Water Policy in Texas: A Comprehensive Overview The Meadows Center for Water and the Environment Environmental Defense Fund Non-Governmental (EDF) Organizations (NGOs) Acronym U.S Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) List Nonpoint Source Pollution Bay/Basin Stakeholder General Land Office (GLO) (NPS) Committee (BBASC) Groundwater Availability Pesticide General Permit Bay/Basin Expert Science Models (GAMs) (PGP) Team (BBEST) Groundwater Conservation Priority Groundwater Best Management Practices Districts (GCDs) Management Area (PGMA) (BMP) Groundwater Management Office of Compliance and The Clean Water Act (CWA) Areas (GMAs) Enforcement (OCE) Coastal Barriers Resource Habitat Conservation Plans Regional Water Planning Act (CBRA) (HCPs) Areas (RWPAs) Coastal Coordination Council House Bill (HB) Regional Water Planning (CCC) Groups (RWPGs) Informal Science Efforts Coastal Erosion Planning and (ISE) Recreational Water Quality Response Act (CEPRA) Criteria (RWQC) Integrated Water Resource Coastal Management Management (IWRM) Science Teachers Association Program (CMP) of Texas (STAT) International Boundary Coastal Zone Management Commission (IBC) Senate Bill (SB) Act (CZMA) International Boundary and State Board of Education Community Rating Systems Water Commission (IBWC) (SBOE) (CRS) Kay Bailey Hutchison State Water Implementation Compensation and Liability Desalination Plant (KBHDP) Fund for Texas (SWIFT) Act of 1980 (CERCLA) Lower Colorado River Storm Water Management Desired Future Conditions Authority (LCRA) Program (SWMP) (DFCs) Millions of Gallons per Day Tarrant Regional Water Domestic and Livestock (MGD) District (TRWD) (D&L) Municipal Utility Districts Texas Coastal Watershed Edwards Aquifer Authority (MUDs) Program (TCWP) (EAA) National Association for Texas Commission on Edwards Aquifer Recovery Environmental Literacy Environmental Quality Implementation Program (NAEE) (TCEQ) (EARIP) National Pollutant Discharge Texas Department of Endangered Species Act Elimination System (NPDES) Agriculture (TDA) (ESA) National Science Foundation (NSF) 2 Texas Association for Texas Partnership for Total Maximum Daily Load Environmental Education Children in Nature (TCIN) (TMDL) (TAEE) Texas Pollutant Discharge U.S Fish and Wildlife Texas Education Agency Elimination System (TPDES) Service (FWS) (TEA) Texas State Soil and Water United States Geological Texas Essential Knowledge Conservation Board Survey (USGS) and Skills (TEKS) (TSSWCB) US Environmental Protection Texas Environmental Texas Statewide Systemic Agency (EPA) Education Advisory Initiative (SSI) Water Supply Corporations Committee (TEEAC) Texas Water Development (WSCs) Texas Natural Resource Board (TWDB) Water Quality Management Conservation Commission The National Oceanic and Plans (WQMPs) (TNRCC) Atmospheric Administration Watershed Protection Plan Texas Open Beaches Act (NOAA) (WPP) (TOBA) The Texas Surface Water Water Quality Standards Texas Parks and Wildlife Quality Standards (TSWQS) (WQS) Department (TPWD) 3 Table of Contents Acronym List ................................................................................................................................. 2 List of Tables ................................................................................................................................. 7 List of Figures ................................................................................................................................ 8 Executive Summary .................................................................................................................... 10 Introduction ................................................................................................................................. 12 Methodology ................................................................................................................................ 14 Section 1: Historical Context - Texans and Water .................................................................. 16 Operational Philosophy in Texas ......................................................................................................... 16 Rural versus Urban Water Use ............................................................................................................ 18 Shifting Population ............................................................................................................................... 18 Rural and Agricultural Water Use ...................................................................................................... 19 Urban Water Use ................................................................................................................................. 20 The Future of Texas’ Water Allocation .............................................................................................. 20 Section 2: Institutional Actors ................................................................................................... 21 Section 3: Geography of Resources ........................................................................................... 33 Background ........................................................................................................................................... 33 Surface water ......................................................................................................................................... 34 Groundwater ......................................................................................................................................... 41 Conclusions and Analysis ..................................................................................................................... 44 What we don’t know ........................................................................................................................... 45 Section 4: Evolution of Groundwater Policy ............................................................................ 46 History and Background ...................................................................................................................... 46 Irrigation ................................................................................................................................................ 48 Municipal ............................................................................................................................................... 49 Industrial Water Use ............................................................................................................................ 50 Recent Policy Developments .............................................................................................................. 51 Conclusions and Analysis ..................................................................................................................... 52 Section 5: Evolution of Surface Water Rights in Texas .......................................................... 54 Background ........................................................................................................................................... 54 History of Water Rights in Texas ........................................................................................................ 55 Water Rights Permitting ...................................................................................................................... 56 Water Rights Enforcement .................................................................................................................. 65 Conclusions and Analysis ..................................................................................................................... 71 Section 6: Coastal Water Management ..................................................................................... 75 Section 7: Water Quality Management ..................................................................................... 84 Federal Approaches .............................................................................................................................. 85 State Approaches in Texas ................................................................................................................... 87 The Watershed Approach.................................................................................................................... 92 Citizen Engagement .............................................................................................................................. 93 Involvement in Watershed Protection Planning .................................................................................. 94 Conclusions and Analysis ..................................................................................................................... 97 Recommendations for Future Research .............................................................................................. 98 Section 8: Texas Water Marketing ............................................................................................ 99 Introduction ........................................................................................................................................... 99 Section 9: Instream and Environmental Flow Policy ............................................................ 107 Economic Impact of Environmental Flows Management ............................................................... 109 Establishing Environmental Flows ..................................................................................................