North Plains Water News

May 2025

Meet Our New Natural Resource Specialist!

My name is Noah Maner; I was born in Riverdale, Georgia in 1997 and moved to Dumas, Texas when I was 4 years old. I grew up with a heavy love of playing sports, anything from baseball to tennis to golf. I really enjoyed being outdoors and staying active.

At about 12 years old I found a new passion for agriculture, mainly cattle and horses as well as an obsession with roping. This passion led me to go to Clarendon College for the Ranch and Feedlot Operations Program after I graduated from Dumas High School. Once I graduated college I went into the agriculture field for work and started off by farming and soon went into the feedyard side of the industry. After working there for a while I went into the oil field for roughly 7 years and now, I’m happily employed at the NPGCD.

In my free time is still very much enjoy being around livestock and being able to ride horses with my kids and trying to teach them all I know to expand their knowledge when it comes to horses and livestock.

I decided to work at NPGCD after talking to a few current employees; they had nothing but good things to say about the district and the other employees that work here.

The most exciting part about this job so far has been being able to get out into the field and meet some new and seeing familiar faces in this industry. You can meet some very nice and interesting people in the agriculture industry and I enjoy being able to meet them face to face and talk with them.

My favorite project I’ve been able to work on so far has been the Water Festival. It was very nerve racking at first being my first one but once I got the flow of how everything went it was a lot of fun. I enjoyed being able to put on my activity for kids and see how much fun they had interacting with it.

What I enjoy most about working here is the people and the atmosphere that comes along with it. The people here aren’t afraid to laugh and cut up with one another and it makes coming to work every day feel like a second home. I came in with high hopes that everything I had heard was true and it has been. My coworkers are all amazing and the environment is very relaxed even when it’s very busy. I’m looking forward at the possibility of moving up the career ladder as the opportunities come and being able to expand my knowledge in the different areas of this job.

Meter Reimbursement Program Now Open!

The Meter Reimbursement Program provides funding to irrigators to offset up to half the equipment cost of water meters.

Thanks to a grant from the Texas Water Development Board (TWDB) the North Plains Groundwater Conservation District provides funding to irrigators to offset up to half the equipment cost of water meters.

The district is now accepting applications on meters purchased and installed on or after August 15, 2024. An initial grant was awarded to the District by the TWDB on the basis that meters are an accepted and effective management tool for producers and for groundwater conservation districts. Since June of 2014, the District has received $4,390,900.00 in grants for meters.

Here are the NEW Board Approved Meter Reimbursement Program Policies.

After all meters are installed and are operable, fill out the Meter Reimbursement Program Application, print and sign it, and along with complete receipts, return to permitting@northplainsgcd.org. All applicants must submit a Meter Change Form for every meter you are requesting reimbursement for.

Meter Change Form

Meter Reimbursement Application Form