Stewards of the Lake: PKLA and BRA Lead the Charge to Protect Possum Kingdom’s Waters

Story by Mary Hill

Is the water quality in PK Lake being protected? Now is the time to learn more about what is being done and how to help moving forward.

As demonstrated by their most recent efforts, the Possum Kingdom Lake Association (PKLA) – which consists of community members who support the lake and its residents – and the Brazos River Authority (BRA) are dedicated to the mission of making water quality in PK Lake a top priority.

The PKLA’s history of leadership in protecting the lake’s resources is evidenced by its pivotal role in the passage of the BRA divesture bill in 2009 (House Bill 3031), which gave PK homeowners the opportunity to own their own land. For decades before 2009, the BRA owned a significant portion of the land around Possum Kingdom Lake and leased the land back to the homeowners.

The PKLA further displayed its leadership by successfully opposing the BRA’s plan to sell a large volume of water without properly defining its impact on the lake. Through negotiation, a settlement was reached that ensures transparent communication and cooperation from the BRA and protects the resources of Possum Kingdom.

In keeping with its commitment to protect the lake’s resources and the community, the PKLA continues to highlight concerns regarding Abilene’s wastewater permit renewal application that allows the city to discharge 1.51 million gallons of effluent every single day into a shallow, stagnant cove of Possum Kingdom Lake.

Effluent is not raw sewage, but it’s also not clean water, and it puts the lake’s overall water quality at risk. This effluent is water with a salinity level roughly 60 percent that of seawater that is left over from Abilene’s water treatment process. It is briny and will be discharged into a part of the lake with minimal stream flow, preventing sufficient dilution.

Much has changed since the Texas Commission of Environmental Quality (TCEQ) issued its permit to Abilene in September 2018. Since then, PKLA has obtained new evidence relevant to the TCEQ’s consideration of the renewal application. Concerns based on this new evidence have been communicated by the PKLA to the TCEQ and Abilene city officials since July 2023. The latest public hearing on this issue took place in June 2024.

The PKLA, with the help of contract attorneys, hydrologists and other subject-matter experts, has now formally requested a contested case hearing with TCEQ leaders. The goal of this hearing is to bring these concerns before administrative law judges in Austin to present evidence and push TCEQ to consistently apply its own rules in permitting decisions.

The PKLA’s opposition is backed by scientific evidence that outlines the many alleged flawed assumptions used in the modeling, included in the renewal application. In addition, because there is no meaningful monitoring process offered by Abilene city officials or required by the TCEQ to track the project’s impact on the lake, PKLA officials fear the project will damage the water quality not just in the area where the effluent will be discharged, but perhaps the entire lake, before it can be shown to be the source of the problem.

What comes next?

TCEQ commissioners will meet in Austin on November 19 to determine whether a contested case hearing will be allowed to move forward with a state office of administrative hearings judge. If a contested case hearing is granted, more voices and support will be needed.

What can be done now?

Here are some steps community members can take to support this critical water quality initiative:

• Join the PKLA. For details, 
  visit https://pklakeassn.org/
• Watch for updates on when and how to raise your voice.
• Follow PKLA on its Facebook social media page.
• Contact PKLA for information by calling (940) 779-3863 (the phone number for Monte and Carolyn Land).
•  The PKLA strongly encourages every PK property owner to follow developments on this application as part of protecting their investment.
• Along with the PKLA’s efforts, the BRA also is advancing a water quality protection initiative with its Possum Kingdom Lake Water Quality Modeling Project, which launched in October 2024. As outlined in the BRA’s “Environmental and Importance of Water Quality†page on its website, this three-year project seeks to protect water quality in the lake so that it remains a reliable water source for municipalities, businesses and agriculture in the Brazos River Basin, as well as an attractive public recreation destination. More information about this project and its timeline can be found on the BRA’s website, or by signing up for the BRA quarterly newsletter online at https://brazos.org/. of the lake. PKLA membership is the first step to having this community’s voices heard, so to become a new member, or to renew membership in the organization:
• Visit the website https://pklakeassn.org/ or scan the code below.