Texas
Buying Land in Coke County, Texas
Coke County, seat Robert Lee, is a Concho Valley county whose land economy now includes one of the largest wind-power buildouts in Texas history alongside its long-standing ranching base. A county-specific groundwater district has managed local wells since 1985, and E.V. Spence Reservoir supplies San Angelo's drinking water from the county's namesake stretch of the Colorado River.
No general zoning outside city limits
Coke County does not appear among the named Chapter 231 exceptions, so the Commissioners Court has no general zoning authority over unincorporated land, consistent with the statewide default. Subdivision platting and floodplain rules are the actual regulatory layers to check for land here, alongside any wind-lease-specific terms discussed below.
A 40-year-old, single-county groundwater district
Groundwater in Coke County is regulated by the Coke County Underground Water Conservation District, created by the Texas Legislature under House Bill 2418 (codified as Chapter 950 of the 69th Legislature's 1985 session) with the stated objective of preserving the integrity of the groundwater in the aquifer underlying the district. Unlike Childress County elsewhere in this research batch, Coke County's district is a single, dedicated county-level entity with a documented management-plan history stretching back to at least 1998. Confirm current well registration, permitting thresholds, and spacing requirements directly with the district office in Robert Lee before drilling.
Aviator Wind: a real, large-scale land-use fact for this county
The single most consequential land-use development in Coke County this decade has been wind power. Aviator Wind, developed by Apex Clean Energy and later sold to Ares Management, brought together 80 landowners who leased their property for a 525-megawatt facility -- repeatedly reported in energy trade press as the largest single-phase, single-site wind project built in the United States at the time, comprising 191 GE turbines. Facebook and McDonald's separately signed long-term power purchase agreements for portions of the project's output. For the county's finances, this is not a marginal effect: Aviator Wind reportedly generated $1.6 million for Coke County in 2020 alone, described in reporting as equal to 72% of the county's total expenditures the prior year, on top of a projected $142 million in lifetime tax revenue and $172 million in payments to participating landowners. See the dedicated wind-solar-leasing page for what a landowner near existing turbines, or considering a new lease, should know.
E.V. Spence Reservoir: a regional water-supply neighbor
E.V. Spence Reservoir sits on the Colorado River near Robert Lee and is owned and operated by the Colorado River Municipal Water District (CRMWD) to supply water to the district and the City of San Angelo -- a real, permanent regional infrastructure feature for anyone considering land near the lake. This is a municipal water-supply reservoir rather than a recreation-first lake, and any shoreline or near-lake development question should be directed to CRMWD directly rather than assumed to work like a typical private or Corps of Engineers lake.
Who to Call Before Buying Land in Coke County
Coke County has no general zoning authority and is not a named exception under Local Government Code Chapter 231. This research could not confirm the county's TCEQ OSSF authorized-agent status; confirm directly with the county or TCEQ Region 8 (San Angelo).
Wells / Private Water
Coke County Underground Water Conservation District
Well registration and permitting rules for the aquifer underlying Coke County, established under a 1985 state law.
Planning & Zoning
Coke County Commissioners Court
Subdivision platting requirements and confirmation that no general zoning applies to unincorporated county land.
Septic / Onsite Wastewater
TCEQ Region 8 Office (San Angelo)
Septic (OSSF) permitting contact for Coke County if the county is not a TCEQ authorized agent -- this research could not confirm the county's authorized-agent status either way.
Assessor / Property Tax
Coke County Appraisal District
Assessed value, agricultural valuation, and property tax questions for a specific parcel, including how existing wind-lease income affects appraised value.
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Get local guidanceTopics Specific to Coke County
Sources
- Coke County Underground Water Conservation District — Coke County, Texas (accessed 2026-09)
- Coke County Underground Water Conservation District - Texas Land Conservation Assistance Network — Texas Land Conservation Assistance Network (accessed 2026-09)
- Ares Management Completes Sale of Aviator Wind – the Largest Single-Phase, Single-Site Wind Project in the U.S. — Business Wire (accessed 2026-09)
- Aviator Onshore Wind Farm Project, Coke County, USA — NS Energy Business (accessed 2026-09)
- The Transition to Clean Energy Is Uniting America — Apex Clean Energy (accessed 2026-09)
- E.V. Spence Reservoir (Colorado River Basin) — Texas Water Development Board (accessed 2026-09)
- Which TCEQ Region is My County In? — Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (accessed 2026-09)
- Coke County Appraisal District — Coke County Appraisal District (accessed 2026-09)
Last reviewed 2026-09