TGR DISTRICT NEWS
If you missed a previous issue of our newsletters, just click here to read and or download those issues.
TGR News Posted July 2, 2026
Trinity Glen Rose District Awarded $100,000 Grant from Texas Water Development Board for Monitoring Well Project
The Trinity Glen Rose Groundwater Conservation District (TGR) just received approval from the Texas Water Development Board on a $101,241 grant request that was submitted in March 2026. The funds will be invested in expanding TGR's water well monitoring system.
While the District currently collects water level data from its seven monitoring wells, the District is looking to increase monitoring locations narrowing down any data gaps. The expanded network will provide more data to address groundwater management and planning efforts. This project will enhance data collection, quality, and availability of groundwater data through a modernized, integrated monitoring network.
As part of the project, the District plans to install modern sensors, pressure transducers, and sonic meters in existing wells and make the data available on TGR's online network. This work will also expand the continuous, real-time monitoring network to improve data collection, detection of rapid water level responses, seasonal fluctuations, and aquifer wide trends.
"In addition to this grant helping our District collect Trinity Aquifer groundwater data for our planning purposes, this information will also enhance our joint planning efforts with other groundwater districts," said TGR General Manager Amanda Maloukis. "The backbone of the State's groundwater models which shape water planning are built on field data. So, improvements to our District's data collection system will assist in improving model projections for future groundwater use to assist in conserving, preserving, and protecting our groundwater resources for future generations.”
The TGR monitoring well expansion project is expected to begin this year and conclude in the spring of 2028.
If you are interested in your well being monitored and have water levels available to you, please reach out to staff at the District office at (210) 698-1155 and we will help you determine if your well is a good candidate.
TGR News Posted June 24, 2026
Trinity Glen Rose District Moves to STAGE 2 Drought Restrictions from STAGE 3
After considering rising levels in the Trinity Aquifer monitoring wells due to significant rainfall over the past several months, the Trinity Glen Rose Groundwater Conservation District (TGR) will be moving from Drought Stage 3 to Stage 2 of its drought management plan.
“The District is pleased to report that with more rain in the long-term forecast and the recent downpours replenishing the District’s monitoring wells, we’ve decided to go to Stage 2 of our drought plan which is a reduction from the highest level drought Stage 3 which we’ve been in since November 1, 2024,” said TGR General Manager Amanda Maloukis. “There is still more room for wells to recover, so we are going to be a bit cautious in our drought approach over the next several months. We just published an article about a “Super El Niño” possibly bringing a strong rainy season later in 2026 to Texas. While we all hope that this much needed rain continues throughout the rest of the year, we haven’t reached a point of saying this current five-to-six year drought is over.”
From a water conservation standpoint, the District is urging home and business owners to take maximum advantage of the recent precipitation by keeping automatic sprinkler systems off and only hand watering where necessary. The soil is still fairly saturated with water and plants know how to access that water, so there is no need to waste water by putting more on landscapes now. You can read more about the TGR District Drought Plan at: www.TrinityGlenRose.com/drought.
STAGE 2 Drought Measures (Includes all measures of STAGE 1 and Year-Round Conservation)
1. Water use reduction goal of 10%.
2. Watering with a hand-held hose may occur any time and any day.
3. Watering with a spray irrigation system, sprinkler, or soaker hose is allowed to only
once a week, from 5-10 a.m. and 9 p.m.-12 a.m. on your designated watering day as
determined by your address in Stage 1.
4. Watering with drip irrigation may run up to two days a week on Monday and Friday,
before 10 a.m. or after 9 p.m.
Year-round Conservation Measures
This stage is what most people would consider normal seasonal climate conditions for the area. Year-round watering rules are in effect when no drought conditions are active.
The District strongly encourages homeowners, home owner associations, homebuilders and/or
developers, exempt or non-exempt well users to incorporate these conservation practices.
Specifically, the incorporation of the following best management practices:
1. Rain Sensors - rain sensors should be installed and maintained on all irrigation systems
equipped with automatic irrigation controls and inspected annually.
2. Xeriscape Option - Homebuilders and/or developers subdividing lots and/or
constructing new single family residential homes should offer a xeriscape option in any
series of landscaping options offered to prospective home buyers.
3. Rainwater Harvesting Systems - Homebuilders, developers, Homeowner Associations,
and homeowners should consider the installation of rain harvesting systems. Rain
harvesting systems can reduce reliance on common water supplies with a low-cost
investment.
4. Improve the quality of home irrigation systems - Homeowners, Homeowner
Associations, homebuilders, and developers should consider installing or replacing
irrigation systems with an efficient system. This can lessen the strain on groundwater
resources.
TGR Water "DFC" Proposal Moves Forward
In the world of groundwater planning, there is a term known as “Desired Future Conditions (DFCs)” which represents a desired quantified condition of groundwater resources over a 50-year planning horizon and re-evaluated every 5-years by groundwater management areas. The Trinity Glen Rose (TGR) is one of nine groundwater conservation districts (GCDs) in our planning group known as Groundwater Management Area 9 (GMA-9). The big picture is managing our groundwater resources for future generations.
While GMA -9 works as a single group in developing a 50-year outlook for the Trinity Aquifer and other relevant aquifers in its boundaries. Once the desired future conditions are adopted, the Texas Water Development Board calculates the Modeled Available Groundwater (MAG) for the aquifer, which is the amount of pumping that will achieve the DFC. The DFC is essentially a planning goal.
There are no planned changes in the DFC goals in this round of planning. The GMA-9 has identified no more than a 30’ decline in the Trinity Aquifer over the next 50 years. The planning group is looking forward to the next round of planning with a new Groundwater Availability Model the Texas Water Development Board finalized and released this year, to improve the groundwater planning process.
GMA-9 recently adopted proposed new “Desired Future Conditions” (DFCs) in March, which includes water planning goals for the Trinity Glen Rose District. There is a 90-day public comment period open through Monday, July 20, 2026. The TGR District Board will hold a public hearing to receive public comments on July 16, 2026, on the proposed DFCs relevant to the TGR District. Comments may also be submitted in writing/email to the District during the 90-day public comment period at any time.
You can find out more about GMAs, DFCs, MAGs, GCDs, Groundwater Data, Groundwater Models across the State of Texas and more at the Texas Water Development Board website, or the GMA-9 website at: www.gma9.org.
TGR Board Members Retain Precinct Seats
General elections for the Trinity Glen Rose Groundwater Conservation District (TGR) concluded May 2, 2026. Two board members retained their positions, Steven Peterson (left) and Joe Silman (right), recently took the oath of office to represent their respective precinct constituencies for another four-year term. Board Chair Joe duMenil (center) administered the oath of office. The District is gaining a new board member, David Timmermann for Precinct 5.
Additionally, the board voted on officer positions for the coming year which will include: Joe duMenil as Chair, Stuart Birnbaum as Vice Chair, Steven Peterson as Secretary, Joe Silman as Treasurer, and David Timmermann as Assistant Secretary/Treasurer.
The Board is responsible for all affairs of the District, including managing the groundwater resources of the Trinity Aquifer within the District. Click here to read more about the board members and the precincts they represent.
TWDB Studies Brackish Water in Hill Country Aquifers
The Texas Water Development Board (TWDB) Brackish Resources Aquifer Characterization System (BRACS) Program was established in 2009 to map and characterize the brackish portions of Texas aquifers to provide useful information and data to regional water planning groups and other entities interested in using brackish groundwater as a water supply.
Brackish water refers to water with a salt concentration higher than fresh water but lower than seawater. Typically, brackish salinity ranges from 0.5 to 30 parts per thousand. The exact salt concentration of brackish water depends on its location and environmental factors.
Both Texas industry and public water supply planners are looking at brackish groundwater to supplement stressed freshwater resources. Brackish groundwater is a significant water supply component that can be used to meet future water demands.
Groundwater desalination strategies in the 2022 State Water Plan represent additional new groundwater supply for nine of the regional planning groups. Desalination of brackish groundwater was recommended as an additional supply volume of approximately 19,000 acre-feet per year in 2020, with an additional 157,000 acre-feet per year of brackish groundwater recommended to be in service by 2070.
The Hill Country’s Trinity Aquifer is the southern portion of the larger Trinity Aquifer system, one of Texas’ nine major aquifers. It extends across roughly 15,500 square miles of Central Texas, spanning 24 counties from the Hill Country to the Gulf Coastal Plain. Composed of layered Cretaceous-age limestone, sandstone, and shale of the Trinity Group, the aquifer thickens southeastward and is heavily faulted by the Balcones and Luling Fault Zones, which influence groundwater flow and salinity. The aquifer includes six primary water-bearing units divided into 3 hydrologic units: the Upper Trinity, Middle Trinity, and Lower Trinity.
You can find more information about TWDB Hill Country brackish water study toward the bottom of the TGR Aquifer Science website page: www.trinityglenrose.com/aquifer-education. You can also review the TWDB story with more maps here.
Texas' Largest Groundwater Conference Happening in September
Registration is open for the 15th Annual Texas Groundwater Summit. This is the premier event of the year for groundwater professionals across Texas. Over three days, the Summit brings together experts and stakeholders from across the state to explore emerging trends, share new research, and discuss the most pressing groundwater issues facing Texas.
The Texas Groundwater Summit is the largest conference of its kind in Texas. If you are a groundwater professional, groundwater stakeholder, or interested in the future of groundwater in Texas, you should plan to be there. Attendees can expect:
-
Timely policy discussions following a historic legislative session and leading into what might be another water-focused legislative session
-
Opportunities to learn how groundwater is managed in Texas and the role of groundwater conservation districts
-
Technical sessions highlighting groundwater science, modeling, and research
-
Updates on district-led research and science-based initiatives
-
Ample networking opportunities with over 550 participants, including GCD board and staff members, engineers, attorneys, elected officials, and other groundwater stakeholders
Forecasters Predicting the Strongest El Niño in 140 Years Could Hit Texas This Year
What Does it Mean?
After a fairly warm and dry winter, a “Super El Niño” could be bringing a strong rainy season later in 2026 to Texas. Depending on how warm ocean surfaces stay this fall in the Northern Hemisphere, forecasters think the rainfall could be record breaking. A “super” event happens when temperatures climb more than 4 degrees above normal. These rare events have only happened a few times in history and often bring noticeable changes around the world.
The Southwest has been under drought conditions for almost six years, and all water planners have stated that it would take sustained rain over months to reverse the lasting impacts of this drought which has reduced the Edwards Aquifer and Trinity Aquifer to near record lows over the past year. What’s often not realized is that quick rounds of heavy rainfall are not enough to replenish these aquifers. It takes continued rainfall over many weeks to allow the large amounts of water to actually seep into aquifers and steadily replenish aquifers over time.
A large pool of warm water below the ocean surface is now rising and spreading. This shift is a key step in forming a powerful El Niño event. When the extra heat stored in the ocean is released into the atmosphere, it can influence weather patterns far beyond the Pacific. That is why scientists pay close attention to these changes. Recent weather updates from the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts show a stronger signal than first predicted for 2026, and confidence has grown that warming will continue through 2026.
While this strong El Niño is slated to develop in May, it’s largest impacts will likely come later in the year. Currently, the National Weather Service says there is a 62% chance of the Super El Niño development. You can read more about this potential shake up in our weather patterns this year at this link.
GARDENING
GO
Check out what’s happening in this edition of your favorite landscape show - Go Gardening!
Go Gardening Season Five Now Online
Go Gardening is now in its fifth season! Let’s take a look at what’s showing now.
In June, the Go Gardening crew put together a great segment on how to transform a part of your yard to a beautiful native plant bed. The example we used was our very first “Front Yard Makeover” contest winner’s home in central San Antonio. The Gardening Volunteers of South Texas, a great TGR partner, got all of the native plants, soil materials, landscape rock, project design and installation donated. Then GVST gathered its volunteers to install the new native plant bed. You’ll not only learn which plants were chosen for the project, but also get a great step-by-step tutorial in how to properly install and maintain a new native plant bed.
Next, we talked to a truly amazing woman who not only has become a native plant expert, but she also raises various vegetables from around the world to gather their seeds and share with people in various countries. She was a delight to be around and we all gained a new appreciation for how this former military officer has focused her retirement years on becoming a true source of knowledge about native plants in Texas. She also shares her knowledge through seminars, community presentations and a podcast.
Click here to watch the latest Go Gardening Show.
You can watch previous Go Gardening shows at: https://www.youtube.com/@gardeningvolunteersofsouth5703/videos.
Native Landscape Guide Available to Download
As the Hill Country, which includes parts of Northern Bexar County, continues to grow, so does the need to change the mindset of how landscapes should look for Hill Country homes. While there are many great resources, including the Trinity Glen Rose District’s own Go Gardening Show, we think this particular landscape guide provides a concise strategy for installing a beautiful native plant landscape.
The Hill Country Alliance partnered with the San Antonio Water System, Native Plant Society of Texas, and Native American Seed and developed “Native Landscaping Templates for the Hill Country” to help homeowners transform their lawns into native, water-wise landscapes. These well-designed templates offer simple, scalable examples that show the common principles for helping residential landscaping shift away from water-hungry turf lawns towards drought-tolerant native landscaping.
Great Water Conservation Tip - If you are thinking about converting your lawn to a native landscape, it may be a good time to rethink your irrigation system. If you are using native plants and planting them at the right time of year, you may be able to do away entirely with in-ground irrigation. The savings can be great for both your water use and your bill. Get the HCA Guide Here. The Hill Country Alliance and Native Plant Society will be holding a webinar on June 16 to go through this landscape guide. You can learn more about the webinar and register at this link.
TGR's Drought Tolerant Plant Picks
Having a water-saving garden doesn’t mean you have to sacrifice color and even year round color in your landscape. Once the temperatures cool, any of the native perennials can go in the ground for next year’s show. Here are two great suggestions.
Inland sea oats, Chasmanthium latifolium, perfect for shady areas that needs some interest and movement! Inland sea oats are a clumping perennial grass reaching 2’ to 4’ in height. Particularly beautiful when planted en masse and during the fall when the oat-like seed heads mature. Inland sea oats are deer-resistant, but the seeds and leaves provide a wildlife benefit to birds and small mammals.
Woolly ironweed, Vernonia lindheimeri,, another beauty to add interesting texture in the landscape, woolly ironweed is a perennial pollinator favorite. It will need a very well-draining, sunny spot. Ironweed is deer-resistant and can grow upwards of 2’ in height and topped with deep pink to purple flowers that bloom from spring through the summer and into fall.
DROUGHT
DASHBOARD
With drought conditions easing just a bit in early 2026, the TGR District is providing up to date information about these conditions affecting local aquifers and how you can help.
At the TGR Drought Dashboard on the District’s website home page, you will find the current U.S. drought monitor map, the rainfall chart from the National Weather Service, current drought news articles and a link to some great water conservation recommendations at our Don’t Waste the Wet Stuff page.
DID YOU KNOW?
TGR
That’s a lot of water to waste…
As much as 60% of irrigation water can be wasted due to common sprinkler system issues like leaks, broken sprinkler heads, and poor scheduling
A single broken sprinkler head can waste up to 25,000 gallons per year. Now is a great time to have your sprinkler system inspected to make sure it runs efficiently this summer. Don’t Waste the Wet Stuff!
BRIEFS
NEWS
TGR 2025 Annual Report - The TGR District recently published its approved 2025 Annual Report. In the report you’ll find how the District performed against its management plan goals, an update of the growth of District operations, and a rundown on how District staff and board members interacted with the community regarding new policies, water conservation opportunities and programs for protecting the water quality in the Trinity Aquifer. Click here to read and download a copy of the TGR 2025 Annual Report.
The Trinity Glen Rose District has greatly enhanced its website’s ADA capacity. We have applied a detailed compliance app to the website and added an accessibility widget (upper right corner) which gives the user many options to enhance font size, color saturation, contrast, text spacing and much more.
Unique Water Project in Texas - People are usually curious about how desalination of salt water from the ocean plays into water planning efforts for cities, states and countries. One interesting desalination pilot project is in operation in Texas’ Rio Grande Valley. The Laguna Madre Water District provides water to South Padre, Port Isabel, Laguna Heights, Laguna Vista and Long Island Village. While it does get some source water from the Rio Grande River, it is ramping up its efforts to develop a robust seawater desalination program. You can watch an interesting video about the project here.
TWDB Water Dashboard - Water Data at your Fingertips - In addition to water itself, the water industry is powered by data. Water utility operators rely on real-time information about water quality and system demand; water resource engineers analyze data to make decisions about designing infrastructure; and hydrologists and other scientists analyze everything from streamflow to meteorological data.
You can view all types of water data regarding the State of Texas at Texas Water Development Board’s Water Data for Texas website. Click here to take a look around.
Well Owner Fact Sheets and Publications - Do you own and operate a water well? If so, you know there is a little bit of work that goes into maintaining that well each year. The Texas Well Owner Network provides some great informational materials to help you through the process. Click here to read more.
TGR District Email Address
We are in the process of updating our IT system which will include a new email for the office. That new email address is: office@TGRGCD.org.
Call to Set Appointments with TGR District Staff
If you need to meet with the TGR District staff, we ask that you call to make an appointment so we can make sure you connect with the appropriate person who can answer questions and/or resolve problems. Call us at (210) 698-1155.
