbeck said:
CoCS didn't go this route. They just decided to drill more and deeper wells at a cost of $70M.

Maybe they should have looked at litigation first?!?


We are a party to this lawsuit.

Respectfully

Yancy
My opinions are mine and should not be construed as those of city council or staff. I welcome robust debate but will cease communication on any thread in which colleagues or staff are personally criticized. I must refrain from comment on posted agenda items until after meetings are concluded. Bob Yancy 95
Reply Quote
2
Bob Yancy
User Profile
Private Message
Ignore User Stop Ignoring
How long do you want to ignore this user?
24 hours One week Permanently Cancel
In reply to boredatwork08 • 9:46a, 11/24/24
boredatwork08 said:
https://www.kxxv.com/news/local-news/in-your-neighborhood/brazos-county/bryan/city-of-bryan-takes-legal-action-to-preserve-water-resources

At first glance, I'm happy that our local governments are looking out for our most precious resource. Unfortunately, this article and statement from CoB are a bit sparse on the details. Where would this water go after being extracted? How much of the current annual extraction would 100,000 ac/ft represent?


It would go to Georgetown, and it's far in excess of what we currently use locally.

Respectfully

Yancy
My opinions are mine and should not be construed as those of city council or staff. I welcome robust debate but will cease communication on any thread in which colleagues or staff are personally criticized. I must refrain from comment on posted agenda items until after meetings are concluded. Bob Yancy 95
Reply Quote
1
Bob Yancy
User Profile
Private Message
Ignore User Stop Ignoring
How long do you want to ignore this user?
24 hours One week Permanently Cancel
In reply to AgTrip • 9:47a, 11/24/24
AgTrip said:
I found some more information regarding the Link above. This comes from the COB website.

https://www.bryantx.gov/the-city-of-bryan-sues-to-block-out-of-state-interests-from-raiding-brazos-valley-water/
Quote:
San Francisco-based Upwell LLC, which is backed by over $1 billion in capital from New York and Wall Street investors, is pursuing permits to extract up to 100,000 acre-feet of water annually from the Simsboro Aquifer, a critical water source for communities, agriculture, and institutions in the Brazos Valley. This amount of water is equivalent to over two times the amount of currently used annually by the cities of Bryan, Calvert, College Station, Franklin, and Hearne COMBINED.
I still can't find anything that mentions what they'll do with the extracted water.


They want to pipe it to Georgetown.

Respectfully

Yancy
My opinions are mine and should not be construed as those of city council or staff. I welcome robust debate but will cease communication on any thread in which colleagues or staff are personally criticized. I must refrain from comment on posted agenda items until after meetings are concluded. Bob Yancy 95
Reply Quote
1
BCSWguru
User Profile Ignore User Stop Ignoring
How long do you want to ignore this user?
24 hours One week Permanently Cancel
10:08a, 11/24/24
Georgetown sucks. Dont send them anything.
Reply Quote
4
Refresh
Page 1 of 1
 
×
subscribe Verify your student status
See Subscription Benefits
Trial only available to users who have never subscribed or participated in a previous trial.