Wood Co. voters decline formation of groundwater conservation district

By LORI COPE | East Texas Edition

February 6, 2003 -- By an overwhelming margin, the voters of Wood County on Feb. 1 said "no" to the creation of a groundwater conservation district.

Proposition One, "The Creation of the Lake Country Groundwater District," failed by over 4,000 votes: 4,789 "against" and 689 "for" the proposition.

"We made a strong effort," said Louis Pyle, a Lake Country Groundwater Conservation District (LCGCD) temporary board member and president of Save Our Springs of North East Texas (SOSONET).

"This was a grassroots effort that didn't get enough water to the roots," theorized Glenn Morton, SOSONET member and LCGCD temporary board member, following the canvassing of the votes.

The forming of LCGCD was a highly-controversial issue among Wood County citizens. The Feb. 1 Special Election saw 5,505 votes cast (including early voting), which is almost 25 percent of Wood County registered voters.

One side of the issue, the group opposed to LCGCD cited infringements upon property rights, the lack of need for a groundwater conservation district, and the chance of increased property taxes.

On the other side, the group in support of LCGCD cited better protection of property rights, the abundance of groundwater in Wood County needing protection from water-deficit areas, and the voters‚ right to deny any increase in property tax.

"After the results were announced Saturday night (Feb. 1), I was happy, thankful and relieved," said Willie Kay Paredez, an active member of the group opposed to the LCGCD creation. "Many people worked hard to defeat this unpopular district and for that I am very thankful, also. This was truly a group effort and the majority have spoken. I feel very lucky to live in a country where we have the right to freely vote our conscience."

SOSONET began the efforts to protect the county's groundwater supply nearly two years ago when Ozarka Water Bottling Co. announced plans to build a plant and pump tens of thousands of gallons of water per week from two of the area's aquifers.

SOSONET members worked to get the region declared a Groundwater Management Area (GMA) by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ, formerly Texas Natural Resources Conservation Commission.) Being deemed a GMA, the group had the first step needed in forming a local groundwater conservation district. The group's petition to form LCGCD was approved by TCEQ in September 2002, and the next step was to hold the election. The appointed temporary directors for LCGCD had the duty of conducting the special election.

Included on the ballot, besides Proposition One, was Proposition Two, "The levy of three cents tax." That measure also failed by a vote of 4,617 "against" to 689 "for" the proposition.

The ballot was also to decide the five permanent board members if Proposition One passed, a moot point now that the LCGCD creation failed.

Now that the Wood County voters have declined the LCGCD, the appointed temporary board members' next duty was to dissolve the proposed groundwater conservation district board.