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House Natural Resources met on March 9 to hold an organizational hearing. The committee heard from invited testimony, TCEQ and TWDB, only. A video of the hearing can be found here.

 

This report is intended to give you an overview and highlight of the discussions on the various topics taken up. It is not a verbatim transcript of the discussions but is based upon what was audible or understandable to the observer and the desire to get details out as quickly as possible with few errors or omissions.

 

L’Oreal Stepney, Deputy Executive Director TCEQ

  • Overview of the agency, environmental responses, and enforcement division; annual budget is approximately $350 million dollars
  • Overviews the office of water’s divisions; water availability is a significant role, issue water rights permits, play a role in groundwater protection
  • Issue permits for surface water, but there are exemptions like that Domestic and Livestock Exemption
  • Water Master programs include the Rio Grande, Concho, etc.; have five river compacts in the state
  • Groundwater is usually managed at the local level, but TCEQ aids in identifying ground water issues or making recommendations
  • Most recent program EPA authorization for oil and gas discharges in the state; received delegation and accepting applications and enforcement
  • Paul – Oversight of those water districts, what else do you do to make sure they are operating properly? What about mismanagement of funds or issues in the board?
    • Have limited roles in seeing their financials and day to day, focus is the environmental aspect of it
  • Ramos – How many compliance officers for the state? Do they conduct proactive investigations or just respond to complaints? Would like information on how many are in air and water
    • Can get total, in Houston we have about 200
    • Do both, and they have a schedule in which they do periodic inspections

 

Jeff Walker, Executive Director TWDB

  • 86th legislature gave us another initiative, flood
  • Groundwater data base is the most comprehensive nationwide; allows the study to determine future trends in availability
  • 2020 Springs program measured the change in flow rates; to improve understanding of the health of these aquifers
  • Overviews river, ocean, reservoir, evaporation, and rain science programs
  • State Water Plan addresses possible shortages and future mitigation strategies; board approved regional plans last year
  • 2021 Plans; Texas water demand is expected to increase by 9% and water availability is project to decrease by 18%
  • Board has committed $9 billion in SWIFT projects to address future water concerns
  • Walle – Water use categories, what is the percentages of these?
    • Can get to you
  • Paul – Groundwater, could you see recharges in groundwater from hurricanes?
    • Yes can see recharge once a year
  • Paul – Is there a percentage in which aquifers across the state are full?
    • Can get that to you
  • Raymond – Consequences of the pandemic was no interim meetings; could you go over the flood programs?
    • Peter Lake will go over that

 

Peter Lake, Chairman Texas Water Development Board

  • Provides an overview of agency operations and financing programs
  • Have seen a dramatic increase in the use of these financing programs, $2.5 billion in financial assistance in the last couple years; 60% of commitments have gone towards rural communities
  • SWIFT Fund balance has ben invested in the Comptroller’s office and have pulled down $800 million to pay the projects’ interest; $400 million in investment gains
    • Total savings to communities across the state has been $1 billion
  • Flood program is about mapping, planning and mitigation
  • Have been primarily pulling from the Flood Infrastructure Fund over the TURF
  • Have 100% lidar coverage across Texas; FEMA is a partner in this initiative
  • Only have 40% of state Base Level Engineering maps completed; official data comes from FEMA, but we provide the
  • New product is the Flood Decision Support Toolbox in partnership with USGS, FEMA, and National Weather Service
  • 15 regional flood planning groups will put together the regional flood plan and will be used to make the state flood plan which will be completed by 2024
    • Flood planning efforts are underway
  • For flood mitigation projects, have approved $91 million for around 52 projects and have another couple hundred million are going to be approved in the next couple months
  • Ledge priorities: state water plan updated duties, a few items are underfunded, support for clarifying the inter-region planning council, allowance for virtual meetings, removals of duplicative requirements, allow to transfer WIF equity to be used for other projects
  • Paul – In what month of 2022 should BLE maps be finished? Does this effect storm surge or is just drainage?
    • Not sure of the year or month
    • John Dupnik, Executive Administrator TWDB – Those maps present the change recurrence of flooding and are primarily for insurance purposes
  • Paul – Planning efforts, groups are all meetings and chairmen have been appointed?
    • Correct, flood planning groups are in full process
  • Paul – What about planning for multi-county jurisdictions?
    • Each planning group can designate subcommittees for more specific local points of interest
  • Harris – BLE is sent down to local level, who gets it?
    • Once the data is available, is up on our website; provide an alert
  • Walle – FIF, TIF, and TDEM monies of Hurricane Harvey; your work has increased? Had to hire financing people?
    • Yes, 40% staff increase
    • 70% loans and 30% grants
  • Walle – This session, asking for more FTEs?
    • Did not ask for new FTEs related to engineers or finance due to the state’s current financial position, but are stretched thin
  • Walle – Last TWDB board meeting, did you approve financing for about a quarter billion in water projects? Our committee needs to make sure you can continue to do your work
    • Yes
  • Walle – Flood mapping tool has the ability to provide out flood risk? What about East Texas?
    • Yes, in areas where data is available; working on getting more data out there
    • Most people in the state do not have the capability to access this data
  • Walle – Some of these legislative priorities, what are under performative?
    • Had an infrastructure financing report before SWIFT, planning groups essentially have to do redundant work
  • Walle – Are we in a drought? Collect percentage of evaporation from the river? Is there a water crisis in any part of the state
    • Yes, depending in what part of the state; not in a water crisis currently and need to plan ahead
  • Wilson – Planning boundaries, consideration for involving local governments? Are universities included in this?
    • Yes, by rule have sitting members have to represent local governments
    • Not at the regional level, but are involved in the FIC and other groups
  • Wilson – How many applications for flood mitigation projects? What is the process like?
    • 136, and was our first year to evaluate those applications; list was prioritized by planning and lifesaving measures first
    • Started committing those funds in December; $800 million is for mitigation, TDEM funds are separate
  • Wilson – Giving funds for dredging?
    • Have funds available for dredging, and BLEs are updated every five years to determine if that is a need