Desired Future Conditions (DFCs) are defined as “ the desired, quantified condition of groundwater resources (such as water levels, spring flows, or volumes) within a management area at one or more specified future times as defined by participating groundwater conservation districts within a groundwater management area( GMA) as part of the joint planning process.” A DFC, in essence, is a management goal that addresses how an aquifer should be managed. A DFC answers the question- what do you want your aquifer/s to look like in the future? For example, a DFC could be based on spring flow or, perhaps, on water levels.The process for determining DFCs, involve running computer models (developed by the Texas Water Development Board) which simulate the effects of pumping an aquifer. After running a model through several iterations of various pumping from high to low,one will be able to see a range of impacts. During the 83rd legislative session, Senate Bill 660 added additional requirements for GMAs to consider when developing DFCs.
Every 5 years a GMA must propose and adopt DFCs. The deadline for this round is May 1, 2016. It is anticipated that DFCs will be proposed sometime in 2015 for both GMA 10 and GMA 13. All groundwater districts in a GMA, including PCCD, will hold local public hearings for these newly proposed DFCs. Once DFCs are adopted, the TWDB issues Modeled Available Groundwater (MAG) numbers which are required to be considered by Groundwater Conservation Districts when granting permits. A MAG is the amount of water that may be produced on an average annual basis to achieve a DFC. The aquifers concerning GMA 10 planning are the Trinity, Fresh Edwards, Saline Edwards, Leona, Buda and Austin Chalk. In GMA 13 aquifers include the Wilcox,Carrizo, Edwards, Yegua-Jackson, Queen City, Reklaw, Sparta, and Weches.
PCCDs Desired Future Conditions:
| GMA | Aquifers | Adopted DFC | Adoption Date |
| 10 | Trinity Group | A regional average well drawdown during average recharge conditions that does not exceed 25 feet (including exempt and non-exempt well use) | August 23, 2010 |
| 10 | Saline Edwards | Well drawdown at the saline-freshwater interface (the so called Edwards “bad water line”) in the northern subdivision of GMA 10 that averages no more than 5 feet and does not exceed a maximum of 25 feet at any point on the interface. | August 4, 2010 |
| 13 | Carrizo-Wilcox, etal | In Reference to scenario 4 (GAM run 09-034), and an average drawdown of 23 ft., for the Sparta, Weches,Queen City, Reklaw, Carrizo, and Wilcox Aquifers. | April 9, 2010 |