Modeled Available Groundwater (MAG) FAQs
- Can the groundwater management area hire a consultant to determine its modeled available groundwater?
- Will the TWDB have to approve a modeled available groundwater value determined by someone other than the TWDB? What if there is a disagreement between the two determinations?
- If a district has already established its desired future condition and determined its modeled available groundwater, will they be required to change it if the groundwater management area develops different desired future conditions and the TWDB provides different modeled available groundwater values?
Answers to Frequently Asked Questions
1. Can the groundwater management area hire a consultant to determine its modeled available groundwater?
The districts in a groundwater management area may hire a consultant to assist with determining the desired future condition and the resulting modeled available groundwater. However, the law requires the districts to submit their desired future conditions to the Executive Administrator of the TWDB. The Executive Administrator is then required to provide the values of modeled available groundwater to the districts and regional water planning groups. In order to comply with the law, if a district submits the modeled available groundwater value, along with their desired future conditions, the TWDB will still need to approve the calculations of modeled available groundwater made by the consultant. TWDB staff encourages draft submittals of groundwater availability model run or aquifer assessment files prior to the groundwater management area adopting their desired future conditions, so that TWDB can assess if the files or approach matches the expectations of the management area. Please view the following document for additional guidance: "How to Submit a Groundwater Availability Model Run or Aquifer Assessment for the Development of Modeled Available Groundwater."
2. Will the TWDB have to approve a modeled available groundwater value determined by someone other than the TWDB? What if there is a disagreement between the two determinations?
Yes, the TWDB may approve a modeled available groundwater value determined by someone else other than the TWDB. If there is disagreement, TWDB staff will work with districts in the groundwater management area to resolve the disagreement. The law, however, only allows the TWDB to provide the modeled available groundwater value. Therefore, if there is a disagreement that cannot be resolved, the TWDB's value will be used.
3. If a district has already established its desired future condition and determined its modeled available groundwater, will they be required to change it if the groundwater management area develops different desired future conditions and the TWDB provides different modeled available groundwater values?
Statute describes a specific process by which desired future conditions and modeled available groundwater are determined. Therefore, a district may not determine desired future conditions and modeled available groundwater outside the joint planning process. Districts are required to use the desired future conditions from the joint planning process and the modeled available groundwater provided by TWDB.