BCWIDtransPassionate discussion from both lakefront property owners and the Brown County Water Improvement District Board of Directors resulted in no action taken Tuesday on a very controversial agenda item at the Brown County Water Improvement District’s board meeting.

The BCWID board had scheduled to consider establishing water contracts with fees for 2 inch water connections and all intakes along the shoreline of Lake Brownwood for use at lake front properties, but was met with a large group of lake front property owners looking to halt the vote.

“This came up because we (the BCWID) were notified that the Lower Colorado River Authority was now having contracts on the same 2” water lines on their lakes as we have on ours.  They started out with voluntary requests for each property owner to come in and sign a contract.  I think that will eventually become a mandatory request that those individuals sign a contract.  LCRA is not the only one doing this.  Lake Fort Phantom is also in the same situation.  They are looking at requiring those contracts and charging for that water also,” Spinks explained.

Spinks stated that the drought has revealed a necessity to control and to account for the amount of water that is used from the lake.

“With the drought of 2011, it has become apparent that there is usage out of that lake that is more or less uncontrolled usage, unaccounted for usage.   We cannot any longer allow usage of water out of Lake Brownwood unless it is under contract and is controlled so that it may be placed under the same restrictions as everyone else in the county,” said Spinks.  “There have been individuals out there that have continued to water even though they have been told that their restrictions are the same as the closest treated water wholesaler in that area, which is Brookesmith.”

Lakefront property owners from several areas of Lake Brownwood attended Tuesday night’s meeting and voiced a general opinion that they felt the contracts and proposed fee of $326 per year for up to 3 acre feet of water (nearly 1Million gallons) was not fair compared to the irrigation cost of $54/acre feet offered to current irrigation customers.  The size of the lines, up to 2”, and the amount of actual usage were also concerns for residents with smaller lots and vacation properties that are only used on a seasonal basis.

“I vehemently disagree with what you are about to do.  Irrigators do this for profit.  Deep Water Estates has no choice, the lake is the only water available to them,” argued property owner Jim Bitters.  “We pay for electricity, pumps and water lines and equipment maintenance.  God gave you the water for free.  How can you charge us for something you get for free?  Are you going to pay us for the water coming across our lands and goes into the lake?”

Spinks explained the need for everyone in Brown County to be treated the same.  Although lake front owners do not have a water supply company, Spinks said that they still need to obey restrictions of the closest water wholesaler which would be the Brookesmith Special Utility District.

“We have customers on our irrigation lines which are used for domestic use, they have always had a contract and have always been charged a fee for that water,” Spinks said.  “There is no reason that we see at this point, since this has occurred, to allow the free use of that water to continue without control and our number one objective is to get the water under control and under the same restrictions that everyone else is on.”

Property owners protested that they did not receive services such as infrastructure of water lines and pumps, and Spinks explained that the BCWID does provide services which includes maintenance of the dam which holds the water in for their use, safety and security provided by lake patrol officers and would bear the expense of dredging the lake if it becomes possible in the future.  Spinks also said that the lake provides lake front owners with increased property values, a benefit none of the other paying water district customers are able to receive.

Many lake front property owners in attendance expressed an interest in wanting a voice in what the district decides, asking how they can be included in decision making.  Board President Jay Timmins explained that expanding the district to include lake residents was possible through a petition signed by 50 property owners who wished to be added to the district and that the district has been looking into this expansion if there were to be such a petition signed.

“I don’t know how much longer people can afford to live on our lake because things keep rising.  Why is it we don’t have a vote or say in what the water board does?” asked lake resident Roy Dodds.  “I’d like to have a say in what goes on.  The gain of these fees is a lot of funds.”

Property owners were reminded by director Stuart Coleman that BCWID is a taxing district which could levy taxes in the future to everyone included in the district.

At the end of a very spirited discussion, board members agreed to table the matter to have more time to study the issues involved.

In other matters on the agenda:

*A resolution was passed opposing the appointment of a watermaster for the Colorado River Basin as proposed by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality.

*A lease agreement at rate of $500/month with the leasee being responsible for all maintenance and upkeep of the 3-4 acre lot was approved between BCWID and Brad Tyson concerning the rock house on Spillway Road at Lake Brownwood which is owned by BCWID.

*The board approved granting General Manager Dennis Spinks authority to contract for the District’s electric service at the most beneficial rate.  According to Spinks, five providers have approached him and have offered rates that could save the district as much as 25%, which would be approximately $200,000 a year.

*An update of the district’s water treatment plant project was given by Spinks who stated that the plant is fully operational and has supplied about half of the treated water for the past year and will have an acceptance test of the microfiltration plant this week, which will show that the maximum flow during a 24 hour period can support production of 7 million gallons.

“We are confident that the plant can meet that capacity but it has to be met during an acceptance test,” said Spinks.

A free watering day (outside the restrictions of the area) for Brownwood and Bangs will be offered to help get the plant to maximum capacity; however Spinks stated with the recent rains the needed amount may not be reached.

*A lake update given by Spinks stated that the lake is currently at 1415 mean sea level which is 10 feet below spillway.  Recent rains have added only a few hundredths of an inch, said Spinks.  He said with runoff the lake may have 1/10th of a foot rise.  Capacity of the lake is 75,198 acre feet and Spinks reported that the current level is 57.22% of capacity.  La Nina weather patterns are subsiding and gone neutral according to Spinks who said the forecasts now include June and July having higher probability for precipitation.  Currently 1/10th of a foot decline is seen in the lake every 5 days.