Lavaca County on Nov. 10 approved a policy to permit permanent water lines bored under county roads, a measure officials said is intended to help ranchers and landowners facing drought and drying ponds.

Commissioner Wayne Faircloth described a typical application: a landowner proposes to bore a conduit about 6 feet under a county road, place a sleeve, and run a water line to supply cattle. "The cattle have to have water," he said in support of a permitting policy. The court approved a permit model similar to a pipeline permit; applicants will pay a $500 permit fee and cover all boring costs, and the county will require documentation of accountability for any road repairs caused by the work.

The court discussed making the policy apply to county roads generally rather than issuing site-by-site special authorizations, and commissioners expressed interest in standardizing fees and permit terms across precincts.

Next steps: county staff will implement the permit process, coordinate required permit forms and liability language, and route applications through the judge's office.