Jacob’s Well hasn’t flowed in three years. What was once an iconic spring and lifeline for Hays County is now little more than a stagnant hole in the ground. In June, lawmakers from both parties passed a bill to help fix that — giving the local groundwater district the basic authority it needs to slow the crisis. But in a last-minute move, Governor Greg Abbott vetoed it.

This wasn’t just a technical decision. The Trinity Aquifer, which feeds Jacob’s Well, Blue Hole, and thousands of household wells in the Hill Country, is nearing collapse. For years, unchecked growth and relentless overpumping have pulled far more water out of the ground than rain can put back in. Residents report wells going dry. Springs are disappearing. And still, the state ties the hands of the one agency that could slow the damage.

The bill Abbott vetoed had overwhelming bipartisan support — every Hays County commissioner, Democrat and Republican, backed it. So did the mayors of Wimberley and Woodcreek, and even the conservative Texas Senate, which passed the bill unanimously. It would have let the groundwater district collect modest fees from large commercial water users, finally giving it the same powers as nearly every other district in the state. But now, thanks to that veto, none of those tools exist. And the aquifer continues to drain.

This isn’t just about a swimming hole. It’s about homes with no running water. Local businesses on the brink. A tourism economy about to collapse. A natural resource that, once it’s gone, can’t come back.

We’re calling on Governor Abbott to reverse course. He must support legislation that empowers the Hays Trinity Groundwater Conservation District to limit overpumping, enforce permits, and protect the Trinity Aquifer before it’s too late. Jacob’s Well won’t survive another year of delay — and neither will the communities that depend on it.

Add your name if you believe clean water and local control matter more than corporate interests.