Why I’m Paying Attention to Broken Cedar Ranch

I want to take a moment to explain why the Broken Cedar Ranch development has come up in recent conversations and why it has caught my attention. This issue has raised real questions for a lot of people in our area, particularly around water, and I think it’s important to slow down and look at what is actually being reviewed and why residents are engaging with the process.

I don’t like reacting to things without understanding them first. Especially when water is involved.

This isn’t a city zoning issue or a city council vote. What’s under review right now is a wastewater discharge permit through the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality. That distinction matters, because it explains why people are being directed to submit public comments at the state level instead of calling city hall.

https://www14.tceq.texas.gov/epic/eComment/

https://www.tceq.texas.gov/permitting/wastewater

The proposed development is roughly 800 homes on about 300 acres in unincorporated Comal County near Fischer and Canyon Lake. Because it’s outside city limits, the question isn’t whether the city approves it. The question is whether the state approves the wastewater plan tied to it.

That plan would allow a large volume of treated wastewater to be discharged daily into nearby waterways that eventually flow toward Canyon Lake and the Guadalupe River system. In normal conditions, that would still deserve scrutiny. In a prolonged drought, it deserves even more.

We are not in normal conditions.

Most people I talk to in and around New Braunfels are already worried about water. They see restrictions. They see wells struggling. They see water providers pulling back on new service agreements because supply is uncertain. That’s not speculation. That’s already happening in Comal County.

https://communityimpact.com/san-antonio/new-braunfels/government/2025/04/01/texas-water-company-cancels-9-water-utility-agreements-for-comal-county-developments-amidst-drought/

https://www.expressnews.com/hill-country/article/texas-water-company-comal-county-water-development-20242752.php

When water levels are low, there is less dilution in creeks and rivers. That means any discharge, even treated wastewater, has a bigger impact on groundwater and surface water quality. That’s just how hydrology works. You don’t have to be an activist to understand that. You just have to live here.

That’s why this issue has struck a nerve with a lot of residents near Canyon Lake and north of New Braunfels. People aren’t showing up because they hate growth. They’re showing up because they’re asking a very basic question: do we actually have the water to support this, now and long term?

County leadership has acknowledged this tension too. Commissioner Jen Crownover, who represents Precinct 4, has publicly supported efforts to slow or pause new water commitments during the drought. She’s also been clear about the limits of what counties can control versus what the state permits. Both things can be true at the same time.

https://communityimpact.com/san-antonio/new-braunfels/government/2025/04/01/texas-water-company-cancels-9-water-utility-agreements-for-comal-county-developments-amidst-drought/

From what I can tell, public opinion locally isn’t split down party lines. It’s more practical than that. People want development to make sense. They want infrastructure to exist before it’s needed, not promised later. And they want decision-makers to be honest about limits.

That’s where I am.

I’m not against housing. I’m not against growth. But I am very cautious when growth depends on future water assumptions during a drought that has already forced utilities to hit pause. Asking questions about water and wastewater is not anti-development. It’s responsible.

Public comments to TCEQ are part of the process. They’re not protests. They’re how residents say, “Here are the risks we see. Please account for them before approving this.”

As someone who works across civic, campaign, and community spaces, I take that seriously. Water issues don’t stay neatly inside jurisdictional boundaries, and they don’t go away because they’re inconvenient.

This is about planning for reality, not best-case scenarios. And that’s why I’m paying attention.

If you care about water, drought conditions, and how major developments are reviewed, you can share your perspective directly with the state.

The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality is currently accepting public comments related to this permit. Submitting a comment is part of the formal review process and becomes part of the public record.

You can learn more and submit a comment here:

https://www14.tceq.texas.gov/epic/eComment/

This is one of the few moments where individual residents have a direct way to be heard before decisions are made.

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