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Interim Report to the 84Th Legislature

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Interim Report to the 84Th Legislature Interim Report to the 84th Legislature House Committee on Natural Resources January 2015 HOUSE COMMITTEE ON NATURAL RESOURCES TEXAS HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES INTERIM REPORT 2014 A REPORT TO THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 84TH TEXAS LEGISLATURE ALLAN B. RITTER CHAIRMAN COMMITTEE DIRECTOR ELIZABETH A. FAZIO ACKNOWLEDGMENTS The Chairman and House Committee on Natural Resources would like to acknowledge and thank several individuals whose hard work made this report possible. The work contained in this report could not have been completed without the diligence and commitment of the following individuals who served the House Committee on Natural Resources this interim: Senior Editor and Co-Author Elizabeth Fazio (Committee Director) Authored Interim Charge Number 2 related to groundwater management; Authored Interim Charge Number 3 related to land stewardship; Co- authored Interim Charge Number 4 related to aquifer storage and recovery; and Co-authored Interim Charge Number 5 related to 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill funds. Served as Senior Editor in all aspects of this report. Co-Authors Corinne Sullins (Legal Intern) Provided research assistane in the development of Interim Charge Number 3 related to land stewardship. Co-authored Interim Charge Number 4 related to aquifer storage and recovery; and Co-authored Interim Charge Number 5 related to deep horizon spill funds. Assitant Editor Austin McCarty (Paraprofessional) Assited in the development and layout of the Interim Report in preparation for publication. House Committee On Natural Resources January 5, 2015 Allan B. Ritter P.O. Box 2910 Chairman Austin, Texas 78768-2910 The Honorable Joe Straus Speaker, Texas House of Representatives Members of the Texas House of Representatives Texas State Capitol, Rm. 2W.13 Austin, Texas 78701 Dear Mr. Speaker and Fellow Members: The House Committee on Natural Resources of the Eighty-Third Legislature hereby submits its interim report including recommendations and drafted legislation for consideration by the Eighty-Fourth Legislature. Respectfully submitted, _______________________ Allan B. Ritter __________________________ __________________________ Eric Johnson, Vice-Chairman Trent Ashby __________________________ __________________________ Dennis Bonnen Bill Callegari __________________________ __________________________ James L. “Jim” Keffer Tracy O. King __________________________ __________________________ Lyle Larson Trey Martinez Fischer __________________________ __________________________ Doug Miller Eddie Lucio III TABLE OF CONTENTS HOUSE COMMITTEE ON NATURAL RESOURCES ............................................................... 8 INTRODUCTION .......................................................................................................................... 8 INTERIM STUDY CHARGES .................................................................................................... 10 GROUNDWATER ....................................................................................................................... 13 PUBLIC HEARING ..................................................................................................................... 13 INTRODUCTION ........................................................................................................................ 14 BACKGROUND .......................................................................................................................... 14 Agency Oversight/ Statutory Regulation over Groundwater .................................................... 16 Texas Water Development Board .......................................................................................... 16 Status of the Joint Planning Process for Establishing Desired Future Conditions ........... 16 Science in Support of Groundwater Availability Modeling ............................................. 18 Status of Evaluating Brackish Groundwater Resources ................................................... 19 Texas Commission on Environmental Quality ...................................................................... 20 Status Update for Priority Groundwater Management Areas ........................................... 20 Status Update on Brackish Desalinization Permitting Process ......................................... 21 More on Groundwater Science .................................................................................................. 21 Understanding the Interaction Between Surface and Groundwater Flows ............................ 21 Induced Recharge Example .............................................................................................. 23 Reclaimed Water Recharge ............................................................................................... 24 Reduced Natural Outflow Example .................................................................................. 25 Brackish Groundwater Movement ......................................................................................... 25 DISCUSSION AND CHALLENGES .......................................................................................... 25 Basic Functions of GCDs – Managing, Monitoring, Measuring .............................................. 26 Challenges for GCDs: “It’s tough to be a GCD” ...................................................................... 27 The Standardized vs. the Individualized ................................................................................... 27 Groundwater Management and the Ruling from Edwards Aquifer Authority v. Day ............... 29 Are Correlative Rights the Answer? ......................................................................................... 30 The Planning and Permitting Process ........................................................................................ 32 Agency Oversight/Statutory Regulation over Groundwater ................................................. 32 The Status of the DFC Process ......................................................................................... 32 Out-of-District and Long-Term Permitting ...................................................................... 34 Brackish Desalination and ASR Technologies ...................................................................... 36 Brackish Desalination ....................................................................................................... 36 Aquifer Storage and Recovery .......................................................................................... 38 RECOMMENDATIONS .............................................................................................................. 39 LAND STEWARDSHIP .............................................................................................................. 41 PUBLIC HEARING ..................................................................................................................... 41 INTRODUCTION ........................................................................................................................ 42 BACKGROUND .......................................................................................................................... 42 Agency Oversight/Statutory Regulation over Land Stewardship ............................................. 42 General Land Office .............................................................................................................. 43 Texas Farm and Ranch Lands Conservation Program ...................................................... 43 Texas Water Development Board .......................................................................................... 45 Texas Water Bank ............................................................................................................. 45 Texas Water Trust ............................................................................................................. 45 Texas State Soil and Water Conservation Board ................................................................... 46 Water Quality Management Plan ...................................................................................... 47 Water Enhancement Program ........................................................................................... 47 Soil and Water Conservation Grants ................................................................................. 48 DISCUSSION AND CHALLENGES .......................................................................................... 48 Texas Land Trends .................................................................................................................... 48 Agency Oversight/Statutory Regulation over Land Stewardship ............................................. 50 General Land Office .............................................................................................................. 51 The Texas Farm and Ranch Land Conservation Program ................................................ 51 Texas Water Development Board .......................................................................................... 52 Texas Water Trust ............................................................................................................. 52 Land Stewardship Strategies ..................................................................................................... 52 Land Stewardship: Providing Water for Texas ...................................................................
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