PURPOSE
The Alliance's purpose is to enlist landowners interested in controlling,
managing and developing their groundwater in the Carrizo-Wilcox
Aquifer for the benefit of themselves, their neighbors, the Alliance
and the local community. The water will be managed in an environmentally
sensitive manner to guarantee residents the ongoing use of the water
for whatever their needs may be and to ensure water availability
for future generations.
OUR
STRUCTURE Currently, our lease provides for 51% of net profits
to be paid to the landowners. There is an additional 10% royalty,
which is also paid to the landowners. The lease has a five-year
term. All lands leased to the Alliance will be pooled together,
i.e. a landowner in Burleson County will share in proceeds from
a well drilled in Robertson County. The lease provides for conjunctive
use, which means landowners can drill all the wells they want, and
can use all the water they need for domestic or agricultural purposes.
Once the project gets rolling, the proceeds from water sales will
bring tens of millions of dollars to the local economy and landowners
each year, essentially forever.
AREA
OF INTEREST -
Maps and Information
The Carrizo-Wilcox Aquifer exists under your land. By law, water
belongs to the surface owner. The Simsboro Aquifer is currently
being used by local cities at the rate of approximately 80,000 acre-ft/yr.
You are currently not being paid for that produced water. The water
law in Texas is "rule of capture". Drill a well; produce
all the water you want. Due to the "rule of capture",
the Texas State Legislature has recognized that underground water
needs to be conserved and managed. Groundwater conservation districts
have been created to monitor, manage, and conserve these aquifers.
These groundwater districts are subject to confirmation by county
elections.
BENEFITS
By combining all the landowners in a cooperative type effort, the
Alliance's structure will increase land values, cash flow to landowners,
thereby stimulating the economy through economic diversification.
The Alliance's plan does this with conservation of the reserve as
a priority, and an equity interest earmarked for local charities.
OUR
LEGAL REPRESENTATION
BRACEWELL
& PATTERSON, L.L.P. originated
in Houston in 1945. Since its inception, the firm has served clients
ranging from large public corporations and government entities,
to individuals and small startup businesses. The firm has 350 attorneys
with offices in Austin (Loop 360 and downtown), Corpus Christi,
Dallas, Fort Worth, Houston, San Antonio, Washington, D.C., Virginia,
London, and Almaty and Astana, Kazakhstan.
STEPHENSON
& SNOKHOUS provides clients with responsive legal services
of the highest quality, tempered by a sensitivity to each client's
business concerns and budget. Our practice is broad based and business
oriented, representing clients in domestic and international corporate
and partnership transactions, mergers, acquisitions and divestitures,
commercial and residential real estate, securities transactions,
oil and gas transactions, probate and estate planning.
HYDROLOGY ENGINEERING & GEOLOGY
R.
W. HARDEN & ASSOCIATES, INC (RWH&A)
is an independent consulting firm specializing in ground water,
surface water and geologic resources. The firm was founded in 1972.
The firm is the oldest and most experienced of the hydrologic/geologic
firms headquartered in Texas. Experience includes over 4,000 projects
for the power, mining, chemical, petrochemical, oil and gas, construction,
land development, farming, ranching, and well drilling industries,
as well as for municipalities, state and local governments. The
firm's experience covers all of Texas and includes projects in about
30 other states and several international locations.
Summary of Qualifications (25 pages pdf format)
