The nonprofit Greater Edwards Aquifer Alliance (GEAA) urges the public to fight for Canyon Lake’s water quality at a public meeting on the wastewater permit Lennar Homes needs to proceed with its Canyon Ranch/Juniper Ranch development in Spring Branch.
The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) hosts the meeting for Canyon Ranch WWTP, TPDES Permit No. WQ0015866001 7 p.m. Tuesday, June 2, at the Hampton Inn Bulverde, Texas Hill Country, 499 Singing Oaks, Spring Branch.
The permit would authorize the discharge of treated domestic wastewater at a daily average flow rate not to exceed 300,000 gallons per day to serve the high-density residential development.
Wastewater would flow into an unnamed tributary of Devil’s Hollow, then into Devil’s Hollow, and ultimately into Canyon Lake/Segment No. 1805 of the Guadalupe River Basin. The wastewater treatment facility would be located approximately one mile northeast of the intersection of FM 306 and Jolie Drive in Comal County.
“This meeting is an important opportunity for residents to ask direct questions and place their concerns into the official record,” said Nathan Glavy, GEAA’s technical director. “Canyon Lake and its tributaries are already under pressure from rapid growth, drought, and wastewater infrastructure decisions. The public deserves clear answers about how this discharge would affect local creeks, the lake, and downstream water quality.”
Canyon Lake is a major Hill Country water supply, recreation area, and ecological resource. Segment No. 1805 is designated for primary contact recreation, public water supply, aquifer protection, and exceptional aquatic life use.
In May, Comal County Precinct 4 Commissioner Jen Crownover advised residents not to get their hopes up since the hearing is technically for a permit renewal.
“I definitely encourage people to be active and engaged,” she said. “With the TCEQ being what it is, and the county not having a seat at the table, I’m not sure how effective it is, but at least we try.”
But GEAA Executive Director Annalisa Peace warned some of the language in the permit application is vague, and it appears Lennar may be seeking to expand the project’s scope.
GEAA is working with member group Mystic Shores Neighbors and hundreds of local residents who have raised concerns about the cumulative impacts of new wastewater discharges into tributaries that feed Canyon Lake.
The nonprofit represents 59 member organizations behind a comprehensive plan to protect regional karst aquifers, their springs and watersheds, and the Texas Hill Country.
How to Comment
The public meeting includes two parts, an informal discussion period and a formal content period.
During the informal portion, residents can question representatives of Lennar Homes and TCEQ staff.
During the formal comment period, residents may provide oral comments into the record. Members of the public also can submit written comments to TCEQ before the close of the public comment period.
Comments can be submitted electronically through TCEQ’s public comment portal or mailed to the Office of the Chief Clerk, TCEQ, Mail Code MC-105, P.O. Box 13087, Austin, TX 78711-3087.