TheThe GuadalupeGuadalupe--BlancoBlanco RiverRiver Authority’sAuthority’s WaterWater PlanningPlanning PerspectivePerspective
20062006 ConferenceConference onon thethe EDWARDSEDWARDS AQUIFERAQUIFER HeldHeld atat TheThe WitteWitte MuseumMuseum
ToddTodd H.H. Votteler,Votteler, Ph.D.Ph.D.
11 (800)(800) 413413--41304130 Guadalupe Watershed and the Guadalupe-Blanco River Authority Statutory District
2 GuadalupeGuadalupe--BlancoBlanco RiverRiver AuthorityAuthority •• GBRAGBRA isis aa conservationconservation && reclamationreclamation district.district. •• ItIt waswas createdcreated inin 19331933 underunder SectionSection 59,59, ArticleArticle 1616 ofof thethe ConstitutionConstitution ofof Texas.Texas. •• GBRAGBRA waswas establishedestablished toto develop,develop, conserveconserve && protectprotect thethe waterwater resourcesresources ofof thethe GuadalupeGuadalupe RiverRiver basinbasin && makemake themthem availableavailable forfor beneficialbeneficial use.use. •• GBRAGBRA isis governedgoverned byby aa boardboard ofof ninenine directors,directors, appointedappointed byby thethe Governor.Governor. •• GBRAGBRA cannotcannot levylevy oror collectcollect taxes.taxes. •• GBRAGBRA revenuesrevenues areare derivedderived fromfrom thethe salesale ofof
productsproducts && services.services. 3 RiverRiver authoritiesauthorities managemanage competingcompeting interestsinterests forfor water.water.
4 TexasTexas WaterWater LawLaw
EdwardsEdwards AquiferAquifer--AssociatedAssociated RiversRivers ••BeginsBegins asas StateState surfacesurface waterwater –– rechargerecharge alongalong streambedsstreambeds ••BecomesBecomes privateprivate groundwatergroundwater pumpedpumped byby wellswells ••BecomesBecomes StateState surfacesurface waterwater againagain –– atat springssprings ••EdwardsEdwards AquiferAquifer waterwater goesgoes fromfrom StateState waterwater toto regulatedregulated byby TCEQTCEQ toto groundwatergroundwater regulatedregulated byby thethe EAAEAA toto StateState waterwater asas itit travelstravels ••TexasTexas groundwatergroundwater law,law, thethe RuleRule ofof CaptureCapture -- pumpingpumping cancan drydry upup springssprings –– nono remedyremedy AllAll ofof thethe LargestLargest SpringsSprings inin TexasTexas OriginateOriginate fromfrom thethe EdwardsEdwards Aquifer…Aquifer… San Felipe San Marcos San Marcos Del Rio
Comal New Braunfels
Texas Wild Rice
Fountain darter
Las Moras Springs Brackettville
Most Have 6 Endangered Species ComalComal SpringsSprings –– NewNew Braunfels,Braunfels, TexasTexas ••MostMost prolificprolific springspring systemsystem WestWest ofof thethe MississippiMississippi RiverRiver ••AverageAverage dischargedischarge isis 300300 cfscfs ••HomeHome ofof thethe endangeredendangered fountainfountain darterdarter andand otherother listedlisted speciesspecies
7 WhyWhy areare thethe SpringsSprings ImportantImportant toto thethe GuadalupeGuadalupe Basin?Basin?
•• SpringflowsSpringflows formform ComalComal && SanSan MarcosMarcos RiversRivers -- majormajor tributariestributaries toto GuadalupeGuadalupe RiverRiver •• AverageAverage flowsflows atat ComalComal && SanSan MarcosMarcos SpringsSprings contributecontribute toto thethe GuadalupeGuadalupe RiverRiver twicetwice whatwhat SanSan AntonioAntonio pumpspumps annuallyannually •• SummerSummer 19961996 DroughtDrought –– SpringsSprings providedprovided majoritymajority ofof GuadalupeGuadalupe flowflow atat VictoriaVictoria && almostalmost halfhalf ofof SanSan AntonioAntonio Bay’sBay’s freshwaterfreshwater •• SpringsSprings are critical to waterwater supplysupply for communities from San Marcos, New Braunfels to Victoria •• EndangeredEndangered SpeciesSpecies ActAct protects species & habitats at Comal & San Marcos Springs 8 The Guadalupe River is the Primary Source of Freshwater Inflows to San Antonio Bay…
Brown Shrimp
Guadalupe River Blue Crab
3 ST )
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IE 2.5 SOLUTIONS n R LLI A
I 2.4 E n 2.3 (M a SH I 2.2 S F y 1 5 7 2 5 3 a .03 1. .1 .1 1. .2 1. B WhoopingWhooping 1 1 1 1 1.15 INFLOW (MILLIONS CraneCrane ACRE-FEET) MAF 9 EdwardsEdwards Aquifer:Aquifer: WhoWho isis Involved?Involved?
• EAA - Edwards Aquifer Authority • SCTWAC - South Central Texas Water Advisory Committee • SAWS – San Antonio Water System • Irrigators – Mostly west of San Antonio • GBRA – Guadalupe-Blanco River Authority • GBC- Guadalupe Basin Coalition • TWDB – Texas Water Development Board • Region L – South Central Texas Regional Water Planning Group; 20 & 1/2 counties • TCEQ – Texas Committee on Environmental Quality • USFWS – U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service • TPWD – Texas Parks & Wildlife Department • Environmental/Recreational Organizations EdwardsEdwards AquiferAquifer CharacteristicsCharacteristics
Record Edwards Aquifer Pumping - 1989 542,500 acft/yr Average Edwards Irrigation: 1993-2003 121,500 acft/yr Average Edwards M/I Use: 1993-2003 288,000 acft/yr Average Comal/San Marcos Spring 436,600 Discharge - 1993-2003 acft/yr Record High Edwards Recharge - 1992 2.49 M acft Edwards Recharge - 2004 2.2 M acft Record Low Recharge - 1956 43,700 acft StateState WaterWater PlanningPlanning
1961,1961, 1968,1968, 1984,1984, 1990,1990, 1992,1992, 19971997 TheThe EvolutionEvolution ofof PumpingPumping LimitsLimits
YEARYEAR EVENTEVENT 19561956 DroughtDrought ofof Record:Record: ComalComal SpringsSprings CeasesCeases toto FlowFlow 19611961 StateState WaterWater PlanPlan RecommendsRecommends UnspecifiedUnspecified LimitLimit onon EdwardsEdwards AquiferAquifer 19671967 FirstFirst EdwardsEdwards AquiferAquifer SpeciesSpecies AddedAdded toto ListList ofof EndangeredEndangered SpeciesSpecies 19681968 TexasTexas WaterWater PlanPlan RecommendsRecommends 400,000400,000 acft/yracft/yr LimitLimit onon EdwardsEdwards AquiferAquifer PumpingPumping 19731973 EndangeredEndangered SpeciesSpecies ActAct BecomesBecomes LawLaw13 TheThe EvolutionEvolution ofof PumpingPumping LimitationsLimitations YEARYEAR EVENTEVENT 1984 WaterWater forfor TexasTexas RecommendsRecommends 425,000425,000 1990 acftacft LimitLimit onon EdwardsEdwards AquiferAquifer PumpingPumping 1992 19921992 USFWSUSFWS RecommendsRecommends 450,000450,000 acftacft LimitLimit FollowedFollowed byby 400,000400,000 acftacft LimitLimit 19931993 JudgeJudge BuntonBunton RulesRules inin FavorFavor ofof AquiferAquifer RegulationRegulation inin SierraSierra ClubClub v.v. BabbittBabbitt ESAESA LitigationLitigation 19931993 ThroughThrough SenateSenate BillBill 1477,1477, TexasTexas LegislatureLegislature MandatesMandates aa 450,000450,000 acftacft LimitLimit FollowedFollowed byby 400,000400,000 acftacft inin 2008200814 EdwardsEdwards AquiferAquifer LitigationLitigation
•• InIn 1992,1992, TCEQTCEQ declareddeclared thethe EdwardsEdwards AquiferAquifer anan undergroundunderground streamstream toto regulateregulate itit likelike surfacesurface waterwater –– aa StateState CourtCourt overturnedoverturned thethe rulingruling •• InIn 1993,1993, SierraSierra ClubClub v.v. BabbittBabbitt EndangeredEndangered SpeciesSpecies ActAct lawsuitlawsuit waswas decided;decided; –– USFWSUSFWS orderedordered toto setset springflowspringflow minimumsminimums toto protectprotect thethe ComalComal && SanSan MarcosMarcos SpringsSprings speciesspecies –– FederalFederal CourtCourt givesgives StateState anan ultimatum:ultimatum: regulateregulate aquiferaquifer oror thethe CourtCourt willwill regulateregulate itit
15 InIn 19931993 thethe TexasTexas LegislatureLegislature replacesreplaces thethe EdwardsEdwards UnderUnder-- GroundGround WaterWater DistrictDistrict withwith thethe EdwardsEdwards AquiferAquifer AuthorityAuthority
TheThe ActAct requiresrequires EAAEAA to:to: ••IssueIssue permitspermits && regulateregulate pumpingpumping ••PermitsPermits basedbased onon historicalhistorical useuse ••PermitPermit capcap @@ 450,000450,000 acft/yracft/yr ••20082008 capcap isis 400,000400,000 acft/yracft/yr ••RequiresRequires continuouscontinuous minimumminimum springflowsspringflows toto preservepreserve endangeredendangered speciesspecies habitatshabitats byby 20122012 The “Catfish Farm” The “Catfish Farm”16 ••AdoptAdopt pumpingpumping droughtdrought rulesrules World’s Largest Artesian Well EdwardsEdwards AquiferAquifer IssuesIssues
•• 450,000450,000 acft/yracft/yr untiluntil 2007;2007; 400,000400,000 acft/yracft/yr inin 20082008 –– yetyet permitspermits currentlycurrently totaltotal 549,000549,000 acft/yr,acft/yr, somesome 99,00099,000 acft/yracft/yr overover thethe limitlimit •• CapsCaps onon AnnualAnnual AquiferAquifer PumpingPumping –– Issue:Issue: WhatWhat toto dodo aboutabout excessexcess permitpermit rightsrights aboveabove 450,000450,000 acft/yr?acft/yr? –– StateState legislationlegislation inin 20052005 toto increaseincrease capcap toto ““sumsum ofof allall permitspermits”” diddid notnot passpass •• EAAEAA solutionsolution isis toto makemake thethe portionportion ofof permitspermits aboveabove capcap ““JuniorJunior”” rightsrights –– cancan bebe accruedaccrued
whenwhen aquiferaquifer isis aboveabove certaincertain levelslevels 17 EdwardsEdwards AquiferAquifer IssuesIssues
•• BifurcatedBifurcated ((““JuniorJunior--SeniorSenior””)) PermitPermit RulesRules -- UnderUnder thethe proposedproposed rulesrules thethe portionportion ofof permitspermits aboveabove capcap -- ““juniorjunior”” rightsrights –– cancan bebe usedused whenwhen aquiferaquifer belowbelow 665665 atat JJ--17;17; juniorjunior rightsrights soldsold apartapart fromfrom seniorsenior rightsrights •• SCTWACSCTWAC contestedcontested ““juniorjunior”” rightsrights atat TCEQTCEQ •• TCEQTCEQ concludedconcluded thatthat JuniorJunior rightsrights harmharm downstreamdownstream interestsinterests
18 TCEQTCEQ ResolutionResolution onon Junior/SeniorJunior/Senior WaterWater RightsRights ,, EssentiallyEssentially aa RecommendationRecommendation ...... •• “[T]he“[T]he EAA’sEAA’s Junior/SeniorJunior/Senior permitpermit rulesrules willwill havehave aa measurablemeasurable effecteffect onon downstreamdownstream waterwater interests,interests, particularlyparticularly surfacesurface waterwater rightright holders”;holders”; andand •• “[T]he“[T]he EAA’sEAA’s Junior/SeniorJunior/Senior permitpermit rulesrules areare contrarycontrary toto thethe [TCEQ’s][TCEQ’s] actionsactions affectingaffecting downstreamdownstream interestsinterests becausebecause theythey couldcould measurablymeasurably deprivedeprive downstreamdownstream waterwater rightright holdersholders ofof aa portionportion ofof riverriver flowsflows ...... underunder permitspermits andand certificatescertificates ofof adjudicationadjudication ...... andand alsoalso couldcould otherwiseotherwise measurablymeasurably deprivedeprive flowsflows forfor instreaminstream uses.”uses.” 19 EdwardsEdwards AquiferAquifer IssuesIssues
•• SAWSSAWS letterletter toto USFWSUSFWS inin 20042004 - RequestedRequested lowerlower ComalComal && SanSan MarcosMarcos springflowspringflow levelslevels forfor endangeredendangered species,species, whichwhich meansmeans lessless waterwater inin thethe GuadalupeGuadalupe RiverRiver –– particularlyparticularly duringduring droughtsdroughts •• EAAEAA “Recharge“Recharge && Recirculation”Recirculation”– CouldCould rere--circulatecirculate waterwater fromfrom GuadalupeGuadalupe toto thethe EdwardsEdwards keepkeep springssprings flowing,flowing, butbut reducereduce waterwater downstreamdownstream 20 EdwardsEdwards AquiferAquifer IssuesIssues
ReducedReduced AquiferAquifer UseUse inin DryDry TimesTimes (EAA(EAA CriticalCritical PeriodPeriod Rules)Rules)
••CurrentCurrent EAAEAA rulesrules wouldwould allowallow springssprings toto gogo drydry duringduring severesevere droughtdrought ••AgriculturalAgricultural pumpingpumping mostlymostly exemptexempt ••StateState legislationlegislation toto strengthenstrengthen rulesrules didn’tdidn’t passpass
21 Habitat Conservation Plan The biological, hydrological & political issues of Edwards Aquifer HCP are some of the most complex & difficult natural resource issues in Texas…
Most major South Texas rivers recharge the Edwards
17 Counties ay Included In io B on Planning Area n Ant Sa Edwards remains almost the sole Direct impacts to water source bays & estuaries 22 for San Antonio HabitatHabitat ConservationConservation PlanPlan EAAEAA HabitatHabitat ConservationConservation PlanPlan (HCP)(HCP) •• MarchMarch 2005,2005, EAAEAA submitssubmits draftdraft HCPHCP toto USFWSUSFWS •• HCPHCP wouldwould bebe rulebookrulebook forfor aquiferaquifer managementmanagement forfor nextnext 5050 yearsyears •• DraftDraft providesprovides nono guaranteeguarantee forfor springflowspringflow duringduring aa repeatrepeat ofof thethe DroughtDrought ofof RecordRecord •• EndangeredEndangered speciesspecies toto bebe preservedpreserved withwith “in“in--situsitu refugia”refugia” oror artificialartificial refugesrefuges
Guadalupe River
23 24 Whooping Crane Populations in North America
(Aransas – Wood Buffalo National Park)
25 WhoopingWhooping CraneCrane ChronologyChronology 1865: Some 500 - 1400 birds in North America 1912: Numbers Louisiana to King Ranch – 200 1937: King Ranch birds disappeared – Aransas Migratory Waterfowl Refuge established 1941: Record low number of Whooping Cranes (16) 1954: Wood Buffalo National Park found to be Crane’s long sought breeding grounds 1973: Endangered Species Act 1975 - 1989: Initiated Rocky Mountain Flock 1989: Baraboo, Wisconsin flock; ultralights 1993: Kissimmee Prairie non-migratory flock 26 Aransas NWR Whooping Cra ne Population: 1938- 2006 250 e n 200 a r s r C e 150 g n i mb 100 Nu oop 50 Wh 0
38 43 48 53 58 63 68 73 78 83 88 93 98 03 19 19 19 19 19 19 19 19 19 19 19 19 19 20 Yea rs
InIn 20062006 therethere werewere 217.217. TotalTotal:: WildWild ++ Captive:Captive: 341341 ++ 135135 == 476476 Birds;Birds; 121121 BreedingBreeding PairsPairs 27 Crane Territories 2003 San Antonio Bay
Gulf of Mexico
28 Linking Freshwater Inflows & Marsh Community Dynamics in San Antonio Bay to Whooping Cranes
R. Douglas Slack
William E. Grant
Stephen E. Davis, III
Texas A&M University
29 WhoopingWhooping CraneCrane StudyStudy SponsorsSponsors
•• GuadalupeGuadalupe--BlancoBlanco RiverRiver AuthorityAuthority
•• SanSan AntonioAntonio RiverRiver AuthorityAuthority
•• SanSan AntonioAntonio WaterWater SystemSystem
•• TexasTexas AgriculturalAgricultural ExperimentExperiment StationStation
•• UnitedUnited StatesStates FishFish && WildlifeWildlife ServiceService 30 WhoopingWhooping CraneCrane StudyStudy CollaboratorsCollaborators •• KennethKenneth A.A. Rose:Rose: LouisianaLouisiana StateState UniversityUniversity -- Dept.Dept. ofof OceanographyOceanography && CoastalCoastal SciencesSciences
•• FredFred SklarSklar:: EvergladesEverglades FloridaFlorida BayBay DivisionDivision
•• EdEd RykielRykiel:: RykielRykiel ConsultingConsulting
•• TomTom StehnStehn:: AransasAransas NationalNational WildlifeWildlife RefugeRefuge
•• FelipeFelipe ChavezChavez--Ramirez:Ramirez: PlattePlatte RiverRiver WhoopingWhooping CraneCrane TrustTrust
•• ThomasThomas J.J. MinelloMinello:: SoutheastSoutheast FisheriesFisheries 31 ScienceScience Center,Center, Galveston,Galveston, TXTX WhoopingWhooping CraneCrane StudyStudy CollaboratorsCollaborators •• VinceVince GuilloryGuillory:: LouisianaLouisiana DepartmentDepartment ofof WildlifeWildlife andand FisheriesFisheries
•• DanielDaniel ChildersChilders:: FloridaFlorida InternationalInternational UniversityUniversity
•• DeniseDenise ReedReed:: UniversityUniversity ofof NewNew OrleansOrleans
•• TomTom WagnerWagner:: TexasTexas ParksParks && WildlifeWildlife DepartmentDepartment
•• RobertRobert TwilleyTwilley:: LouisianaLouisiana StateState UniversityUniversity
•• BrianBrian JohnsJohns:: CanadianCanadian WildlifeWildlife ServiceService 32 Goal:GOAL : Using Evaluate empirically-generated relationship between datafreshwater evaluateinflows relationships and the health between of Whooping freshwater Crane population inflows and the health of the Whooping Crane population Quantify patterns of crane habitat use and foraging behavior in relation to blue crab availability and abundance, temperature, and human induced disturbances Determine impacts of abiotic factors on crab abundance, movements & distribution Evaluate marsh vegetation responses to variability in freshwater inflows & water chemistry 33 Map of Blackjack Peninsula w/ blow-up of coastal marsh
Approximate location of sampling sites
34 San Antonio Guadalupe Estuarine System (SAGES) Model
Develop a simulation model of the relationships of freshwater inflows into San Antonio Bay on the availability of blue crabs to Whooping Cranes.
35 Water for Texas 2002
Adopted December 12, 2001 by TWDB, will be update in 2006 RegionRegion LL && SAWSSAWS 20052005 WaterWater PlanPlan UpdateUpdate
AreaArea MonthlyMonthly WaterWater RatesRates –– 10,00010,000 gallonsgallons residentialresidential use:use: $16$16 SAWS;SAWS; $27$27 NBU;NBU; $27$27 Victoria;Victoria; $49$49 SanSan MarcosMarcos SAWSSAWS –– 20052005 WaterWater PlanPlan UpdateUpdate •• AbandonsAbandons somesome EdwardsEdwards AquiferAquifer alternativealternative waterwater projects;projects; delaysdelays othersothers •• IncreasesIncreases useuse ofof EdwardsEdwards AquiferAquifer •• BasesBases EdwardsEdwards supplysupply onon 19841984 drought,drought, notnot DroughtDrought ofof RecordRecord –– increasesincreases riskrisk toto SpringsSprings RegionRegion LL becomesbecomes firstfirst regionregion everever toto missmiss planningplanning deadlinedeadline -- soso TWDBTWDB willwill prepareprepare plan,plan, butbut willwill likelylikely deferdefer toto RegionRegion LL PlanPlan approvedapproved afterafter thethe deadlinedeadline 37 DroughtDrought ofof RecordRecord ConsiderationsConsiderations
•• DroughtDrought ofof RecordRecord isis whenwhen naturalnatural hydrologicalhydrological conditionsconditions providedprovided thethe leastleast amountamount ofof waterwater supplysupply •• RegionalRegional waterwater plansplans mustmust bebe basedbased onon thethe DDroughtrought ofof RecordRecord •• SAWSSAWS selectedselected 19841984 asas foundationfoundation ofof 20052005 WaterWater PlanPlan UpdateUpdate insteadinstead ofof DroughtDrought ofof RecordRecord •• HistoricalHistorical rechargerecharge indicatesindicates 19841984 waswas thirdthird mostmost severesevere droughtdrought 38 LatestLatest AnalysisAnalysis ofof TreeTree--RingRing ChronologiesChronologies inin EdwardsEdwards Region;Region; 16481648--19951995
TheThe reconstructionsreconstructions confirmconfirm thatthat thethe 1950s1950s droughtdrought waswas veryvery bad,bad, eveneven whenwhen viewedviewed inin aa longlong--termterm context.context. TheThe reconstructionsreconstructions alsoalso indicateindicate thatthat therethere maymay havehave beenbeen periodsperiods whenwhen droughtdrought waswas moremore protractedprotracted andand thethe impactimpact mightmight havehave beenbeen considerablyconsiderably worse.worse. ItIt wouldwould appearappear unwiseunwise forfor civilcivil authoritiesauthorities toto assumeassume thatthat thethe 1950s1950s droughtdrought representsrepresents thethe worstworst casecase scenarioscenario toto bebe usedused forfor planningplanning purposespurposes inin waterwater resourcesresources managementmanagement inin thethe SouthSouth CentralCentral andand EdwardsEdwards PlateauPlateau
climateclimate divisionsdivisions ofof Texas.Texas. 39 ForFor MoreMore InformationInformation
•• CallCall GBRAGBRA atat (800)(800) 413413--4130.4130. •• OnOn thethe InternetInternet gogo toto www.gbra.orgwww.gbra.org.. •• AlsoAlso seesee thethe sectionsection onon EdwardsEdwards AquiferAquifer issuesissues atat www.www.gbragbra.org.org.. •• ToTo learnlearn moremore aboutabout thethe WhoopingWhooping CraneCrane studiesstudies gogo toto http://sages.http://sages.tamutamu..eduedu/./.
40 Questions?Questions?
41