The Collaborative Approach of Recovery Implementation Programs

1
Incorporating Climate Change Science into the
Endangered Species Act Recovery Implementation
Program for the Texas Edwards Aquifer
Todd Votteler, Ph.D. Guadalupe-Blanco River
Authority [phone] www.gbra.org

• The Collaborative Approach of Recovery
  Implementation Programs

2
Outline

• The Endangered Species Act
• The Edwards Aquifer Region A Unique and
  Complicated Ecosystem
• State Federal Challenges
• Climate Change
• Tree-Ring Research

3

• The Edwards Aquifer-San Antonio Segment (Karst
  Aquifer)
• Irrigation recharge out West
• San Antonio in the Center
• Major Springs in the East

4
The Guadalupe River is the Primary Source of
Freshwater Inflows to San Antonio Bay
Brown Shrimp
Blue Crab
1.15 MAF
Whooping Crane
5
A Few Facts

• San Antonios population is nearly 2 million, up
  from 200,000 in 1940.
• Population of Texas Projected to Double by 2050.
• 95 of San Antonios water supply comes from the
  Edwards Aquifer.
• Edwards Aquifer springs provide 25 of the flow
  in the Guadalupe River.
• During droughts like 2005-2006 and 2008-2009 as
  much 80 of the flow in the Guadalupe River comes
  from the springs.

6
Good Times
7
Bad Times1956,Drought of Record.Fountain
Darters Wiped Out at Comal Springs.Texas Begins
Water Planning.
8
What is a Recovery Implementation Program?

• Recovery Implementation Programs (RIP) are an
  option under the Endangered Species Act that
  bring together a broad group of stakeholders
  including Federal, State, and private interests
  to work together to recover endangered species.
• Through a RIP, federal funds can be passed
  through a federal agency to accomplish Program
  goals.
• RIPs are a potential solution for intractable
  Endangered Species Act issues.

9
Typical Activities

• Habitat restoration
• Captive propagation and augmentation
• Research monitoring
• Development of flow recommendations
• Management of non-native species
• Education, and public involvement

10
Edwards Aquifer

• The goal is to recover federally listed species
  dependent on the Edwards Aquifer while water
  development proceeds in compliance with all
  applicable Federal and State laws.

11
Recovery Implementation Program for the Edwards
Aquifer

• The Texas Legislature created a RIP process in
  May 2007.
• The Texas Legislatures RIP process may set a
  precedent for other states
• Who governs the process
• What questions are considered and
• The schedule and other guidelines
• Participants include state agencies, river
  authorities, groundwater districts, cities,
  industries, farmers, environmental organizations
  and others.

12
Climate Change the Edwards

• Loaiciga et al (1996) identified Edwards as one
  of the most vulnerable regional watersheds to
  climate change
• Region is dependent on aquifer
• Strong climate hydrology link
• Climate record shows large variability
• Groundwater pumping increasing
• Aquifer supports habitats species facing
  extinction
• Water institutions mired in uncertainty
• If these models are correct, the levels of
  aridity of the recent multiyear drought or the
  Dust Bowl and the 1950s droughts will become the
  new climatology of the American Southwest within
  a time frame of years to decades (Seager et al,
  2007).

13
Texas Water Planning is Based on the Drought of
Record

• Drought of Record is when natural hydrological
  conditions provided the least amount of water
  supply.
• For much of Texas the Drought of Record is
  drought from 1947 to 1957.
• State water plan must be based on the Drought of
  Record.

14
Will Climate Change be Incorporated into the
Edwards RIP?

• The answer depends on the term of the Incidental
  Take Permit resulting from the RIP.
• If the term of the Incidental Take Permit is less
  than 15 years, then climate change might not be
  considered.
• However, if the term is less than 25 years is the
  process worth the effort?
• This question faces those developing HCPs across
  the country.

15
Will Climate Change be Incorporated into the
Edwards RIP?

• Texas lawmakers and water managers are skeptical
  about climate change.
• Is there another way to incorporate climate
  variability into the RIP without focusing on
  climate change?
• Possibly, by focusing on historical variability.
• Water managers rely upon historical drought and
  flood information.

16
Tree-Ring Study

• Trees produce a narrow growth ring under drought
  conditions and a wider ring under normal and wet
  conditions.
• Chronologies are based on small core samples
  extracted from living trees cross-sections cut
  from dead logs.
• The tree-ring record is compared to Weather
  Service climatic data to find out the seasonal
  response of the trees.

17
Objectives for Tree-Ring Study

• Less is known about Texas in this field than
  Eastern Western US or Mexico.
• Local chronologies better than distant
  chronologies.
• We are focusing on baldcypress at several
  locations in south-central Texas.
• We are hoping to produce a 500 year chronology
  for south-central Texas.
• Study Participants
• Guadalupe-Blanco River Authority
• University of Arkansas, Tree-Ring Lab
• University of Texas, School of Geosciences
• Texas Forest Service
• Texas Parks Wildlife Department
• Individual Landowners

18
Summary

• The Edwards Aquifer Recovery Implementation Plan
  is likely to provide a model that other states
  will follow to deal with their intractable
  Endangered Species Act disputes.
• If the region focuses on preparing for decade
  long droughts identified in the tree-ring study
  will the process satisfy a requirement that the
  plan account for climate change?

19
Questions?
20
(No Transcript)
21
(No Transcript)
22
Previous Tree-Ring Study for Edwards Aquifer
Region 1537-1995

• The 1950s drought was very bad, even when
  viewed in a long-term context. The
  reconstructions also indicate that there may have
  been periods when drought was more protracted and
  the impact might have been considerably worse.
  It would appear unwise for civil authorities to
  assume that the 1950s drought represents the
  worst case scenario to be used for planning
  purposes in water resources management in the
  South Central and Edwards Plateau climate
  divisions of Texas.

23
Why this RIP Unique

• First RIP fully based on an HCP.
• First RIP where federal water management is not
  part of the program.
• First RIP developed to address aquifer
  management.
• First RIP in a private lands state.
• First RIP to include a coastal/estuary ecosystem
  in the project area.
• First RIP mandated in state legislation.

24
Tree-Ring Chronologies

• 2 Baldcypress LA 996 1988 Eastern TX 1254
  1993
• 4 Douglas-fir 2 TX 15371992, 1473 1992 2
  NM 13621989, 137BC1992
• 1 NM ponderosa pine 13911987
• 3 NM Pinyon pine 1410 1987 14111972 1478
  1972
• 6 post oak 3 from living trees, 3 from historic
  buildings 1648 1995

25
Current Water RIP Programs

• Middle Rio Grande ESA Collaborative Program
• Upper Colorado RIP
• San Juan RIP
• Platte River Endangered Species Partnership
• Lower Colorado Multi-species Conservation Program
• June Sucker RIP