Groundwater Management Area 8 (GMA 8) is one of 16 GMAs created by the Texas Legislature to facilitate statewide water planning. The GMA boundaries generally follow the boundaries of major aquifers. The GMA 8 boundary encompasses two major aquifers—the Trinity and the northern portion of the Edwards BFZ (Balcones Fault Zone); and seven minor aquifers—Blossom, Nacatoch, Woodbine, Brazos River Alluvium, Marble Falls, Ellenburger-San Saba, and Hickory. GMA 8 covers 45 counties extending from Travis County in the south to the Texas/Oklahoma border in the north.

Within the GMA 8 boundary, there are six confirmed groundwater conservation districts (GCD). The GCDs are tasked by the State Legislature to develop desired future conditions (DFC) for each of the major and minor aquifers within its boundary by the year 2010. These figures will be presented to the Texas Water Development Board (TWDB) who will then determine the managed available groundwater (MAG) figures for each aquifer. The MAG figures will then be included in regional water plans and the state water plan.

GMA 8 has started this process and has contracted with Turner Collie & Braden Inc. (TCB) for technical assistance. GMA 8 intends to provide the DFCs to the TWDB by Fall 2007 so the resulting MAGs may be included in the 2011 regional water plans and the 2012 State Water Plan. This website has been developed to provide a shared common space where the GMA 8 representatives may deposit and retrieve data that will be used in the development of the DFCs, as well as providing a site where the public may obtain information about GMA 8.

The six GCDs and representatives are as follows:

GCD County GMA 8 Representative & Email

Central Texas GCD (Burnet)- John Simmons

Clearwater UWCD (Bell)- Horace Grace

Fox Crossing Water District (Mills)- Jerry Priddy

Middle Trinity GCD (Comanche & Erath)- Joe Cooper

Saratoga UWCD (Lampasas)- Randy McGuire

Post Oak Savannah GCD (Milam & Burleson)- Gary Westbrook

The Clearwater UWCD is hosting this website and acts as the fiscal agent for GMA 8. Clearwater’s manager, Cheryl Maxwell, may be contacted at 254-933-0120.  For more contact info, check Contact Us.