POSGD Groundwater Summit planned
The date for the 7TH Annual Milam and Burleson Counties Groundwater Summit has been set for Aug. 12 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
The Summit is free and open to the public with lunch provided. It will be held at the Caldwell Civic Center at 103 TX-21 in Caldwell.
Please RSVP to your County AgriLife Extension office by Aug. 9 if you plan to attend in person. Virtual attendance will be available, details will be available closer to the event. Call Milam County at (254) 697-7045 or Burleson County at (979) 567-2308.
One of the panels of speakers will have Steve Young and Stephanie Moore of Intera comparing the projected and actual impacts of pumping on the aquifers by Vista Ridge. This will be an in depth look at the reliability of the new Groundwater Availability Model (GAM) with respect to previously predicted and actually realized impacts and effects on water levels. INTERA’s Steve Young, PhD, PE, PG, Principal Geoscientist of Austin Texas holds advanced degrees from Stanford University and the University of Waterloo.
Dr. Young has worked for over 20 GCDs and currently serves as Post Oak Savannah GCD hydrogeologist. His expertise is with characterizing and modeling groundwater flow through aquifers. Dr. Young is a Professional Engineer and Professional Geoscientist. Ms. Moore is a Hydrologist and licensed Professional Geoscientist with over twenty years of experience in water resources, including eight years with the U.S. Geological Survey and 15 years consulting for governmental agencies and non-profit organizations. Adeline Fox is the Texas Water Conservation Association (TWCA) Director of Communications, Outreach, and Membership. Adeline joined TWCA in 2017. She previously worked as project manager for WaterPR and as education and outreach coordinator for several groundwater districts in the Texas Panhandle. Adeline has a bachelor-of-science in agricultural communications from Texas Tech University and a Master’s Degree in Public Service and Administration from the Bush School of Government and Public Service of Texas A&M University. In her free time, she enjoys photographing and exploring nature. Her presentation will cover an overview of TWCA, an overview of its membership, and how members get involved to be part of our consensus building process for policies affecting water in Texas.
Michael Irlbeck has served as the Business Development Director for EPCOR USA Inc. EPCOR is one of the largest water utility companies in the Southwest U.S. and a recognized leader in the Public-Private Partnership (P3) space. Prior to joining EPCOR, Mr. Irlbeck served seven years as the Business Development Director for Abengoa, a Spanish multinational infrastructure developer, where he was responsible for building the company’s American P3 business. Mr. Irlbeck has also served two years with NRS Consulting Engineers developing brackish and seawater desalination project opportunities and 16 years with the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation in federal water supply planning and policy. A native Texan, Mr. Irlbeck grew up in the High Plains of the Texas Panhandle and earned a BS degree in Wildlife Fisheries Sciences from Texas A&M University in 1991. Michael’s presentation will be entitled “Texas Water 101: Past, Present and Future”. He will share some history of the State’s current water supply situation and look forward in time based on strategies included the Texas State Water Plan.
Citizens of Milam and Burleson Counties, as well as surrounding areas, can benefit from attending the Groundwater Summit. Post Oak Savannah GCD organizes the event and invites groundwater experts from across Texas to come speak at the local level. It is a great opportunity for people to come and learn about the state’s requirements on local groundwater management and stay up-to-date on current groundwater issues.
For any questions, please contact the POSGCD office at (512) 455-9900, or email at admin@posgcd.org.