Chapter 1 Description of the Region The East Texas Regional Water Planning Area (ETRWPA) is one of sixteen areas established by the 1997 Texas legislature Senate Bill 1 for the purpose of State water resource planning at a regional level on five- year planning cycles. The first regional water plan was adopted in 2001. Since that time, it was updated in 2006, 2011, and 2016. This plan, the 2021 Regional Water Plan (2021 Plan), is the result of the 5th cycle of regional water planning. Pursuant to the formation of the ETRWPA, the East Texas Regional Water Planning Group (ETRWPG or RWPG), was formed and charged with the responsibility to evaluate the region’s population projections, water demand projections, and existing water supplies for a 50-year planning horizon. The RWPG then identifies water shortages under drought of record conditions and recommends water management strategies. This planning is performed in accordance with regional and state water planning requirements of the Texas Water Development Board (TWDB). This chapter provides details for the ETRWPA that are relevant to water resource planning, including: a physical description of the region, climatological details, population projections, economic activities, sources of water and water demand, and regional resources. A discussion of threats to the region’s resources and water supply, a general discussion of water conservation and drought preparation in the region, and a listing of ongoing state and federal programs in the ETRWPA that impact water planning efforts in the region are also provided. 1.1 General Introduction The ETRWPA consists of all or portions of 20 counties located in the Neches, Sabine, and Trinity River Basins, and the Neches- Trinity Coastal Basin. The region extends from the southeastern corner of the state for over 150 miles north and northwest as illustrated in Figure 1.1. The ETRWPA consists of approximately 10,329,800 acres of land and accounts roughly six percent of total area of the State of Texas. By statute, the RWPG consists of members from at least 12 of the following statutorily required interests: public, counties, municipalities, industries, agriculture, environmental, small business, electric- generating utilities, river authorities, water districts, water utilities, and groundwater management areas. These voting, and several non-voting members, collectively represent the water supply interests of the entire region. Figure 1.1 Location Map SOURCE: TEXAS WATER DEVELOPMENT BOARD East Texas Regional Water Planning Area • 2021 Regional Water Plan Chapter 1 Description of the Region The City of Nacogdoches is the administrative contracting agency for the RWPG. The RWPG has retained the services of a team of water-supply consulting engineering firms to prepare the 2021 Plan including Alan Plummer Associates, Inc. as the lead consultant, Freese & Nichols, Inc. as a subconsultant, and WSP USA as a subconsultant groundwater specialist. Table 1.1 provides a current list of the RWPG representatives involved in developing the 2021 Regional Water Plan. Table 1.1 East Texas Regional Water Planning Group Members Voting Members Category Name David Alders, Carrizo Creek Corporation Agriculture Josh David, Livestock Judge Chris Davis, Cherokee County Counties Fred Jackson, Jefferson County Electric Power Randy Stanton, Energy Services Inc. Environmental Dr. Matthew McBroom, Stephen F. Austin State University John McFarland, Rusk County GCD Groundwater Management Areas John Martin, Southeast Texas GCD Darla Smith, BASF Corporation Industries David Gorsich, Exxon Mobil Corporation David Brock, City of Jacksonville Municipalities Gregory M. Morgan, City of Tyler Stevan Gelwicks Public Terry Stelly David Montagne, Sabine River Authority Monty Shank, Upper Neches River MWA River Authorities Kelley Holcomb, Angelina-Neches River Authority Scott Hall, Lower Neches Valley Authority Mark Dunn, Dunn’s Construction LLC Small Business VACANT Water Districts Worth Whitehead*, Rusk SWCD Water Utilities Roger Fussell, Lumberton MUD Non-Voting Members Lann Bookout, Texas Water Development Board Stephan Lange, Texas Parks & Wildlife Department Manuel Martinez, Texas Department of Agriculture James Alford, Trinity County Connie Standridge, Region C RWPG Chip Kline, Louisiana Governor’s Office of Coastal Activities Honorable Joel Hale, Rusk County Judge Ben A. Stephenson, City of Dallas VACANT, Region H RWPG Honorable Allison Harbison, Shelby County Judge Walter Glenn, Jasper County Terry McFall, U.S. Department of Agriculture Rusty Ray, Texas State Soil and Water Conservation Board *Retired from the Regional Water Planning Group prior to final approval Page 1-2 2021 Regional Water Plan • East Texas Regional Water Planning Area Chapter 1 Description of the Region Table 1.1 East Texas Regional Water Planning Group Members (Cont.) Committees Executive Committee Chair – Kelley Holcomb Assistant Secretary – David Montagne 1st Vice Chair – David Brock At-Large – Mark Dunn 2nd Vice Chair – Josh David At-Large – David Alders Secretary – John Martin Nominations Committee By-Laws Committee Chair – Monty Shank Chair – David Alders Member – Chris Davis Member – Worth Whitehead Member – Randy Stanton Member – Darla Smith Ex-Officio – Kelley Holcomb Member - Roger Fussell Finance Committee Technical Committee Chair – Mark Dunn Chair – Scott Hall Member – Greg Morgan Member – John Martin Member – Josh David Member – Matthew McBroom Member – David Brock SOURCE: EAST TEXAS REGIONAL WATER PLANNING GROUP 1.1.1 Physical Description The ETRWPA is generally characterized by rolling to hilly surface features, except near the Gulf Coast. The elevation in the region varies from sea level at its southern boundary on the Gulf of Mexico to 763 ft mean sea level at Tater Hill Mountain in Henderson County at its far northwest corner. The region is further subdivided into natural geographic areas known as the Piney Woods, the Oak Woods and Prairies, and the Coastal Prairies, described as follows. Piney Woods. The majority of the ETRWPA falls within the Piney Woods portion of the Texas Gulf Coastal Plain. Pine is the predominant timber of this region, although some hardwood timbers can be found as well, primarily in the valleys of rivers and creeks. Longleaf, shortleaf, and loblolly pine are native to the region and slash pine, an introduced species, is widely dispersed. Hardwoods include a variety of oaks, elm, hickory, magnolia, sweetgum, and blackgum. Lumber production is the principal industry of the area and practically all of Texas’ commercial timber production comes from the Piney Woods region. The soils and climate are adaptable to the production of a variety of fruit and vegetable crops. Cattle ranching is widespread and generally accompanied by the development of pastures. Economic growth in the area has also been greatly influenced by the large oil field discovered in Rusk and Smith counties in 1931. This area has a variety of clays, lignite coal, and other minerals that have potential for development. Oak Woods and Prairies. Most of the northwestern portion of the ETRWPA (parts of Smith, Henderson, Anderson, and Houston counties) fall within the Oak Woods and Prairies portion of the Texas Gulf Coastal Plains. Principal trees of this area are hardwoods, including post oak, blackjack oak, and elm. Riparian areas often have pecan, walnut, and other trees with high water demands. Upland soils are sandy and sandy loam, while the bottomlands are sandy loam and clay. The Oak Woods and Prairies are somewhat spotty in character, with some insular areas of blackland soil and others that closely resemble those of the Piney Woods. The principal industry of the area is diversified farming and livestock raising. The Oak Woods and Prairies region also has lignite, commercial clays, and other minerals. East Texas Regional Water Planning Area • 2021 Regional Water Plan Page 1-3 Chapter 1 Description of the Region Coastal Prairies. The southern portion of the ETRWPA (largely Jefferson and Orange counties) is located within the segment of the Texas Gulf Coastal Plains known as the Coastal Prairies. In general, this area is covered with a heavy growth of grass, and the line of demarcation between the prairies and the Pine Belt forests is very distinct. Soil of the Coastal Prairies is predominantly heavy clay. Cattle ranching is the principal agricultural industry, although significant rice production is also present. The Coastal Prairie has seen a large degree of industrial development that continues today. The chief concentration of this development has been from the city of Orange and the areas between the cities of Beaumont and Houston; much of the development has been in petrochemical manufacturing. Figure 1.2 depicts the boundaries of these areas within the ETRWPA. Additional description of the region is provided later in this chapter. Figure 1.2 Natural Geographic Regions SOURCE: TEXAS NATURAL RESOURCE INFORMATION SYSTEM Page 1-4 2021 Regional Water Plan • East Texas Regional Water Planning Area Chapter 1 Description of the Region 1.1.2 Climate Data from National Weather Service Stations compiled by the Texas State Climatologist indicate that the mean temperatures for the entire region varied from a minimum January temperature of 35 °F in both Anderson and Henderson counties, to a maximum July temperature of 94 °F in Shelby County.[1] Similarly, the average growing season from 1981 to 2010 was 252 days in the ETRWPA.[2] Precipitation generally increases from the northwest to southeast corners