The Texas Water Development Board held a board meeting on Wednesday, January 6, 2016. This report covers the following agenda items. The full agenda can be found here.
 
Consider authorizing the Executive Administrator to award, negotiate, and execute contracts in a total amount not to exceed $1,500,000 to study brackish aquifers in Texas. (Erika Mancha)

  • Legislature appropriated money to the board
  • First two aquifer studies due in August of 2016 and three additional aquifer studies due in August of 2015
  • Each project will include a project kickoff meeting with contractor and TWDB staff to approve methodology
  • Public stakeholder meetings will be held to discuss potential production areas
  • Motion is approved

 
Consider approving the 2016 Regional Water Plan for the Plateau (Region J) Regional Water Planning Area. (Temple McKinnon)

  • Adopted by Region J at October meeting
  • 55 capital projects totaling over 144 million in capital costs
  • No interregional issues
  • This is the final region plan to be adopted
  • Motion is approved

 
Briefing, discussion, and consideration of potential legislative and policy recommendations to include in the Draft 2017 State Water Plan. (Matt Nelson)

  • EA seeks guidance for legislative and policy recommendations for state water plan
  • Every 5 years the TWDB is responsible for a State Water Plan
  • Plan serves as a guide to state water policy
  • Policy recommendations
    • Unique stream segment designation
      • It is recommended that 5 stream segments are designated as unique stream segments
        • Black Cypress Bayou
        • Black Cypress Creek
        • Alamito Creek
        • Pecan Bayou
        • Terlingua Creek
    • Unique reservoir site designation
      • Recommended that 11 reservoir sites are designated as unique
        • Brushy Creek Reservoir
        • Cedar Ridge Reservoir
        • Coryell County Off-Channel Reservoir
        • Lake Ralph Hall
        • Lake Fastrill
        • Lower Bois d’Arc Reservoir
        • Marvin Nichols
        • Millers Creek Off-Channel Reservoir
        • Parkhouse II (North)
        • Tehuacana Reservoir
        • Turkey Peak Reservoir
      • 22 reservoirs are currently designated as unique
    • Timing on adoption of desired future conditions with respect to the state and regional water planning cycles
      • By replacing the statutory deadline for proposed desired future conditions with a deadline for adoption of desired future conditions and tying that adoption deadline to the existing state water plan adoption deadline, it will increase certainty and better synchronize the joint planning and regional water planning cycles
      • This will provide agency staff with sufficient time to develop and deliver modeled available groundwater numbers in a timely manner for use by regional planning groups
  • Recommendations are accepted