Duval County officials, ranchers meet for water conservation discussion

• Duval County Groundwater Conservation Board held a workshop in Benavides.
• The purpose of the workshop was to educate Duval County officials and landowners about the importance of conserving water.

Duval County officials are thinking about water.

Duval County leaders and landowners met in Benavides on Tuesday, May 14, with the Texas Water Development Board to learn about water grants available and how to conserve the natural resource.

“Water is important because it’s a precious resource. Water is life," Duval County Groundwater Conversation District General Manager Jorge Gonzalez said. "So, if we don’t protect our groundwater today – you never know what’s going to be happening down the road."

Gonzalez said the county must understand the need to protect a source mother nature doesn’t provide much of.

He said it’s important to educate local entities of conversation and of what is available through grants to help with projects that’ll make a difference in the master plan of Duval County’s Conversation of Water.

Landowners and ranchers asked questions about different projects and funding strategies.

“It’s not just any water. It’s clean and safe drinking water,” Duval County landowner Barbara Canales said.

Canales said she wears many hats but as a landowner in Duval County she thinks about the importance of having water.

Projects for the county discussed everything from drilling, wastewater, and flooding that can be harmful to the water supply.

"One thing evolves into another," Canales said. "Duval County is a beautiful county. It has a lot of land, and it has access to power, but we need to make certain to let people know that we have to take care of all the resources including the water district.”

Officials said there are millions of dollars available for counties to help pay for water projects. There will be more workshop like Tuesday’s planned in the year.

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