The Fort Bend Subsidence District (FBSD) and Harris-Galveston Subsidence District (HGSD) control subsidence within the Districts by regulating the use of groundwater based on the FBSD’s Regulatory Plan. The Regulatory Plan is based on many factors including expected population growth and migration and the availability of alternative source waters. The District periodically reviews our regulatory plan to assure that the predictions of future water needs and subsidence are up-to-date and to confirm that the plan ultimately ceases subsidence in Fort Bend county. Both the regulatory plan review and Regional Groundwater Update Project (RGUP) were completed in 2013 in partnership with both Districts and the Lone Star Groundwater Conservation District.
The Districts initiated a Joint Regulatory Plan Review in January 2020 to estimate future changes in population and water demand, assess the availability of future alternative water supplies, review and update predictive subsidence models, and evaluate planned regulatory requirements on future subsidence rates. The Joint Review will be complete in 2023 with results of the review to be used as the basis for any future District Regulatory Plan modifications.
