Crockett’s Angerstein Warns About Water Well Project
Pictured is Crockett City Administrator John Angerstein
John Angerstein, City of Crockett Administrator
Special to The Messenger
CROCKETT – I am issuing this public statement to voice the City’s strong opposition to the groundwater production permit application submitted by Redtown Ranch Holdings LLC in Anderson County, which seeks to drill 21 high-capacity groundwater wells capable of extracting more than 10 billion gallons of water annually from the Carrizo and Wilcox aquifers.
The application also includes mention of 11 additional wells in Houston Co. — those are not subject to the hearing due to Houston County not being within a Groundwater Conservation District. That could add another five billion gallons to the total.
As time is of essence, this public statement is being issued and I will be seeking council’s support through resolution to formally oppose the application. I am asking for all local property owners and area representatives to immediately seek board and committee support for your opposition. The deadline to submit opposition is June 19 at 11a.m. The opposition letters can be emailed to: [email protected]
This volume of water is staggering. Using the City of Crockett’s per capita water usage, it is equivalent for a population of 338,000 or 52 times the City of Crockett. Yet, none of this water is designated for our communities. It is likely intended to support unchecked development and sprawl in other parts of Texas, presumably in the DFW metroplex or Hill Country, areas that have failed to plan responsibly for their own water needs.
Meanwhile, here in Crockett and across Houston County, we are facing serious and growing challenges in ensuring safe, reliable, and affordable long-term water access for our residents. The City of Crockett is actively investing in infrastructure, expanding capacity, and managing our water resources with a focus on sustainability and service. These types of speculative water projects jeopardize not only the integrity of our aquifer system, but also the significant taxpayer investments already being made to responsibly develop local supply.
My concerns are not hypothetical. The proposed well field lies in close proximity to Crockett’s existing and planned wells, threatening aquifer pressure and yield. The Carrizo and Wilcox aquifers, which this permit targets, is the same formation that Crockett depends on to serve thousands of residents. If surrounding private or shallow wells are compromised, Crockett will likely face increased pressure to provide emergency water connections, placing operational and financial burdens on the City.
A short online search of the applicant seems to produce the following: Redtown Ranch Holdings LLC is tied to Conservation Equity Management Partners, Pine Bliss LLC, and 24th Parallel Holdings LP (currently seeking to drill 22 wells in Henderson Co), which have connections to Hayman Capital Management, a Dallas-based hedge fund. Further research on this is welcomed and can be emailed to me at: [email protected]
I call on our local and state leaders in opposing this permit and others like it, and I will be seeking formal support from the Crockett City Council through a resolution opposing the Redtown Ranch permit and similar speculative applications. Take a stand with rural East Texas by defending our right to manage and protect our local groundwater supplies from outside exploitation.
We cannot support the wholesale extraction of rural water to satisfy distant, unplanned urban growth — especially when done through layered corporate structures, incomplete applications, and without regard for the future of our communities.
I will continue to pursue appropriate avenues, including affected party status and public advocacy, to ensure this project is carefully scrutinized and ultimately rejected unless and until it fully complies with Texas law and respects the interests of those who live here.
