Residents, environmental experts, and state officials are gathering Tuesday evening in Glen Rose for a community meeting focused on data centers and their potential impacts on Dinosaur Valley State Park. The meeting, organized by Protect the Paluxy Valley, comes as multiple data center and relate d power projects are being proposed in Somervell and Hood counties. Over the past several months, residents in Hood and Somervell counties have increasingly pushed back against proposed data center developments, raising concerns about water use, power demand, environmental impacts, and the limited authority counties have to regulate projects in unincorporated areas. The debate has intensified as multiple projects have been proposed in the Granbury-Glen Rose corridor. Residents have packed public meetings and asked county leaders to reject or delay developments while more information is gathered about their long-term impacts. “We actually have three data centers that have a direct impact on Somervell County and Glen Rose and Dinosaur Valley State Park,” said Brian Crawford, a nearby landowner involved with Protect the Paluxy Valley. According to Crawford, one proposed project, known as Comanche Circle, would be located near the Somervell-Hood county line. Another proposed development, known as Black Mountain, would be situated near Dinosaur Valley State Park. Crawford said residents are particularly concerned about the possibility of sediment runoff during years-long construction projects. Dinosaur Valley State Park is known for dinosaur footprints along the Paluxy River and is one of North Texas’ most recognizable natural attractions. “There is a very strong concern,” Crawford said. “The silt from that runoff could have devastating effects on those dinosaur tracks.” The event’s featured speakers include Baylor University biologist Dr. Thad Scott, State Rep. Helen Kerwin and groundwater experts from across the region. Organizers say Scott will discuss potential environmental impacts to the river system and dinosaur tracks, while groundwater officials will explain regulations surrounding water wells and large-scale water use. Crawford said residents are also focused on the broader scale of development proposed for the region. “There are eight data center slash power plant projects in the works,” Crawford said. “All between the towns of Granbury and Glen Rose.” The issue has expanded beyond individual projects. Last month, Somervell County commissioners approved a resolution asking state leaders to pause new data center applications. This would allow lawmakers to study potential impacts on water supplies, electrical infrastructure, and local communities. County officials across rural North Texas have also called for additional authority to regulate data center development, claiming current state law limits counties’ ability to address resident concerns. For Crawford, the issue is personal. He said he and his wife moved to the Paluxy River Valley because of its rural character and natural beauty, planning to spend their retirement there. Now, with his property sharing a boundary with the proposed Comanche Circle project, he worries the area’s rapid transformation could change the landscape that drew them there in the first place. He describes the region as the “tip of the Hill Country” and worries large-scale industrial development could alter a landscape residents have spent generations preserving. “It’s a unique little spot within North Central Texas,” Crawford said. “There’s creeks and rivers. The wildlife is just abundant, and we believe that it is a treasure in this part of the state of Texas.” Organizers also hope to help residents understand how to protect local resources, including encouraging landowners to register private wells. “We’re encouraging people to register their wells so that there’s a record of those wells,” Crawford said. Tuesday night’s event is intended to help residents better understand what has been proposed, how it could affect local resources, and what options remain available as the projects move through the development process, according to organizers. The local debate is unfolding as Texas leaders take a closer look at the industry’s growth statewide. Gov. Greg Abbott recently directed state regulators to examine ways to ensure new data center developments do not shift infrastructure costs onto residential customers and to address concerns related to electricity demand and water consumption. This story uses functionality that may not work in our app. Click here to open the story in your web browser. ...read more read less