By Zeke MacCormack
San Antonio Express-News

BOERNE - Tapatio Springs Golf Resort got sympathy, but no relief Aug. 6 from the Cow Creek Groundwater Conservation District's drought rules that bar using groundwater to irrigate its golf course.

In seeking clearance to pump 70,785 gallons daily to water greens and tee boxes, attorney Geoff Kirshbaum called Tapatio's circumstance "a special case" in which a denial would cause undue economic hardship to investors, members and residents living around it.

"We need to water the golf course immediately," said Kirshbaum, acknowledging the variance request has caused "a lot of public outcry."

Four of the five locals speaking at the noon meeting opposed the request, saying domestic needs for Trinity Aquifer water trump recreational uses.

"We should be trying to save our lifeblood because, without it, we don't live, period," said Cheryl Haase.

Andy Burge said, "My heart goes out to those who are heavily invested in Tapatio, but you can't destroy the rest of the county to support that."

Peggy Hendrick, a neighbor of the Johns Road resort who's started hauling water in March when her well failed, said the community's "needs" must come before its "wants."

Tapatio resident Andy Calvert called on the district to plug resort wells to preclude any possibility of watering.

But Al Tapia, secretary of the Tapatio Springs Homeowners Association, urged the board to weigh the human cost of denying the variance.

"If the greens and tees are not able to be maintained, a tremendous amount of people are going to lose their jobs out there," he said.

The 90-day variance is needed for short-term relief, said Jay Parker, a partner in the resort opened in 1981 that's now flanked by 250 upscale homes.

It's the only golf course in Kendall County that relies primarily on groundwater.

Parker said he's asked the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality to allow expanded irrigation with treated sewage effluent from nine holes now to all 27 holes there.

A redesign of the course is planned to have it use less water, Parker said, and noted Tapatio has a contract to buy 750 acre feet of Canyon Lake water from the Guadalupe-Blanco River Authority, although no pipeline is in place to access it.

"We need to stay in business to do that extension line," he said. "To stay in business, we need to keep those greens green."

In 2006, Tapatio requested a district permit to pump 140 acre-feet of groundwater annually for irrigation, but hasn't completed its application.

Citing Tapatio's long history in the community and its positive economic impact, Cow Creek board member Bill Haas made a motion to allow it to pump 44,000 gallons daily to irrigate for 90 days.

When no second was heard, board member Don Dietzmann moved to deny the variances.

A second came from Milan Michalec, who said it was important for the board to stick to its drought restrictions.

"We're down to the rubber meeting the road," he said.

The motion passed 3-1, backed by Michalec, Dietzmann and John Kight, who said, "We understand the economic crisis you might be facing, but we're charged with preserving and protecting groundwater for everyone in the county."

In related news, the TCEQ is investigating Tapatio after a resort official told the Cow Creek board at a hearing last month that Fredericks Creek water has been used to irrigate the course since 2006.

This report was published in the San Antonio Express-News on Aug. 7.