Texas Water Development Board – January 19, 2021

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The Texas Water Development Board met on January 19, 2021 to approve the 2021 Regional Water Plans, which will form the basis of the 2022 State Water Plan, and to take up other items on their agenda.

The HillCo report below is a summary of remarks intended to give you an overview and highlight of the discussions on the various topics discussed. This report is not a verbatim transcript; it 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.

Consider adopting amendments to 31 TAC 356; Brackish Groundwater Production Zones. (Link)

In 2019 HB 722 was passed. Created a permanent framework for those looking to produce out of a Brackish Groundwater Production Zone. Required TWDB to conduct reviews of operating permit applications as well as annual report reviews when requested.
Rules were posted to Texas Register on August 21, 2020.
Entities want a process for amending brackish groundwater production zones. Details on amendment process will be put together into a guidance document.
Kathleen Jackson – Thanks for the great review, continues to point that development of brackish groundwater in Texas is important. Continue to focus on data and science, develop brackish water in an area and not impact surrounding freshwater.
Board moves to adopt proposed resolution, passes

Consider appointing a replacement member representing the Region L Regional Water Planning Group to the Interregional Planning Council (Link)

Appoint Tim Andrus, term will expire upon adoption of 2022 State Water Plan, appointment allows for Region L to continue their representation on the council.
Board moves to adopt proposed resolution, passes

Presentation on the development, adoption, and review processes for the 2021 Regional Water Plans (Link)

Board is required to develop and adopt a comprehensive State Water Plan every five years.
Texas has now completed its fifth cycle of the regional water planning process, adopted by the board on April 16, 2018
Next few agenda items: each planner will provide highlights of each regional plan
Kathleen Jackson – We are successful because of the work your staff has done
Brooke Paup – We are at the finish line and are about to embark on the next step of the water planning process
Peter Lake – It is the premier planning program in the water world, no formal action is required.

Approval of 2021 Regional Water Plan for Region D (Link)

Northeast Texas Water Planning Area includes 19 counties, projected water demands, and needs are associated with municipal needs
No groundwater districts within the district
Policy recommendation included that information be incorporated into determination of desired future conditions
Riverbend Water Management Strategy – includes water right amendment, new intake, new pipeline, and water treatment plant for additional supplies from Lake Wright Patman
Total capital cost 103 strategy projects in region D plan of $731 million
Executive administrator recommends approval
Brooke Paup – lack of GCD’s in region make process more difficult
Board moves to adopt proposed plan for Region D, passes

Approval of 2021 Regional Water Plan for Region A, Region J, and Region M (Link)

Panhandle Region Water Planning Area (Region A) includes 21 counties split between portions of Canadian and Red River basins
Region A water needs are largely associated with irrigation needs and use
The total cost of implementing 16 projects in the plan is $1 billion
Kathleen Jackson – I appreciate you pointing out conservation because it is an important aspect of water planning
Plateau Region Water Planning Area (Region J) includes 6 counties split between portions of Colorado, Guadalupe, Nueces, Rio Grande, and San Antonio River basins in southern portion of the state
Regions water needs are largely associated with municipal water needs
Total cost of implementing 45 recommended strategy plans is $220 million
Plan met all identified needs with the exception of 500-acre ft/year municipal county order and livestock use needs due to model availability groundwater limitations
Rio Grande Water Planning Area (Region M) includes 8 counties split between Rio Grande, Nueces, and Nueces-Rio Grande Basins in southern portion of the state.
Regions needs are largely associated with irrigation and municipal water uses
Total cost of implementing 131 recommended strategy plans $1.7 billion
Met most needs except for most irrigation needs in smaller shares of manufacturing, mining, and steam electric power due to limited supply and economically feasible water supply options
Peter Lake – Points on conservation across all three regions are well taken
Board moves to adopt proposed plan for Region A, Region J, and Region M, passes

Approval of 2021 Regional Water Plan for Region B, Region C, and Region N (Link)

Region B Water Planning Area includes 7 counties split between portions of Red, Trinity, and Brazos River Basins in the north-central portion of the state
Regions water needs are largely associated with irrigation water use
Surface water supplies in 2021 plan is 35% lower than that shown in 2016 plans due to extensive drought conditions.
Recommended that majority of needs be met through conservation savings
Total cost of implementing 20 recommended strategies is $657 million
Region B continues to recommend Lake Ringgold Project
Plan met all identified needs except for irrigation, mining, and steam electric power uses due to limited economically feasible uses
Region C Water Planning Area includes 16 counties split between portions of the Trinity, Red, Brazos, Sulphur, and Sabine River Basins in the North-Central part of the state
Region has the second largest estimated population growth across all regions between 2020 and 2070
Regions water demands and needs are largely associated with municipal water use
Total cost of implementing 506 recommended strategy projects and plans is $29.9 billion, the largest capital cost of all 16 regional water plans
If no new supplies are developed the projected water shortage in the region is 69,000-acre ft/ year by 2020 growing to over 1.31-acre ft./year by 2070
Plan met all identified needs except for irrigation, mining, municipal, and steam electric power uses due to modeled groundwater limitations
Coastal Bend Water Planning Area (Region N) includes 11 counties split between portions of Nueces River Basin, San Antonio-Nueces River Basin, Nueces-Rio Grande Coastal River Basins in southern portion of the state.
Projected water demands are largely associated with municipal and manufacturing water uses, water needs are mainly in manufacturing sector
Most counties showed lower groundwater availability as compared to 2021 plan
Majority of recommended water strategy volumes in 2020 comes from seawater de-salination
Total capital cost of implementing the 5 recommended projects is $3.3 billion
There are no unmet needs in the Region N plan
Kathleen Jackson – Good to see that indirect reuse for Region C is a big part of their strategy and the seawater desalination project in region N
Brooke Paup – With lots of companies and people moving into Region C, we better have a proper roadmap to provide that water even with the large capital cost
Board moves to adopt proposed plan for Region B, Region C, and Region N, passes

Approval of the 2021 Regional Water Plan for Region E, Region F, and Region L (Link)

Far West Texas Regional Water Planning Area (Region E) includes 7 counties consisting entirely within the Rio Grande River Basin in the western portion of the state
Planning area includes significant portion of Colonias in the state, encourages state agencies to continue funding to bring water to these areas
Needs are largely associated with irrigation and municipal water uses, use for irrigated agriculture accounts for roughly 60% of the regions demands
Majority of recommended water management strategies comes from conservation of groundwater sources
Total capital cost of implementing the 39 strategy projects is $1.5 billion
Plan met all identified needs except for irrigation and mining uses in all decades due to limited economic feasibility
Region F Regional Water Planning area covers 32 counties split between portions of Colorado and Rio Grande River Basins in the West-Central portion of the state
Majority of water planning needs are associated with irrigation and municipal water uses
Mining demands doubled the projections in previous plan due to increased oil and gas exploration
Majority of recommendations come from irrigation conservation and groundwater development strategies
Total cost of the 111 proposed strategies is $1.6 billion
Unmet needs are anticipated for all water use categories due to drought of record due to groundwater and economic limitations
The South-Central Texas Regional Water Planning Area (Region L) includes 21 counties split between portions of Rio Grande, Nueces, San Antonio, Guadalupe, Lavaca, and Colorado River Basins
Developed 11 guiding principles to serve as a basis for making decisions in the region
Majority of water planning needs are associated with municipal and irrigation uses
Total cost of implementing the 57 recommended strategies is $4 billion
Plan met all identified needs except for irrigation, manufacturing, mining, and steam electric power uses in 2020 and irrigation and mining use in 2070 due to economic feasibility
Board moves to adopt proposed plan for Region E, Region F, and Region L, passes

Approval of the 2021 Regional Water Plan for Region G, Region O, and Region P (Link)

Brazos (Region G) Regional Water Plan includes 37 counties in the Brazos River Basin in the north and central portions of the state
Region G is the largest water planning region in the state
Water demands and needs are largely associated with municipal water uses
Majority of recommended water volume strategies comes from municipal conservation and other surface water, also recommended 7 new reservoir projects
Total cost of implementing 221 recommended projects is $9.1 billion
Met all identified needs except for irrigation, manufacturing, mining, municipal, and steam-electric power uses in 2020 and irrigation, mining and steam-electric power in 2070 due to economic feasibility
The Llano-Estacado (Region O) Regional Water Planning Area includes 21 counties split between portions of the Canadian, Red, Brazos, and Colorado River Basins in the southern high plains
Projected water demands and needs are largely associated with irrigation uses
Region O’s irrigation demands in 2070 are approximately 700,000 acre/ft lower than in the last plan
Majority of recommended strategies is from irrigation conservation
Total cost of implementing the 26 recommended strategies is $808 million, and has recommended one new reservoir project
All needs were met with the exception of irrigation and livestock uses in all decades due to economic feasibility
The Lavaca (Region P) Regional Water Planning area covers 2.5 counties split between potions of the Lavaca River Basin in the southeast portion of the state, it is the smallest water planning region in the state
Water demands and needs are largely associated with irrigation uses, irrigated agriculture constitutes over 93% of water use in the region
Majority of recommended strategies comes from irrigation conservation
Total cost for implementation of 12 recommended strategy plans is $423 million, with one new major reservoir project recommendation
Kathleen Jackson – Good to hear about use of the peak factor, as well as work on irrigation predictions, and the need for agriculture industry to move on with irrigation conservation
Board moves to adopt proposed plan for Region G, Region O, and Region P, passes

Approval of the 2021 Regional Water Plan for Region H, Region I, and Region K (Link)

Region H Regional Water Planning area includes all of 15 counties that are split between the San Jacinto, Brazos, and Trinity River Basins in the southeast portion of the state
Projected water demands and needs are largely associated with municipal uses
Second region to use groundwater peak factor model for this cycle
Majority of recommended water management strategies comes from the other surface water type
Most related projects have received SWIFT funding from WDB or are in the process of being built
Total cost of implementing the 818 strategy projects is $20 billion
Recommended water management strategies meet all identified needs except for irrigation and livestock uses in all decades due to economic feasibility
The East Texas (Region I) Regional Water Planning area includes 20 counties split between portions of the Neches, Sabine, and Trinity River basins in the southeast portion of the state
Regions water demands and needs are largely associated with manufacturing uses
Majority of recommended strategies come from other surface water types by 2070
Total cost of 59 recommended strategies in the plan is $3.1 billion
Plan meets most identified needs except in all water use categories in 2020
The Lower Colorado (Region K) Regional Water Planning Area covers 14 counties split between portions of the Lower Colorado River basin from the south-central part of the state
Population growth between 2020 and 2070 is approximately 87%
Demands and needs are largely associated with municipal and irrigation uses
Majority of recommended strategies in 2070 come from conservation and irrigation conservation
Total cost of implementing 162 recommended strategies and plans is $4.5 billion
Meets all identified needs except for irrigation, mining, and steam-electric power uses in 2020, and steam-electric power used in 2070
Peter Lake – Thank you for highlighting the coordination in region H, this is where all of those efforts come together
Board moves to adopt proposed plan for Region H, Region I, and Region K, passes

Approve by resolution a request from the City of Riesel (McLennan County) for $5,860,000 in financial assistance consisting of $5,360,000 in financing and $500,000 in principal forgiveness from the Drinking Water State Revolving Fund for planning, acquisition, design, and construction of a water system improvements project and a request for a waiver from the requirement that the project be consistent with the state and regional water plans. (Link)

City of Riesel provides water and wastewater services to approximately 1,000 residents
Existing groundwater supplies have exceeded the threshold for arsenic set by the EPA
To reduce the levels of arsenic in drinking water, city wants to drill a new well in the Brazos River Alluvium Aquifer, also includes new pump station, tanks, and associated infrastructure
There is no necessity for a parity agreement as was listed in the board item, will be revised
The executive administrator recommends approval of this item
Kathleen Jackson – Great to see a project for a small community moving forward, naturally occurring arsenic has been an issue since the standard changed
Brooke Paup – This is our fifth project of this type
Board moves to adopt proposed resolution, passes