Water Problems Force Local Popular Baseball Tournament Destination To Shut Down
By Amy Bearden/Mineral Wells Area News
We all know there is no crying in baseball but unfortunately, today’s announcement by Rocker B Ranch might cause a few to be shed. Considering the venue was recently named Mineral Wells Chamber of Commerce’s Business of the Year, some of those tears might fall locally, along with the tax-revenue they apparently bring to the area.
After careful consideration, we have come to the difficult decision that it is not feasible to host baseball tournaments for the foreseeable future. We appreciate the love and support that the baseball community has given us over the years. We will greatly miss the joy that we have felt watching so many teams enjoy the game of baseball at our ranch in this beautiful setting. Thank you for the wonderful memories!
The Byrd Family
Rocker B Ranch is a destination baseball tournament venue just outside of Graford that hosts teams from all over the state and according to their social media statement today, they will not be opening this season. Considering they had 50,000 visitors to their ranch last year, it’s not really the choice they wanted to make, nor did the Chamber who will no doubt see the impact of the economic loss.
In late October, Rocker B Ranch owner Lance Byrd told the County Commissioner’s that the Texas Commission For Environmental Quality(TCEQ) had made demands that would force them to find access to a different potable water supply because the venue’s existing Reverse Osmosis system from the Brazos River was inadequate for the number of people attending the venue each week.
Here is the Video of Byrd asking the Court for their help or input on the dilemma. He said he asked the City of Graford to allow the venue to join their water system which is just a few miles away, but Byrd says his requests fell on deaf ears.
Graford pipes its water supply in from the City of Mineral Wells, who truly is in the middle of their own water dilemma.
In early December, City Manager Dean Sullivan told its wholesale water customers, which includes the City of Graford, that because of a recent TCEQ citation, their commercial water contracts need to be renegotiated to reflect the amount of water the State will allow their dilapidated water treatment plant to produce.
Area Water Suppy Decision Makers have recently collaborated for a regional solution and local State Representative Glenn Roger’s says he’s taking the area water dilemma to Austin in January.
According to statements by Byrd at the Commissioner’s Court, he had over 15 months to prepare but made no progress. TCEQ gave Rocker B Ranch until March 2023 to remedy their water supply issues. Byrd said he publishes his next year’s tournament schedule every December 15, and without a solution for the TCEQ, he says he won’t publish a schedule and take people’s money for games that might not happen because there is no water supply.
Today, December 15, the call was made by Rocker B Ranch to cancel the 20223 baseball season of tournaments.
So, as it seems, there will be some crying in baseball!
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