NOTICE OF HEARING OF THE UPPER TRINITY GROUNDWATER CONSERVATION DISTRICT District Office 1859 W. Highway 199 Springtown, TX 76082 5:00 PM on Thursday, August 27, 2026 Zoom Remote Conferencing Service https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86335882763 1 (346) 248 7799 US Meeting ID: 863 3588 276 PUBLIC HEARING ON AMENDMENTS TO DISTRICT RULES NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN to all interested persons that the Board of Directors of the Upper Trinity Groundwater Conservation District ("District") will hold a public hearing, accept public comment, and may act to adopt amendments to the District Rules regulating water wells within the boundaries of the District, which include Hood, Montague, Parker, and Wise Counties, Texas. Prior to these amendments, the Board adopted permanent District Rules on August 19, 2019, and has subsequently amended them. The current proposed amendments to the District Rules address a number of issues, including without limitation the following: 1) amending, adding, or deleting definitions of terms; 2) requirements, criteria, and procedures for applying for, processing, and approving or denying applications for well registrations, permits, and permit amendments; 3) adding requirements for wells equipped with a variable frequency drive; 4) adding requirements related to well construction and replacement wells; 5) amending exemptions from permitting and other regulatory requirements; 6) clarifying that the continuing validity of production authorization under a Historic Use Permit is contingent on the permit holder maintaining the right to produce groundwater from the contiguous controlled acreage associated with the permit, and requiring a decrease in that production authorization if the acreage is authorized for production under an Operating Permit; 7) adding requirements for applications for certain High-Volume permits or permit amendments, or other applications with the potential to cause unreasonable impacts, including: (a) compliance with new aquifer testing and Hydrogeologic Report requirements included in the proposed rules amendments and those to be adopted by Board resolution; (b) providing that the Hydrogeological Report will help assess the potential of the proposed groundwater production to cause unreasonable impacts; (c) requiring the Board to adopt minimum requirements for compliance monitoring plans and mitigation plans; and (d) including specific notice requirements for such applications; 8) amending requirements for well drilling and completion, reports, and production capacity testing; 9) amending minimum tract size and well spacing requirements for wells based on a well's production capacity, location, aquifer, and aquifer thickness, and clarifying acreage requirements for multiple wells on a tract; 10) clarifying well spacing requirements for retail public utilities based on the type of CCN held; 11) clarifying requirements for exceptions to minimum tract size or well spacing requirements and adding new requirements 12) amending maximum allowable production requirements for Operating Permits, including Operating Permits for retail public utilities; 13) authorizing the establishment of management zones with special regulations for a particular aquifer, layer of an aquifer, or defined area; 14) amending requirements relating to compliance orders and disincentive fees; 15) prohibiting and adding requirements for deteriorated or abandoned wells; 16) repealing the petition for additional production authorization rule; 17) amending fee requirements; 18) adding a process for petitioning to amend the District Rules; 19) amending permit renewal requirements and related production authorization reductions; 20) amending major and minor permit amendment distinctions; 21) establishing maximum civil penalties for a violation of the District Rules; 22) clarifying District authority to conduct inspections; 23) amending and clarifying the District's enforcement policy and penalty schedule, including the addition of new major and minor violations; 24) amending the fee and penalty schedule for excessive groundwater pumping, the fee schedule for pumping under a compliance order, or penalties for pumping in excess of the amount authorized in a compliance order; 25) clarifying and amending hearings and administrative procedures; 26) amending metering requirements; and 27) other minor clarifying or nonsubstantive changes. The public rulemaking hearing will be held on Thursday, August 27, 2026, at 5:00 p.m. and will be conducted at the District Office located at 1859 W. Highway 199, Springtown, TX 76082. Any person who desires to appear at the hearing and present comment or other information on the proposed adoption of amendments to the District Rules may do so in person, by legal representative, or both. Comments may be presented verbally or in written form. Limits may be placed on the amount of time that each person is allowed to present verbal comments. Written comments may also be submitted prior to the meeting by email at doug@uppertrinitygcd.com or by mail at P.O. Box 1749, Springtown, TX 76082. The Board may, at the rulemaking hearing or at a public board meeting of the board on August 27, 2026, or on a later date, act to adopt the amendments to the rules as proposed or with additional changes based upon comments and discussion at the hearing. The hearing posted in this notice may be recessed from day to day or continued where appropriate. At any time during the hearing, the Board may recess into a closed session under Section 551.071, Government Code, to receive legal advice regarding the rules amendments. The public hearing is available to all persons regardless of disability. If you require special assistance to attend the hearing, please contact the Upper Trinity Groundwater Conservation District at (817) 523-5200 at least 24 hours in advance of the hearing. No later than 20 days prior to the date of this hearing, a copy of the proposed amendments to the District Rules may be requested by email at doug@uppertrinitygcd.com, will be available for reviewing or downloading at www.uppertrinitygcd.com, and may be reviewed, inspected, or obtained in person at the District office located at 1859 W. Highway 199, Springtown, TX 76082. For more information, contact the District's General Manager, Doug Shaw, at (817) 523-5200. IPL0363037 Aug 4 2026