Hemphill County UWCD

Header photo by Marcus Rexilius

Published November 4, 2024 by Julia Stanford

Nicknamed the “Oasis of the High Plains,” Hemphill County is unique among its neighbors in the Texas Panhandle for several reasons, including its groundwater management!

Fall foliage in Canadian, photo by Sean Fitzgerald

The Canadian River cuts through the county, creating a scenic valley that boasts an abundance of foliage and towering riparian trees, including the famous Landmark Cottonwood – a stark contrast to the notoriously treeless landscape of the region. Tens of thousands of cattle dot the rolling hills of Hemphill County, serving as proof that ranching is not only the community’s past, but also its future. The city of Canadian is the county seat. It offers legendary small-town charm and many nods to the area’s rich heritage as an outpost for native tribes, traveling militias, railroads, and agricultural entrepreneurs. In autumn, the county comes alive with vibrant fall foliage, making it one of the few places in all of Texas to experience true fall color changes. Hemphill County hosts an annual Fall Foliage Festival, celebrating this unique seasonal beauty.

In 1995, Hemphill County Underground Water Conservation District was created with the passage of House Bill 1493 in the 74th regular legislative session. The bill’s background noted that “the citizens of the county feel that the creation of an underground water conservation district would aid in the regulation of water use and water quality.” The district was confirmed in 1997, with 88% of voters in favor. Janet Guthrie served as Hemphill County UWCD’s first general manager for 22 years, and as of 2023, Christa Perry is now at the helm.

Management Strategies

With its unique topography and a community devoted to maintaining their positive and prosperous way of life, it only makes sense that Hemphill County embodies those values in their groundwater management strategies, too. Hemphill County UWCD is within Groundwater Management Area (GMA) 1, one of 16 such areas delineated by the Texas Water Development Board. Every five years, GMAs undergo joint planning to develop long-term “desired future conditions” of the aquifers in the GMA that provide a balance between the highest practicable level of groundwater production and the protection of the groundwater resources. While other groundwater conservation districts in GMA 1 have adopted desired future conditions that retain 40-50% of the existing groundwater volume in the Ogallala aquifer over the next 50 years, Hemphill County UWCD aims to preserve 80% of the storage volume in its portion of the same aquifer.

To achieve this goal, Hemphill County UWCD has adopted a unique management plan and associated rules. The district’s permitting approach is rare among Texas GCDs, based primarily on an annual decline rate. The amount of groundwater produced from a permitted well must not result in a greater than 1% decline in the saturated thickness of the aquifer. The board of directors assesses each permit application against this benchmark, using data from over 100 monitor wells throughout the county. Depth-to-water readings in these monitor wells range from 3.4 ft close to the Canadian River to 329.8 ft on the high mesas.

Jeff Hohertz, Hemphill County UWCD’s part time field tech assistant, and Lucas Moreno, intern and 4-H Water ambassador, collecting water samples

Education and Community Involvement

In addition to prioritizing water conservation through scientific permitting, Hemphill County UWCD spreads the message to some of the younger groundwater users in the community through its educational programming. Since 2011, the district has hosted its own water festival for all 5th grade students in the county. Nearly a thousand students have attended this innovative program to learn all about the value of water and basics of the water cycle, including lessons and activities on nature journaling, soils, and the journey taken by a single drop of water as it moves through the water cycle. Students also learned about the local and migratory wildlife that rely on groundwater and surface water. The district partners with Ogallala Commons, a regional non-profit, as well as surrounding groundwater conservation districts and state agency representatives, to host this event, with many of them presenting their own activity station in line with their expertise or mission. Hemphill County UWCD also assists with the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Farm to Table experience for 4th grade students in the county.

Below: Field Technician Kaycee Long teaches about nature journals at the water festival, and reads “Hey, Water!” at a library storytime

Hemphill County is not only home to the hard-working board and staff members of the groundwater district, but recently some new water advocates have sprung up! The Texas 4-H Water Ambassadors program was formed in 2017 to educate youth about water resources in Texas and develop them as representatives for water education in their communities. Hemphill County welcomed its first water ambassador in 2019, and have since had two more youth leaders join the program to complete both the basic training and the next-tier academy. Thanks to Tucker Landry, Lucas Moreno, and Paige Perry for your service to the community and its valuable water resources!

 

To learn more about Hemphill UWCD, visit the district’s website at https://www.hemphilluwcd.org/.