TGR Website Search Bar

pollution prevention campaign 2020 These are the galleries of photos shot in each of the six major parks located in the Trinity Glen Rose District. These photo galleries were set up so people could view and download any or all of the photos. If you want to view slide shows of these parks, just click here . Remember, these parks are not only beautiful and peaceful to walk through, they also serve to help prevent pollution from running off into the streams and aquifers, like the Trinity Glen Rose Aquifer, in Bexar County.

Learn about the latest activities of the Trinity Glen Rose District board of directors. TGR DISTRICT RULES, FORMS, & FEES * Please call the office with any questions on forms and contact us to make an appointment if you need to visit the office for an appropriate staff member to be available to meet with you* District Rules - Current District Rules (adopted October 16, 2025) District Forms Notice of Intent to Drill, Modify, or Plug (also transfer well registration ownership) Existing Well Registration Operating Permit Renewal, Amendment, Or Transfer Affidavit to Produce Groundwater Individual ( non-exempt well owners submit with Notice of Intent for new wells) Affidavit to Produce Groundwater Entity Production Report Form Pump Installation Report Form Meter Registration Form *Note - there is no fee to register an existing well or to t ransfer Ownership . Fees for drilling, plugging, or modifying a well are listed on Notice of Intent Form and the District Fee Schedule. District Fees District Fee Schedule Process and Contact Information The available forms are for well owners or potential well owners and well drillers who need to register an existing well, drill a new well, plug a well, or to make modifications to their existing well or modify a permit, including registering a meter and providing well production. If you have questions, don't hesitate to contact us. Please Note: All Wells issued permits December 1st, 2004 and after MUST have a Geophysical Log run on the well and submitted to the Trinity Glen Rose Groundwater Conservation District along with the State Well Drillers Report and a completed Application to Register a Well. * If you need to visit the office to discuss the rules, forms or fees, please contact the office for an appointment to make sure a staff member will be available to meet with you.* To submit a completed form or materials, please send it to the appropriate address. All applications, forms and payment to Trinity Glen Rose GCD : Trinity Glen Rose GCD c/o Emily Green PO BOX 1589 Helotes, TX 78023 Phone (210) 698-1155 Fax(210)698-1159, or office@tgrgcd.org Need to find out if you need a Well Permit from the San Antonio Water System : San Antonio Water System c/o Elizabeth Gomez, SAWS 2800 US HWY 281 N San Antonio, TX 78212 Phone (210) 233-2349 Need to Find out if you need a Well Permit from the Edwards Aquifer Authority : Edwards Aquifer Authority Well Construction Program 900 E. Quincy San Antonio, TX 78215 Phone (210)222-2204

The Trinity Glen Rose District partners with many great entities to teach water conservation and pollution prevention. TGR EVENTS 2021 Watersaver Landscape Tour Videos The Trinity Glen Rose District cosponsored the 2021 Watersaver Landscape Tour. This event was held online and more than 350 people took time to watch. In case you missed it, you can watch the tour videos featuring some beautiful, water-saving landscapes from around San Antonio. We'd like for you to come away with a few ideas on how you can improve the look and feel of your yard while substituting native plants for grass and other nonnative plants that require lots of water to keep healthy. Many thanks are due to the homeowners who agreed to not only let us show their yards but also participate in the videos. They are quite informative. One last item...you can download the plant lists we put together for each yard, which should help you next time you visit a nursery to pick the right plants for your home's landscape. We hope you enjoy these videos as much as we did in putting them together. Download the plant list here. 2019 Watersaver Landscape Tour - Photos Trinity Joe 3V3A8317 Trinity 1/32 The Trinity Glen Rose District cosponsored the 2019 Watersaver Landscape Tour. This tour offered residents the opportunity to visit various landscapes in various parts of the city to see how they can improve the look of their yards while saving water. Click the arrows to view the photos.

Learn about the latest news from the Trinity Glen Rose District. TGR DISTRICT NEWS If you missed a previous issue of our newsletters, just click here to read and or download those issues. This TGR Resource newsletter was published in February, 2026 TGR Five-Year Water Plan Approved by State The Trinity Glen Rose Groundwater Conservation District (TGR) recently received approval of its new Groundwater Management Plan from the Texas Water Development Board (TWDB), which is the State of Texas agency that oversees water planning. Every five years, groundwater districts are required to develop a water management plan defining its groundwater needs and supplies for the following five years. There are also requirements for districts to outline goals for achieving results that match its water demand projections. “Our water management plan is a very detailed document outlining current and projected district population growth, Trinity Aquifer hydrology, current recharge numbers and recharge projections, how we advocate water conservation measures and much more,” said TGR General Manager Amanda Maloukis. “Additionally, we must show how our plans fit into regional Groundwater Management Area projections as well as the State of Texas’ 50-year water plan. So, one can only imagine the level of coordination and scientific analysis that goes into a process like this. Most importantly, we want the general public to know that this is all done to ensure water needed in the future will be there for families and businesses, and for protection of the ecosystem we live in.” The TGR Groundwater Management Plan can be a valuable document for those studying water resource planning and management. There are historical records, water demands for various parts of the region, detailed hydrological analyses and multiple tables of data related to water resource planning in the State of Texas. You can read and download the TGR plan at: www.trinityglenrose.com/reports . New TGR Website Pages Developed New web pages provide a detailed look at Trinity Aquifer science and recharge geology Over the past several months, the TGR staff has been working to provide an in-depth view of the Trinity Aquifer. The portion of the Trinity that the District manages in Northern Bexar County is only a small section of this 10,000-square mile water resource covering an area generally between San Antonio and Northern Dallas. So, why is it important to provide this level of information about an aquifer no one can really see? Studies over the years have shown that when the public understands where their water comes from and how it is managed, they tend to add more conservative ways to daily water use habits. And while this aquifer is enormous in geological terms, it is also finite in water supply capacity. The Trinity aquifer is a karst rock formation. It is a lower production aquifer which recharges slowly, with only an estimated 4–5% of rain recharging it. Despite its relatively slow recharge rate, it stands as one of Texas’ most extensive and heavily used groundwater resources. Primarily utilized by municipalities, it also serves as a vital source for rural homes, irrigation, livestock, and other domestic uses. Aquifers replenish themselves through precipitation falling directly on the aquifer's exposed (unconfined) areas. That water seeps into the ground from rivers and ponds where the ground slopes downward. And because the Trinity Aquifer is made up of a group of aquifers, recharged water flows between those aquifers hundreds of feet below ground. There are many ways that water agencies and the public can help enhance recharge through small dams, creating berms and swales in landscapes and overall preservation of land in its natural state. You can find the two new TGR website pages at: www.trinityglenrose.com/aquifer-education and www.trinityglenrose.com/recharge-enhancement . National Groundwater Awareness Week Happening March 8-14 National Groundwater Week (GWAW) is an annual event established to highlight the responsible development, management, and use of groundwater across the country. The event is also a platform to encourage yearly water well testing and well maintenance, and the promotion of policies impacting groundwater quality and supply. Groundwater advocates across the country also use GWAW to highlight local water issues in their communities. As more than 44 percent of the population depends on groundwater as a primary water source, developing an interest in the groundwater industry is of vital importance to both the health and economy of the country. Groundwater professionals span a wide variety of careers and skills including well contractors, hydrogeologists, groundwater policy advocates, and suppliers and manufacturers of groundwater technology. GWAW also serves as an annual reminder for water well owners to test, tend, and treat their private water systems. The National Groundwater Association encourages annual inspections of private water systems by certified water well contractors to ensure systems are operating correctly and producing safe and healthy water. Well owners can find a number of tools and great information about managing their systems at: www.WellOwner.org . Additionally, National Groundwater Week can be a time for homeowners to take a look at how they use water and decide to make permanent changes in their water consumption practices. Fixing water leaks and replacing water-thirsty turfgrass with more native plants are the best two places to start. Continuing Drought Conditions are Nearing Drought of Record Status The ongoing heat was a major story in 2025. In 2024, the state broke a record for the hottest year in data going back to 1895, a record that had been set most recently in 2023. 2025 did set the record for the hottest November since 1895. But, that wasn't enough to put 2025 ahead of 2024 for the hottest year. However, 2025 did finish as the fourth hottest year, trailing only 2012, 2023, and 2024. From a drought and water supply perspective, reds, oranges, and yellows on the maps above could mean more drought-related trouble. About half the state received less than half of normal precipitation, while some of the more fortunate regions saw a 150-percent or more of normal precipitation. The 1950-1957 drought still stands as the drought of record for all of Texas. It contributed to a major demographic transition, from a state rooted in farming and ranching to the largely urban Texas of the late 20th century and has set the goalposts for water planners ever since. The 1950s drought lasted longer than the 2010-2014 drought in every climate division in the state, but by some measures the 2010-2014 drought was more severe. The 2010-2014 drought set new standards for the hottest and driest 12-month periods on record, dropped streamflow to new lows, and prompted widespread emergency actions to maintain water supplies. The current drought started around 2019, and only once since 2019 has the City of San Antonio reached an average rainfall year level. In 2025, the National Weather Service recorded about 27 inches of rain in San Antonio — but still five inches below normal. To catch up, Central Texas needs not just substantial rainfall, but at the right time and in the right places to recharge the aquifers and keep the spring-fed rivers flowing. Current measurements of the Edwards Aquifer remain about 40 feet below normal for this time of year and Trinity Aquifer monitoring wells show similar type conditions. This photo was taken in May, 2025, along the Comal River near the Landa Park entrance in New Braunfels. If you’ve been watching the Trinity Glen Rose District’s drought dashboard over the past several months, you might have noticed that Bexar County almost went from the “extreme drought” classification down a step to “severe drought” in the fall of 2025. But, since then the drought map has reverted to nearly all of Bexar County being classified as extreme drought. Given those facts, the TGR District remains in Stage 3 of its drought management plan. The Trinity Aquifer groundwater system runs throughout much of the Hill Country, including in Kerr, Bandera, Kendall and Comal counties. It’s considered by the Texas Water Development Board to be one of the “most extensive and highly used groundwater resources in Texas.” Unlike the Edwards Aquifer, which recharges quickly with rainfall, the Trinity is made up of different layers of formations that hold water, resulting in less movement of water throughout the aquifer and slower recharge from rainfall. Unfortunately, the intermediate climate outlook suggests that things are not likely to get better. According to weather patterns and scientists who analyze such conditions, February, March and April are more likely to see below-normal rainfall in San Antonio and the Hill Country, along with above-average temperatures that increase demand and accelerate evaporation. You can read a very good story about the current drought situation at this link to an Express-News article . Also, homeowners and businesses can make positive contributions to saving water and protecting local aquifers by learning about common water conservation practices at the TGR Conservation Page . 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 back for a fifth season! Let’s take a look at what’s in store. To kick off the new year, the Go Gardening crew visited one of the latest landscape projects by the talented designer Luke Hoy. Luke is a huge supporter of homeowners reworking their landscapes using native plants to save water and create a yard that can more readily survive and thrive in the South Texas heat. But, he has a priority list for people to consider when changing out their landscapes, one of those priorities being the use of evergreen plants. Even in the dead of winter and after a couple of freezes, this landscape you will see in this segment looks really good. Check it out. Next, we know that February and March are good times of the year for pruning trees and plants. But there are some critical techniques to use when doing so and some things to avoid to make sure your plants/trees grow properly in the spring. Lee Marlowe, a true Go Gardening friend, took us on a short tour of Confluence Park where she and Go Gardening host Mark Peterson actually did some pruning work on some small trees at the park. There is also a "bonus segment" for you to watch at the end of their pruning demonstration. Click here to watch the latest Go Gardening Show. You can watch previous Go Gardening shows at: https://www.youtube.com/@gardeningvolunteersofsouth5703/videos. TGR-Sponsored Go Gardening Show Offers a Chance to Win a Front Yard Makeover To celebrate the 5th Season of the Go Gardening Show, we are giving away a front yard makeover! Registrations will run through March 13. The winner will be announced at the San Antonio Water System's Spring Bloom event to be held Saturday, March 14th. Here are the Contest Rules. Maximum of 400 square feet of landscape makeover Landscape design from a local design professional All soil, mulch and native plants will be provided Installation will be provided The selected area for makeover must not have major rock or structural removals required prior to planting. The winner must be a San Antonio resident. You can register at the Gardening Volunteers of South Texas Go Gardening website page . 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. Gulf muhly, Muhlenbergia capillaris , is a perennial grass reaching 1.5-3 feet in height. This showstopper introduces an airy, interesting texture and structure to the garden in addition to being drought-tolerant and deer-resistant. The seedheads turn a rosy pink in the fall providing a nice contrast against the yellow we so often see in fall bloomers. Frogfruit, Phyla nodiflora, is a tough perennial groundcover that can handle a wide range of conditions, including light, soil type, and water. I have found beautiful specimens growing out of scorching pavement and only receiving what little rain Mother Nature offers. Butterflies and other insect pollinators will appreciate this addition to your yard. DROUGHT DASHBOARD With the severity of the current drought conditions expected to continue into 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. Just click on this link to check it out. DID YOU KNOW? TGR That’s a lot of territory… The Trinity Aquifer area on the surface covers 10,692 square miles. Amazingly, the area below the surface encompasses 21,308 square miles which is roughly the size of West Virginia. The Trinity Aquifer can be found in 61 of Texas’ 254 counties and is one of the most extensive and highly used groundwater resources in the state. BRIEFS NEWS 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. Download this quarter's TGR Resource Newsletter here.

Here you will find the latest research by the Trinity Glen Rose District in our effort to learn about the Trinity Aquifer. TGR District General Elections TGR District Officer General Elections will next be held on May 2, 2026 Election of Officer Information ORDER OF ELECTION CANCELLATION (February 19, 2026) The May 2, 2026 director elections has been cancelled. NOTICE OF DEADLINE TO FILE APPLICATIONS FOR PLACE ON THE BALLOT ORDER OF ELECTION (English version ) Called January 15, 2026 ORDER OF ELECTION (Spanish version) Posted Order of Election Bexar County - Elections Office Notice Page Location of Election: BEXAR COUNTY EARLY VOTING LOCATIONS & HOURS (TBD) Bexar County participates in the Countywide Polling Place Program under Section 43.007, as amended, Texas Election Code. Registered voters will be able to cast their Election Day ballots at Vote Center's identified on the County Elections website. Location to File: Location a person may file candidate applications is at 12274 Bandera Rd. #106, Helotes, TX 78023 Candidate Filing Requirements: Fill out all content legibly and completely on the " Application for a Place on the Ballot for a General Election " , click link to document provided. Once complete please file at the Location of Election, there is no filing fee. Filing dates are January 14, 2026 - February 13, 2026. Qualifications for Office: To be qualified to be elected as a director, a person must be a registered voter in the precinct that person represents, be at least 18 years old, a U.S. citizen, a resident of the State of Texas for 12 months, and a resident of the district for 6 months prior to the regular candidate filing deadline (78 days before election day), not totally or partially mentally incapacitated, and not a convicted felon, unless pardoned or otherwise released from the resulting disabilities. Details on Requirements and “Eligibility for Public Office” can be found here in the Election Code, Chapter 141.001 . Current Board of Directors and Terms Important Websites Secretary of State, Elections Division Bexar County Elections Department Comal County Elections Department Kendall County Elections Department 2024 Campaign Finance Reports Precinct Boundaries

Need help with a past TGR agenda, meeting minutes, or newsletter? We keep our documents archived here. TGR ARCHIVES

Learn about the latest activities of the Trinity Glen Rose District board of directors. TGR DISTRICT BOARD OF DIRECTORS TGR Meeting Information Date: 10:00 am, May 21, 2026 Location: District Conference Room, 12274 Bandera Road #106, Helotes, TX 78023 The board meeting agenda and other info can be found on the Board Meeting page here . Trinity Glen Rose District Precinct Map Use the map to determine which precinct you live in Dr. Stuart Birnbaum Precinct 1 Joe duMenil Precinct 2 Steven Peterson Precinct 3 Joe Silman Precinct 4 Katrina Waring Castillo Precinct 5 Use the map to locate your District when using Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, and Microsoft Edge. For Safari users, click here to determine the District in which you reside. Trinity Glen Rose District Board Members Dr. Stuart Birnbaum Precinct 1 Vice-Chair Joe duMenil Precinct 2 Chairman Steven Peterson Precinct 3 Asst. Sec./Treasurer Joe Silman Precinct 4 Treasurer Katrina Waring Castillo Precinct 5 Secretary Dr. Stuart Birnbaum - Precinct 1 (Vice-Chair) - Term expires 05/2028 Dr. Stuart Birnbaum is elected representative and was appointed to the TGR Board in December 2020 and took his oath of office in January. He will be finishing out the three-year term of office formerly held by Abigail Bush. Birnbaum is an emeritus associate professor in the department of geological sciences at the University of Texas at San Antonio where he conducted research in sedimentology and microbial geochemistry. He earned his B.S. degree in geology from the State University of New York at Stony Brook and his Ph.D. in geology from Cambridge University in the UK. Since retiring Birnbaum has been actively engaged with Citizens’ Climate Lobby serving as a co-leader of the San Antonio chapter of CCL. He is also a Board member of the Scenic Loop – Helotes Creek Alliance, a local environmental organization, and is an En-ROADS ambassador with Climate Interactive. Precinct 1 boundaries cover the area near the City of Helotes. See the map above. Joe duMenil - Precinct 2 (Board Chairman) - Term expires 05/2028 Joe duMenil is the elected representative and currently serves as the Board Chairman. He has served the District since April 2011. Mr. duMenil has over 45 years of experience in the development and management of public infrastructure. He gained his experience by serving 20 years in the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and over 25 years in both public and private sectors. He currently is assisting Doucet, a Kleinfelder Company in their business development pursuits in Central Texas. He brings to the District a vast knowledge of local issues and relationships with local governmental entities. Mr. duMenil has a unique quality that allows him to connect with both individuals and community groups. He is a respected and trusted resident of the City of Fair Oaks Ranch since 2005. His successful career and tenure on the Board is based on communication, cooperation and collaboration, each being essential elements in the efficient stewardship of public monies and the pursuit of the District mission. Precinct 2 encompasses the largest geographic area in District with the western boundaries being Highway 16 in the Helotes area, Camp Bullis on the east, Loop 1604 in the south and the Bexar County line to the north. This Precinct also extends into Kendall and Comal Counties within the City Limits of Fair Oaks Ranch. Also included in the Precinct 2 boundaries are the City of Grey Forest, a portion of the City of Helotes, numerous residential and commercial communities and the environmentally protected Government Canyon Nature Park. He holds a B.S. degree in Construction Science and a M.S. degree in Construction Management from Texas A&M University. Mr. duMenil has been a Certified Floodplain Manager since 2002 and is actively involved in several professional organizations such as Texas Floodplain Management Association, Society of American Military Engineers, Texas Public Works Association, Construction Management Association of America and American Council of Engineering Companies. Steven Peterson - Precinct 3 (Asst. Sec./Treasurer) - Precinct 3 term expires 05/2026 Steven Peterson is a native San Antonian residing in Kinder Ranch. He is a graduate of Texas A&M and served in the San Antonio Police Department for 34 years. He has also served 7 years as a City of San Antonio District 10 Director of Neighborhood Engagement and Military Affairs. Now happily retired. He serves on this board as well as the board of the Master Leadership of S.A. Alumni Association. The largest development in Precinct 3 is Timberwood Park, where the lot sizes are larger than the typical home-sites. Camp Bullis and Camp Stanley cover most of the western portion of the district. Timberwood can be found on the east. The southern boundary runs up against the Stone Oak area and the Cibolo Creek forms most of the northern boundary. Eisenhauer Park is a highly used urban park in Precinct 3, and Panther Springs Creek Nature Area is a family friendly park residing in the district. A unique aspect of Precinct 3 is that three creeks, Leon, Salado, Panther Springs, run through the area. These tributaries are often included in water quality discussions due to their potential recharge to the aquifers which underlie them. Joe Silman - Precinct 4 (Treasurer) - Term expires 05/2026 Joe Silman is a retired partner with Andersen Consulting (now Accenture) and he focused his business consulting with water, electric and gas utilities. In addition to serving on the TGRGCD board, Silman also is President of the Stone Oak POA Board of Directors. Precinct 4 is the most densely populated in the TGRGCD. It includes the growing Stone Oak area with its 27 subdivisions, plus robust business and medical developments. Additionally, the Club at Sonterra and Martin Marietta Hwy 281 quarry are located within Precinct 4. The southern boundary of Precinct 4 is Loop 1604, Wilderness Oak on the north, NW Military Highway to the west and Highway 281 on the east. Silman knows that with many homes and large water using businesses in the area, water conservation must be a high priority for all who receive their water from either San Antonio Water System Edwards Aquifer or Trinity Glen Rose wells. In the coming months, the TGRGCD will be enhancing its conservation messaging to encourage the focused stewardship of the area's water resources. Katrina Waring Castillo - Precinct 5 (Secretary) - Term expires 05/2026 Katrina Castillo serves as the Chief Data Officer (CDO) and Data Privacy Officer (DPO) for The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE), where she leads the Enterprise Data & Analytics organization. Her responsibilities span Data Engineering, AI/ML Engineering, Data Architecture, Data Analytics and Data Governance teams. Before joining IEEE, Katrina led consulting Data & Analytics practices providing strategic and operational data services to Fortune 100 clients. In addition to Data & Analytics consulting, Katrina has many years of experience leading internal application and software development teams for medium and large sized corporations. Katrina holds an Executive MBA from The University of Texas in San Antonio and a Bachelor of Science in Computer Science from The University of Texas in San Antonio. Katrina is a Certified Data Management Professional (CDMP), is certified in Artificial Intelligence Implications for Business Strategy from MIT Sloan and holds numerous technical certifications in Data and Software Development. Precinct 5 is located on the eastern reach of the Trinity Glen Rose District. It is the second largest precinct in geographic size and has a highly faulted underground structure. The PGA Village Golf Course and Marriott Resort are two of the more recognizable destinations in D5. Those developments occurred under high scrutiny from the public and have proven to be good environmental neighbors to the area. The Vulcan Quarry mines limestone in northern Bexar County and is subject to various environmental regulations due to its proximity to recharge features and aquifer water.