This San Antonio water pipeline sounds the alarm to any community in Texas that wants to protect their aquifers from sharks — the sharks in the Chamber of Commerce who want YOUR water for unbridled growth and its intimate partner…unaffordability. San Antonio Water Systems is set this Monday to ink a $3.3 BILLION water grab from counties 140-miles to their northeast . The good news is this has to go to the San Antonio City Council, so it’s not a done deal. Robert Puente, SAWS CEO, was against this bad deal for San Antonio’s ratepayers until the San Antonio Chamber of Commerce decided they “own” the utility and put their foot down. Don’t believe us — read this . JOIN tomorrow’s (Saturday) conference call tomorrow at 9 am. (Reply for call instructions)Step up to the plate to make some calls from home and come to the Alamo City with us on October 2nd! We also need funds to pay for a bus San Antonio. Donate on our website or send us a check but let us know it’s on the way. You might also read my letter to the editor about the Hays County water forum last week: Well Meaning People Can Still Poison Your Well. We have the other central Texas water grabs on hold. The SAWS deal needs to be put on hold too until the ratepayers and the Council have a chance to review the contract.

By Linda Curtis, Director On September 11th, I attended a forum in Hays County put on by the Citizens Alliance for Responsible Development (CARD). I have good friends in CARD and I think they mean well. But, they gave this event over to people who are poisoning our well of public discussion and real public debate on the water debate. I also believe, they had no intention of letting this happen. Hays County Commissioners, Will Conley and Ray Whisenant, together with San Antonio Water Systems (SAWS) Senior VP CEO, Steven Clouse, stole the show peddling their respective plans to drain the deep Simsboro formation of the Carrizo-Wilcox Aquifer in rural counties just east of Austin where I happen to live. The confusing blather of the Hays County Commissioners had many scratching their heads. But it was the scientists on the panel who really got to me. They began with a conclusion. The conclusion is that our growth rate in central Texas will continue for decades, ignoring the basic truism we all learn in Biology 101:  The number of organisms will increase exponentially until an essential nutrient is exhausted. In this case, that nutrient is water.  In Austin, they are already choking on out-of-control growth and its intimate partner – unaffordability. It is important that citizens understand that the projects being sold on Thursday night represent a virtual siege by water marketers and some municipalities on an aquifer that serves Burleson, Milam, Lee, Bastrop and other nearby counties. It also surprised me that no one from Hays County took on their Commissioners for using their tax dollars for a “reservation agreement” with Forestar Real Estate Group for 45,000- acre-feet per year. This contract came after the Lost Pines District (Bastrop and Lee counties) granted Forestar a more reasonable 12,000 afy based on a desire not to mine (and harm) the Simsboro Aquifer. Hays County doesn’t even have the capacity to deliver, much less need, for this much water until maybe 2060! What’s more, ask the Hays Trinity Groundwater Conservation District that represents you if they would ever agree to the amount of drawdown on their aquifer (currently about 30 feet) as is being asked of (forced on) Lee and Bastrop counties’ district – an average of 200 feet – with a much slower recharge rate. I already know the answer is no, or more likely, hell no. In my view, any organization with “responsible development” in their name must understand that responsible development is impossible without taking on the real estate lobby and land speculators who are forcing us to pay with our tax dollars and our water for in-migration (1,000 people per day) to Texas. Let’s make them take their foot off the growth pedal and stop building in areas without their own local water supply.

I about to hit the road to this event in Wimberley at 6 pm hoping to unite us to stop the water grabs! Don’t forget the Farm and Ranch Freedom Alliance Conference this coming Monday and Tuesday at the Bastrop Convention Center. Our own Michele Gangnes and Steve Box (Environmental Stewardship) are on the water panel on Tuesday morning. At least come to the movie on Monday night! Details here. Last night, the Lost Pines Groundwater Conservation District sent the End Op permit back to SOAH (State Office of Administrative Hearings) for clarification before they act on the permit. We support their decision — to be conservative and cautious. (Unfortunately, they also denied several landowners a voice in the battle with End Op LP’s permit request for 46,000 acre-feet of groundwater. Stay tuned on this.) We remind you that San Antonio Water Systems (SAWS) is back again through their allies in Milam and Burleson counties working a deal for 50,000 acre-feet per year from the same aquifer. We are finding Burleson and Milam landowners and residents who are not hot-to-trot on this deal either! We hereby throw down the gauntlet to unite the region, including San Antonio,to protect ratepayers and all of our aquifers. Please plan to join us on October 2nd in San Antonio. You can even catch a bus — details here and please share it! Please revisit our events here . We hope to see you in Fayette County on September 27th for a local candidate forum with the cooperation of the Republican and Democratic county party organizations.

ALERT :  The location is for Wednesday night’s critically important Lost Pines Water Meeting has changed. It is NOT Bastrop! It’s in Giddings at the American Legion Hall, 1502 Highway 77 at 7 pm. Local paper’s deadlines were missed, so we need your help to reach your neighbors! THERE ARE ALSO NEW THREATS TO OUR WATER SUPPLY THAT WE WILL SHARE VIA A FLIER FOR YOU TO TAKE TO YOUR NEIGHBORS — so show up and do your part please! (Click here if you have trouble printing the flier below). (Use your creativity to help us get the word out, please!) Use our Facebook page or website to share, put up your own sign on the back of our yard signs — whatever works!

A critical decision about the rights of landowners who do not want to sell their water, is coming to a head at a specially called meeting of the Lost Pines Groundwater Conservation District next Wednesday evening at 7 pm at the Bastrop Convention Center PLEASE NOTE THAT THE LOCATION OF THIS MEETING IS NOW AT THE AMERICAN LEGION IN GIDDINGS, 1502 US 77, Giddings, Texas. The Central Texas groundwater war, radiating from four rural counties down the IH-35 growth corridor to San Antonio, is getting lots of coverage these days. But the most important voices seem to be missing. They are the hundreds of landowners in Lee and Bastrop counties who are coming out to meeting after meeting of the Lost Pines Groundwater Conservation District and putting out “Stop the Water Grab” yard signs. And they are the thousands of landowners in 21 additional Texas counties, including Bexar, who are fighting development over their sensitive Edwards Aquifer watershed.             Michele Gangnes is a Lee County landowner, water activist and attorney who sits on the board of the new non-partisan, non-profit League of Independent Voters of Texas. On Labor Day, Gangnes filed hard-hitting comments with the Texas Water Development Board on the agency’s rules for disbursements of funds under Prop 6, the water constitutional amendment passed by Texas voters in 2013. Gangnes said, “The SAWS project currently does not qualify for Prop 6, but it’s an example of the mega-projects to feed growth that TWDB will prioritize under its new rules. Ten years ago SAWS wisely decided not to drain our Simsboro aquifer and not to saddle its ratepayers with too expensive water, electing conservation instead. But they never stopped looking for more water, because San Antonio won’t stop enabling development in areas without enough water of their own.”             Annalisa Peace is the Executive Director of the Greater Edwards Aquifer Alliance , which represents landowners in 21 central Texas counties, including Bexar County. Peace said, “GEAA especially objects to the prospect of depleting one aquifer in order to impair another. The members of the Greater Edwards Aquifer Alliance oppose the Vista Ridge project due to SAWS commitment to use these new supplies to expand service and encourage high-density development on the Edwards Aquifer Recharge and contributing zones.”             A recent article in the respected Rivard Report by Dr. Curtis Chubb, a scientist/journalist/landowner in Milam County, examined SAWS’ plan to buy water from The Vista Ridge Consortium, a partnership of Spain-based Abengoa Water and Austin-based Blue Water Systems. Blue Water has permits for the Simsboro and Carrizo portions of the Carrizo-Wilcox Aquifer under Burleson County. Dr. Chubb made the case the Simsboro under Burleson and Milam counties, which most observers expect will supply the Vista Ridge water, cannot sustain the 16 billion gallons a year project. Meanwhile, Lee and Bastrop countians are trying to protect their portion of the Simsboro from two additional mega-projects.              Central Texans are organizing a series of events over the coming weeks to bring Texans together across the region and across partisan lines to preserve our most precious resources – our water and the land that depends on it.

Some of us were working this Labor Day for you because, well, you’ll s ee. Don’t feel guilty, just read this press release, “ Central Texas Landowners Join Forces to Protect Water Supply in the Face of Out-of Control Growth “ . We’re very proud of these Comments on the_Proposed Rules we filed on Labor Day, thanks to board member, Michele Gangnes, with the Texas Water Development Board on how Prop 6 money should, and should not, be spent on water projects. Last, kindly show up at any and all of these events! (Spread the word y’all — use the share buttons at the bottom.) THIS Saturday, 9 am Conference Call with Janice Benzanson , Texas Conservation Alliance. We’ll be talking water policy and strategy. Reply for conference call details or call us. Use this link to invite others. Wed., Sept. 10, 7 pm: Lee and Bastrop countians – come to a specially called meeting of the Lost Pines Groundwater Conservation District, American Legion Hall in Giddings . Click here for details and show up! (Need fliers? Just reply or call us. Note: the location of this meeting was changed — it is NOT at the Bastrop Convention Center!) Thurs., Sept. 11, 6-9:30 pm, Wimberley, Hays County, Citizens Alliance for Responsible Development (CARD) forum , “Water Crisis: Time to Get Serious” — more details here . DON’T WAIT TO REGISTER!!!!   Mon-Tues., Sept. 15-16. DO NOT MISS THE FARM AND RANCH FREEDOM ALLIANCE Annual Conference, Bastrop Convention Center! Hear the latest news on the laws and regulations that govern our food supply, connect with individuals, organizations, and small businesses who are passionate about our food system, and get the tools you need to make a difference in the coming year! Click here for the program and registration details . Several of us from the League are on the program! Sat., Sept. 27, 5-6:30 pm, La Grange (Fayette County), La Grange ISD (LDISD K-6 Campus on Travis Street (BUS 71 – across from Farmer’s Lumber and Sonic ) Candidate debate Sponsored by the League with Fayette County Republicans and Democrats between the two candidates running for Fayette County Judge — Ed Janecka and Cecile Webster and a debate between the candidates for Justice of the Peace, Precinct 1. Use this link to spread the word about this event. Have you heard about the Earth, Wind and Fire Summit in Dallas, October 4-5? If you’re interested in energy, this is the place to be! Sponsored by the Sierra Club: Read more here .           We commend Bastrop County Judge Paul Pape for his op-ed about the Ogallala and his concern about mega-permits being sought locally for our Carrizo-Wilcox water here in the Statesman.           We better see you soon, y’all. Things are heating up and we need to step up our efforts!

The Railroad Commission recently promulgated rule changes to supposedly reform the process for pipeline companies to receive the power to seize private property through eminent domain. Remember the “T-4” form at the Railroad Commission (RRC) that allows a pipeline company to claim common carrier status by simply checking a box? This is what gave them the power to seize Julia Trigg Crawford’s, David Holland’s and thousands of others’ land — against their will. They’re running tar sands crude over hundreds of East Texas water ways. They’re running other high pressure and dangerous Liquified Natural Gas pipelines, like the one within 50 feet of Isom Ramsey’s door in Beaumont. ( More here on our website ). What’s that you say? The RRC will reform itself when pigs fly. We know, but do it anyway! For background, read this helpful piece from the Star-Telegram newspaper and visit the Eminent Domain section on this website here . We, the people, must continue to assert our rights to local control. Eminent domain can now be used to seize private land for water pipelines too, y’all! For upcoming events keep checking our calendar right here . If there isn’t something going on where you are, let us know and we’ll help make something happen!

Great showing last night in the most watched local control battle over groundwater in Texas, Lost Pines! Thanks to the good folks of Lee County, we have our very first chapter of the League. We need 100 more! Our conference call this Saturday at 9 am will focus on how to build for local control. Reply for conference instructions. Mark your calendars! Wed., September 10, 7 pm. The Lost Pines Groundwater Conservation District will make a decision (they put it on hold last night) on the End Op, LP water grab on September 10th in Bastrop. Y’all come! Spread the word from here about it. Pack the house again! Mon-Tues, September 15-16. Farm and Ranch Freedom Alliance Conference , Bastrop Convention Center. More here.   We especially encourage you to attend the water panel that League Board Member, Michele Gangnes will be on. Reserve now! Here is Henry Urban and Andy Meyer , Paige landowners, at Mayer Auctions last Saturday. We’re also seeing local businesses carrying our signs and helping out with signatures. Thank you all and keep it up! We also thank Lee County Judge Paul Fischer and Giddings Mayor John Dowell for joining us at our meetings recently. We hope to see more local officials stepping up! Folks, this is what local control looks like. Want a little bit of it? Be on the call this Saturday! Think about 10,000 organized independent voters in Texas — to help us reach the 5-6 million who currently identify as independents but have no way of making their voices heard. That’s the ticket, if you want to shake up Texas. There’s lots more to tell you, but we’ll wait for Saturday. Or, anytime, just give us a call and we’ll be there. P.S. Thanks to the many people who signed up this week. Now each one, reach one! Keep those new members a comin’!

And please spread the word to your neighbors and friends.

A hearty welcome to all you new folks joining the League of Independent Voters of Texas and/or signing our petition! The League holds conference calls every other Saturday at 9 am. Our next one is on Saturday, August 16th, at 9 a.m. (not tomorrow) Topic: A full report on of the items below. IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENTS! BASTROP & LEE COUNTIANS SHOW UP FOR THIS! Next Wednesday, Aug. 13, 7 pm, Bastrop Convention Center : For well over a year, landowners of Lee and Bastrop counties have been seeking a voice to stop water marketer, EndOp, L.P., from a raid on their groundwater. Finally, they will get a chance to state their case at the same time the Lost Pines Groundwater Conservation District deliberates on EndOp’s permit application to pump 46,000 acre-feet-per year of Lee and Bastrop counties’ groundwate r. Here’s a flier you can print and post or share if from our events page here . More details from Environmental Stewardship . FIRST LEAGUE CHAPTER FOUNDED – Yeehaw! We had a smashing success last night in Giddings with the founding of first chapter of the League of Independent Voters! Thanks to all the attendees and new members. Special thanks the organizers (Gary & Dorothy Gerdes, Henry Urban and Michele Gangnes) AND to Lee County Judge Paul Fischer and Giddings Mayor John Dowell for sharing and listening! MARVIN NICHOLS RESERVOIR : A hearing in Austin on Thursday gave the folks who’ve been fighting the long-opposed Marvin Nichols Reservoir some glimmer of hope that the Texas Water Development Board might be listening. Still, it’s not clear that they’re willing to tell Dallas, a well-known water hog, they must conserve first before preying on their neighbor’s land and water! Read this from the Texarkana Gazette . (This will be be the subject of our conference call on Sept. 6.) FARM AND RANCH FREEDOM ALLIANCE CONFERENCE . Sept. 15-16, Bastrop Convention Center. (Registration goes up Aug. 15). We at the League couldn’t be more insistent on protecting our resources so that Texans can grow food as close to where they live as possible. Several of our leaders will be presenting at their yearly conference. We hope to see you all there! Click here for the conference lowdown . The Little Things You Can Do: Join the League here . Sign our Petition and pass it on from here . Like our Facebook page here . #GaryGerdes #JudgePaulFischer #LeeCounty #MayorJohnDowell

We hope to see you at events starting this Sunday in La Grange! THIS SUNDAY, Aug. 3. La Grange — at the lovely Bugle Boy, free film showing 2-5 pm. It’s all about fracking, water and the failure of the state of Texas agency charged with regulation — the Texas Railroad Commission. Click here for more ! NEXT THURSDAY, Aug. 7. Giddings , Giddings Library, 7 pm. Stop the Water Grab! Lee Countians are getting organized — be there!!! Click here for more! WEDNESDAY, August 13 , 7 pm, likely at the Bastrop Convention Center. Stay tuned, you Bastrop & Lee County residents. The Lost Pines Groundwater Conservation District has called a special meeting to consider the pending permit application for EndOp , in their quest to receive 46,000 acre feet per year from the Simsboro aquifer under Lee and Bastrop counties. (Note: Lost Pines GCD’s regular meeting is on Wednesday, August 20th in Giddings — don’t be confused.) STATEWIDE CANDIDATE DEBATE IN SEPTEMBER – Forth Worth . Wouldn’t you just love to see a candidate debate in the Attorney General’s race AND the hottest State Senate race in Texas? That is Senate District 10, in Senator Wendy Davis’ old Senate District. Reply if you want to help or give us a call! CITY OF AUSTIN RESIDENT? You may know that there is a voter revolt going on in Austin to make growth pay for itself. If you’d like to organize a forum with the City Council candidates running in November, reply to this message or call us at 512-213-4511. Thanks for sending folks to sign the Petition for Local Control and Property Rights — and to Stop the Water Grab — on our home page. Keep it going! PS If everyone receiving our messages joined the League — starting at even the modest $10 per year — we would have more than enough funds to do our work this year.  Please join up y’all! #EndOp #LostPinesGroundwaterConservationDistrict #RailroadCommission #waterconservation

Thanks for signing our local control petition — if you’ve done it. Spread it for us, won’t you ? We still have “Stop the Water Grab” yard signs – reply if you want one! Join our bi-weekly conference call this Saturday at 9 am. It will be with Cathy McMullen of Pass the Ban . Cathy will explain why the citizens of Denton are using the most powerful tool for local control that exists in Texas — the petition for a public vote. Denton voters will have the option to regulate fracking in their city limits. Join us! Reply if you need the number. Railroad Commission Reform? Should we be screaming from the rooftops that the RRC is “quietly” making recommendations to close the infamous “T-4 loophole”? Remember, we Texans (Julia Trigg Crawford, Debra Medina, David Holland, Jim Hightower…and more) been telling you — for years — that all the pipeline companies have to do to get the power to seize your land through eminent domain, is check a box on a T-4 form at the RRC that they are “common carriers”. No questions asked. What we’d like to scream is more like, “what took ya so long?”, since the Texas Supreme Court, no less, said the T-4 was a problem – in the Denbury Green decision rendered in 2011! Maybe we shouldn’t look a gift-horse in the mouth. Here are the proposed changes , which we applaud. (There are others needed on eminent domain reform, but that’s not really the RRC’s purview). Can we be honest? While the RRC recommendations are mostly very positive, no one believes the agency anymore . So, even if they do pass these rules, will they really enforce them? If they mean to enforce them, where is the request for additional funding to do so? Can we stop pretending? Did you catch outgoing RRC Chairman, Barry Smitherman’s attempt to undermine the rights of Denton citizens to local control? Is it not the people’s right, under the Texas constitution, to regulate fracking within their city limits, especially in light of failure of the RRC and the Denton City Council to do so? Smitherman, the dutiful industry lapdog embarrasses himself in this letter — click here . The truth is that we Texans are at the mercy of the hogs in oil and gas gone wild. They are happy as pigs in slop with no regulation. And most every state official is going along with this. You certainly don’t hear candidates in either party running for the highest offices — Governor and Lt. Governor — breathing a word about this, do you? Please, y’all, prove us wrong! Join us on Saturday’s call. Simpson takes the independent political cake…again! Remember, Rep. David Simpson (R-Longview) was the ONLY Texas House member who stood up for our water against Proposition 6 last November. Now he’s raised the bar on the discussion about the border crisis. Though the League has no position on this issue, we deeply appreciate politicians (and, for that matter, newspapers), who take a stand for what they think is right regardless of the stampede going in the opposite direction. Read this in the Longview paper ! Mark Your Calendars! Lee County : Thursday, August 7, at 7 pm, the League is holding a meeting at the Giddings Library. We’ll be talking about…you guessed it…how to continue the battle to win protection of groundwater from pumping at levels that harm aquifers. Come get a “Stop the Water Grab” yard sign. Details here for you to share ! Fayette County :   Sunday, August 3rd, 2-5 pm, there’s a free film showing of Gasland II at the Bugle Boy in La Grange. League Board member and a leader in the fight for eminent domain and fracking reform, former DISH Mayor, Calvin Tillman, who is featured in the film, will be on hand for comments following this event. Details here – reserve a FREE seat now! Open League Board Meeting : We will have a strategy and planning session soon. If you’re interested in attending, let us know — members only, please! Is it not yet clear why we all need to take a step back from the parties and tell them no one owns our votes? Get along, little dogies — join the League, if you haven’t yet, pay some dues, or send us a donation AND/OR volunteer some time to us! We appreciate y’all, especially Charlotte, who donated substantial hours to our administrative needs this week! Wanna talk about any of this? Share a comment below…we love hearing from ya! #JimHightower #DebraMedina #JuliaTriggCrawford #DavidSimpson #davidholland