Borden County, Texas
8 local notes for Borden County — practical, plain-English, and pointed at the official source to confirm. West Texas / Permian / Trans-Pecos.
Money & Taxes
Property tax
Homestead Exemption Lowers Your Property Tax Bill in Borden County
Homeowners who live in their Borden County property as their primary residence can file a one-time homestead exemption application to reduce their taxable value and cap future appraisal increases.
Agricultural valuation
Agricultural Valuation Can Sharply Cut Land Taxes on Borden County Ranches
Borden County landowners who ranch, farm, or manage wildlife can apply to pay taxes on what the land produces rather than what it would sell for.
Home & Property
Oil & gas / Mineral rights
Oil and Gas Activity in Borden County Means Mineral Rights Matter
Borden County has produced oil since 1949 and falls within Railroad Commission District 8A, so buyers of rural land should check whether mineral rights are included in a sale or have already been severed.
Water / Groundwater
Borden County Has No Groundwater Conservation District — Well Rules Are Minimal
Borden County does not have a local groundwater conservation district, which means there are no local permits required to drill a water well, but the county sits in a drought-prone area where groundwater levels in the Ogallala Aquifer have been declining for decades.
Outdoors
Weather / Wildfire / Drought
Drought and Wildfire Are Routine Hazards in Borden County
Borden County averages under 20 inches of rain per year and is regularly affected by drought, which raises wildfire risk across the county's grass and mesquite rangeland.
Fishing / Recreation
Lake J.B. Thomas Offers Fishing and Camping in Borden County
Lake J.B. Thomas, a reservoir on the Colorado River straddling Borden and Scurry counties, provides the main public outdoor recreation opportunity in this otherwise remote area.
Hunting / TPWD
Borden County Has Good Hunting Including Mule Deer and Pronghorn
Borden County sits in a zone where both white-tailed deer and mule deer can be hunted, and pronghorn antelope permits are available by application for qualifying areas.