Integrated Watershed Planning In Texas An Evolving Process

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Integrated Watershed PlanningIn TexasAn
Evolving Process

• National Waterways Conference
• Charleston, West Virginia
• September 25, 2009

Bill Mullican, P.G., Pflugerville, Texas
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Why Plan? Lake Meredith 1999
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Why Plan? Lake Meredith 2009 Water supply for
11 cities on the High Plains of Texas
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Why Plan? Lake Travis 2009 - Water supply
for Lower Colorado River Basin including Austin
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Lake Travis
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Why Plan? Lake Lavon -2006
Sole water supply for 1.5 million people
northeast of Dallas
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Why Plan? Texas Population 2000-2060
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Senate Bill 1A New Water Supply Planning
Process Public Dialogue
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The Texas Model For Meeting Water Resource Needs
in the 21st Century
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Water Planning Prior to SB 1
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Water Planning Post SB 1
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DiverseInterest GroupsRepresented
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Incentives to Participate inRegional Water
Planning


Permits
Funding
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Lessons Learned

• Inadequacy of data and science needed for
  planning at local and regional level quickly
  became focus of process
• Adaptive planning and management required
• Focus of planning proccess shifted to plan
  implementation after first round of planning

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Senate Bill 1A New Water Supply Planning
Process Data and Science
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Building Blocks

• Demographics
• Groundwater Availability
• Surface Water Availability
• Environmental Flows
• Water Quality
• Socioeconomic Impacts

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Regional Water Planning Areas
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Major River and Coastal Basins and Water
Availability Models
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Surface Water Availability Models
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Environmental flows addressed in SB 2 and SB 3
Progress Towards Integrated Watershed Planning in
Texas
Streams
Bays Estuaries
Rivers
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Texas Instream Flow Program
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Bays and Estuaries Program
Objectives Constraints
Verification
Hydrology
Nutrient Analysis
Fisheries Analysis
TxBLEND
Hydrographic Survey
Wetlands
Sediment Analysis
TxEMP
Freshwater Inflow Recommendations
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The Major Aquifers of Texas
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The Minor Aquifers of Texas
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Groundwater availability models Major aquifers
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Trinity Aquifer Study Area
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Basic Steps inTexas Water Planning

• 50 year planning period
• Projection of population
• Projection of water demands
• Determine existing supplies
• Determine future surplus or needs
• Evaluate and select water management strategies
  to meet needs

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Total 2,564 Local Plans

• - Cities 956- Utilities 378- County-Others
  254
• - Manufacturing 174 - Steam Electric 83
• - Livestock 254 - Mining 226- Irrigation 239

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Projected Water Demand Supply
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Percent of the states projected population
without adequate water during a repeat of
drought of record
2010 About 45 percent
2060 About 85 percent
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Water Management Strategies
Water Conservation
2007Water Plan
Desal
Surface Water
Ground Water
2007Water Plan
Conjunctive Use
Reservoirs
Water Reuse
Conveyances
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Senate Bill 1A New Water Supply Planning
Process Reliable Funding
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Funding for projects in the 2007 Texas Water Plan
50 years 30.9B 2008-2009 762M
(funded) 2010-2011 475M (approved)
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The Texas Model For Meeting Water Resource Needs
in the 21st Century
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As a result of several successive years of
moisture deficiency, people have become water
conscious, and all sorts of plans are being
suggested for doing something about it. Many of
these plans have merit, but any plan that
promises quick relief through human agency is
fraud. A good rain is the only quick solution to
the problem of the drought, and nature has as yet
not yielded the secret of making rain.
Unfortunately a good rain washes away more than
the drought it washes away much of mans
interest in providing for the next one, and it
washes the supports from under those who know
that another dry cycle is coming and who urge
their fellows to make ready for it. More Water
For Texas by Walter Prescott Webb, 1953