Prairie Lands district reports 364 registered wells, $300,000 grant and calls for public input on high-volume permits

Prairie Lands Groundwater Conservation District General Manager Kathy Jones and Permitting Director Caitlin Garcia updated the court on district activities and groundwater trends for Ellis County. Jones said the district adopted rule amendments in 2025 to streamline permitting and strengthen well-spacing and construction standards; the district was awarded a $300,000 grant from the Texas Water Development Board for groundwater science and monitoring.

Caitlin Garcia presented data showing Ellis County had 364 wells registered at the end of 2025, including 96 permitted wells that report monthly. Garcia said the district received 51 well registrations in 2025 and that permitted allocation for Ellis County sits at about 4,300,000,000 gallons; she said county users were producing roughly 69.5% of their allocated amount. Commissioners asked about registering older (grandfathered) wells and how rainwater-harvesting rebates work; Jones said the district offers a dollar-per-gallon rebate and a grant program for public entities and will publish details on the district website.