With drought conditions in the area, there is a question about whether pumping into the creek is an appropriate use of well water. Most well drilling permits in the area are for wells to support or sustain life rather than for aesthetic purposes.
The final hurdle for the city would be obtaining a permit from the Clearwater Underground Water Conservation District. Clearwater officials have concerns about the permit, although none would publicly discuss them.
“We’re looking at the application closely,” Cheryl Maxwell, manager of the water district, said. “We don’t have a similar situation where water is actually pumped into a creek. We’re not in a position to act on it yet.”
Last week, Ms. Maxwell said Clearwater would schedule a public hearing on the permit for July 20. She said this week that the hearing would be pushed back about a month, so Clearwater could do its “due diligence” on the matter.
Attorneys for Clearwater were reviewing the application late in the week.
Last week Clearwater issued a press release asking those pulling water from the Edwards Aquifer to conserve. The release was a response to drought conditions.
“In recent days Salado Creek has failed to flow over the low water dam at Stagecoach Inn,” the release said. “This phenomenon is another indicator that the Northern Edwards Aquifer is in need of recharge. Many landowners in Bell County depend upon the Edwards as their sole source of water supply.
“The aquifer also feeds Salado Springs and Salado Creek, both economically vital to the Salado area. Water users are asked to help by voluntarily reducing water usage.”
Ken Cicora, parks director in Temple, said city staff members are generally conservative and sensitive to water issues.
“If that aquifer ever got to the point of where the Edwards is now, we would definitely cut back our water usage,” he said.
Ms. Maxwell said Clearwater has not yet developed a drought management plan for the Trinity Aquifer, although that is something that will eventually be addressed.
For now there are no rules based on priority of use, she said.
“If it came to a situation where we had to cut back, newer permits would have to cut back before historic permits,” Ms. Maxwell said.
The hike-and-bike trail is in the plan for the Bioscience Park, which is expected to cover 300 acres adjacent to the Bioscience Research Center campus.
The Temple Health and Bioscience Economic Development District’s mission is to develop jobs by fostering bioscience education, research and health care in Texas.
“I would like to do whatever I can to support the Bioscience District,” Horace Grace, Clearwater board president, said. “If it complies with our rules and regulations, we’ll be glad to support it.”
Plans for the project call for Pepper Creek, traditionally a wet weather creek, to be regenerated through the dry months using well water.
Richard Patrick, a partner from KPA Engineering that worked with the city on the design of the water feature, said water conservation was an important part of the planning process.
“Everybody believes it is much better to utilize storm water for this type of thing,” he said. “We’re only pumping 25 gallons a minute.”
At that rate, if the pump ran constantly, the city would pull more than 13.1 million gallons of water out of the aquifer in a single year. Its permit requested up to 1.75 million gallons annually.
Patrick said the plans call for the well water to be used sparingly to ensure the creek flows with water all year long. In addition to the well, development in the area has created more runoff from storm drainage, he said.
According to the plans, runoff water would be diverted to an outfall structure that would filter it before it enters into the creek.
A dam with a spillway has been created at the southern end of the creek to capture water, part of which would be used to irrigate landscaping along the trail.
“Water went over the spillway during storms in February and March,” Patrick said.
One of the concerns about Temple using the well water is that it would be needed most during the summer months when this area is more susceptible to drought.
The permitting process for construction of the pond was through the U.S. Army Corp of Engineers.
In September 2007 a consulting firm hired by the city wrote a letter requesting a nationwide permit for construction of the pond on Pepper Creek.
There was no response from the Corps of Engineers, so another letter was sent notifying the Corps that the city would move forward with the project.
Again, no response was received, which Patrick said is not unusual. Corps permitting regulations state that if the organization is non-responsive after 45 days, the project may continue forward.
