Goodland Farms is comprised of what had previously been referred to as Goodland Farm, Harlan Farm, and Barton Farm in Robertson County. Goodland Farms includes over 8,992 acres located west of State Highway 6, south of FM 979 and north of FM485, adjacent to the Brazos River. David Lynch is an owner, manager, and developer Goodland Farms, alongside UWBVF.

Goodland Farms will continue to use water for farming. UWBVF has also invested in the development of a regional supply project, alongside seven of its neighboring landowners, to supply water to the city of Georgetown and surrounding areas, which are in critical need of water to support population growth.

In addition to following all Texas State laws and BVGCD rules, Goodland Farms and UWBVF have worked hard to be a good neighbor.  UWBVF has voluntarily entered a substantial well assistance program to provide funding to mitigate any effects of its pumping on local Simsboro wells prior to pumping any water for the regional supply project. Once the regional supply project begins pumping, UWBVF will contribute additional substantial funds to the BVGCD to support well mitigation, in the form of export fees.

Goodland Farms, under David’s leadership, will continue to responsibly farm a range of crops such as corn, cotton, soybeans, wheat, grain sorghum and hay. To ensure continuous use and long-term viability of the Goodland Farms agricultural operation, up to 10,000-acre feet per year of Simsboro water and the available alluvial water will be set aside for agricultural use on the farm.

The region has a tremendous need for water, and the resource will be developed over time to meet the needs of the region and the State. Goodland Farms and UWBVF are committed to developing the aquifer with conservation in mind and have voluntarily taken several tangible actions to demonstrate this approach. Additionally, the regional supply project will support billions of dollars of regional GDP growth, creating jobs and meeting regional needs. The project will also provide tens of millions of dollars in export fees to the BVGCD, which will benefit local residents and well owners. These funds would not be available without the project.

The Brazos Valley Groundwater Conservation District has a public process for permitting. The District regularly posts meeting agendas for upcoming meetings, including agenda items related to permitting, in accordance with the Texas Open Meetings Act.

UWBVF owns permits to produce and transport up to 49,999 acre-feet per year of water off the farm. Via its landowners, the project controls an additional 57,718 acre-feet per year of production permits, with associated transport permits in process. Together, UWBVF has agreed to an annual transport cap that is substantially below the combined maximum permitted production volumes, to allow for the project to spread its pumping footprint across a much larger surface area, thereby increasing the project’s flexibility to mitigate any effects on the aquifer while meeting the region’s supply needs. The project’s annual volumes are expected to start at a fraction of the permitted amounts and ramp up towards the transport cap over several decades.

UW Brazos Valley Farm (UWBVF) is the company formed by David Lynch and Upwell Water to purchase the farms and develop the water supply project to meet critical regional needs.  UWBVF owns Goodland Farms.  Upwell Water is a water resource and infrastructure company with a mission to ensure a sustainable water future.  They provide investment and development support to the project.

Yes.  Cities in Texas soon to reach over one quarter of a million people have signed agreements to reserve water from the regional supply project.  Those cities need to receive water from prolific water regions in order to support their fast growing communities.  The planned project does not require the public to pay upfront for water supply, which is a significant benefit.  Further, the voluntary Well Assistance Program entered into by UWBVF supports local citizens and well owners in the Brazos Valley Groundwater Conservation District, and annual export fees that the project will pay will ensure ongoing support for local well owners. The project will also support job creation in the area, including in both Robertson and Williamson Counties.

Yes.  Texas has bountiful water resources, but the areas in which people live and businesses flourish commonly transport water supplies from where they exist to where they are needed to serve their communities.