This is your home. You get a say.
They’ll tell you it’s outside city limits, the county can’t zone it, and it’s already decided. That’s not the whole story. Four public bodies have a hand in what happens here, and every one of them answers to you.
It’s already working
Don’t let anybody tell you showing up doesn’t matter. Here’s what happened after folks did.
- June 2026Residents pack the Commissioners Court and won’t sit quiet about water, power, noise and wastewater.
- July 14, 2026Commissioners vote unanimously for Resolution 010-26, asking Austin to let counties require water impact statements, public hearings, noise limits and setbacks for big data centers.
- August 2026The City of Lufkin passes a similar resolution backing the county.
- October 2026The county has turned down Amp Z’s request for a 10-year tax break.
Coming up. Mark your calendar.
- Mon., Nov. 9 · 1:30 p.m. · Kurth Lake LodgePineywoods Groundwater board meeting and public hearingThe board that permits big water wells holds a public hearing on new rules that would watch big pumpers and data centers. Here’s what’s in them.
- Wed., Nov. 18GMA-11 meetingThe regional group of water districts that decides how far our aquifers are allowed to drop over time. Details at pgcd.org.
- Tues., Jan. 12, 2027The Texas Legislature goes back to workThat’s when Resolution 010-26 either becomes a bill or gathers dust.
On the table Nov. 9: new water rules
Pineywoods is proposing rules that do a lot of what we’ve been asking for.
- Big pumpers get watched.Projects permitted for more than 1,500 acre-feet a year, about 1.3 million gallons a day, must drill monitoring wells at their property line before they pump. If the water drops 50 feet below where it started for three months in a row, the District suspends or cuts the permit until it comes back. Companies can’t split one big project into smaller permits to get around it.
- Every data center and power plant gets a monitoring well.Any size. The company pays, and the water levels report straight to the District by cell and satellite.
- No more secret water deals.Anyone applying for a permit has to prove they own the right to that water and show any deal that transferred it. Those deals have to be filed in the county deed records, where anyone can look them up.
- The gap.The 50-foot shutoff doesn’t apply to a city water utility serving its own area. If a data center buys City water instead of drilling its own wells, the shutoff may never kick in. [Our reading]
What to ask: Thank the board for the good parts. Then ask them to close the gap, so a big user is watched no matter whose wells the water comes from.
Source: Pineywoods GCD proposed rule amendments, draft dated Oct. 6, 2026 (Rules 5.15 and 5.16) and proposed Rule 5.4(m). These are proposals until the board votes.Four doors. Here’s how to knock.
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Lufkin City Council
- What it controls
- City water. A big industrial user would likely need a contract with the City to get it.
- When
- Usually the 1st and 3rd Tuesday of the month, 5 p.m., City Hall, 300 E. Shepherd Ave.
- How
- Email your council member and the mayor. Ask them to put data center water on the agenda.
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Angelina County Commissioners Court
- What it controls
- Tax breaks and road use agreements. Right now those are the county’s only real leverage over a data center.
- When
- Tuesday mornings at 10, usually twice a month, 211 E. Shepherd Ave. County calendar.
- How
- Every regular agenda has a Public Forum. Sign in, stand up, say your piece.
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Pineywoods Groundwater Conservation District
- What it controls
- Permits for big water wells in Angelina and Nacogdoches counties.
- When
- Next meeting: Mon., Nov. 9, 1:30 p.m., Kurth Lake Lodge.
- How
- Show up for the public hearing, or email the District at staff@pgcd.org before the meeting so your comment is on file.
- Who sits on it
- Seven directors appointed by the City of Lufkin, the City of Nacogdoches, and the two counties. Three seats expire Dec. 31, 2026: Gloria Montes and Greg Grigsby (appointed by Nacogdoches County) and Roger Russell (appointed by Angelina and Nacogdoches counties).
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The Texas Legislature
- What it controls
- Whether counties get any power over data centers at all.
- When
- Session starts Jan. 12, 2027.
- How
- Look up your state representative and senator. Call or write and ask them to carry Resolution 010-26 into law.
What to say
You don’t need a speech. Your name, where you live, and one sentence:
“This is my home. Leave the Carrizo-Wilcox for the people who drink it, and put it in writing before anybody signs a deal.”
At the Nov. 9 Pineywoods hearing, try: “Thank you for watching the big pumpers. Please make sure a data center is watched even when it buys City water.”
Say it in your own words. A grandmother talking about her well beats a lawyer every time.
Want to do more?
- Ask for the records yourself. Our Angelina County Watch page will help you write a public records request in a few minutes.
- Bring one neighbor. Ten people in a room changes the room.
- Join the coalition. We’ll post every meeting that matters, so you don’t have to hunt for them.