Kenedy County Groundwater Conservation District | Kenedy County GCD

About Us / Mission / History / Board of Directors

Mission

The District’s mission is to develop and implement an efficient, economical and environmentally sound groundwater management program to protect and enhance the groundwater resources of the District.


History

The Kenedy County Groundwater Conservation District was created in 2003 by the 78th Texas Legislature under H.B. 3374. Kenedy County GCD was confirmed by an election held on November 2, 2004. During the fall of 2006, we received petitions from landowners in Brooks, Hidalgo, and Willacy counties requesting annexation into Kenedy County Groundwater Conservation District. These petitions were approved by the Board.

Kenedy County GCD includes all territory located within Kenedy County and parts of Brooks, Hidalgo, Jim Wells, Kleberg, Nueces, and Willacy counties (map of district). The primary economic activities within the District are oil and gas production and agriculture (primarily livestock).

According to its enabling legislation, the District has all of the powers, authority, and duties of a Texas Water Code Chapter 36 groundwater conservation district. Therefore, it has the duty to provide for the conservation, preservation, protection, recharging, and prevention of waste of groundwater and to control subsidence. Under Chapter 36, it has the duty to develop a groundwater management plan to express how the District will meet those duties. The District’s current plan was approved by the Texas Water Development Board on January 18, 2023.

Under Chapter 36 the District has the authority to adopt and enforce rules, including district rules to limit groundwater production, to provide for conserving, preserving, protecting, and recharging groundwater, to prevent degradation of water quality, and to prevent waste of groundwater. The District has many other powers that are enumerated in Chapter 36 and that allow the District to accomplish its duties.

The District is located within Groundwater Management Area 16. Most of the District is located in the Coastal Bend Regional Water Planning Area (N). District territory in Hidalgo and Willacy counties is located in the Region M Regional Water Planning Area.


Board of Directors & Staff

You can see our list of directors and staff bios by clicking here.

Kenedy County GCD Financials

You can see our various financial records by clicking here.

Contact Kenedy County GCD

General Manager
Andy Garza
P.O. Box 212
Sarita, Texas 78385
(361) 294-5336 - Phone
(361) 294-5244 - Fax
General_Manager@KenedyGCD.com

District Administrator
Leo Villarreal
100 E. Kleberg, Suite 304
P.O. Box 1433
Kingsville, Texas 78364-1433
(361) 592-9347 - Phone
District_Administrator@KenedyGCD.com