Panhandle Water Planning Group
Who we are...
The Region A Panhandle Water Planning Group (PWPG) was established following intense drought conditions in the 1990s. The Texas Legislature passed Senate Bill 1 in 1997 with the vision of a grass-roots, regional effort to improve the water planning process. To accomplish that goal, the Texas Water Development Board (TWDB) established 16 regional water planning areas with their own regional water planning groups.
The Panhandle regional water planning area consists of 21 counties: Armstrong, Carson, Childress, Collingsworth, Dallam, Donley, Gray, Hall, Hansford, Hartley, Hemphill, Hutchinson, Lipscomb, Moore, Ochiltree, Oldham, Potter, Randall, Roberts, Sherman, and Wheeler.
The PWPG is made up of about 23 members representing a variety of interests including agriculture, industry, environment, public, municipalities, business, water districts, river authorities, water utilities, counties, groundwater management areas, and power generation.
What we do...
The primary responsibility of the Region A Panhandle Water Planning Group is the development of a regional water plan every five years. The ongoing work of the regional water planning process consists of thirteen tasks:
Describing the regional water planning area
Quantifying current and projected population and water demand over a 50-year planning horizon
Evaluating and quantifying current water supplies
Identifying surpluses and needs (potential shortages)
Evaluating water management strategies and preparing plans to meet the needs
Evaluating impacts of water management strategies on water quality, agricultural and natural resources, as well as water resources of the state
Describing how the plan is consistent with long-term protection of the state’s water, agricultural, and natural resources
Developing drought response information and recommendations
Recommending regulatory, administrative, and legislative changes
Describing how sponsors of water management strategies will finance projects
Describing the state of project implementation in the regional planning area
Prioritizing the recommended projects in the regional water plan
Adopting the plan, including the required level of public participation