In Bragg v. Edwards Aquifer Authority, 71 S.W.3d 729 (Tex. 2002), Mike Hatchell was asked to orally argue and assist in briefing the case for Respondent, Edwards Aquifer, joining an appellate team headed by Drew Miller (with Kemp Smith PC of Austin) and assisted by Prof. Lynn Blaise of the University of Texas, and Molly Hatchell of Hatchell PC. The case involved a clash between Texas' Private Real Property Rights Preservation Act (which requires certain "taking impact assessments" before governmental action that affects private property rights) and the Edwards Aquifer Act (which promulgates procedures for regulation of groundwater in a defined area). The decision affirmed the Aquifer's position that it was exempted from the Property Rights Act when it adopted new rules regarding issuance of water rights permits within the Aquifer's boundaries. The decision was an important milestone because the critical need to preserve water resources in Texas would have been severely hampered and subject to obfuscation had the Aquifer been required to delay action in order to comply with the requirement in the Property Rights Act of a "takings impact statement" each time it promulgated rules.