Integrated Watershed Planning In Texas An Evolving Process National Waterways Conference Charleston, West Virginia September 25, 2009 Bill Mullican, P.G., Pflugerville, Texas

Why Plan? Lake Meredith 1999

Why Plan? Lake Meredith 2009 Water supply for 11 cities on the High Plains of Texas

Why Plan? Lake Travis Water supply for Lower Colorado River Basin including Austin

Lake Travis

Why Plan? Lake Lavon Sole water supply for 1.5 million people northeast of Dallas

Why Plan? Texas Population

Senate Bill 1 A New Water Supply Planning Process “Public Dialogue”

The Texas Model For Meeting Water Resource Needs in the 21 st Century Reliable Funding Data & Science Public Dialogue

Water Planning Prior to SB 1

Water Planning Post SB 1

Diverse Interest Groups Represented

Incentives to Participate in Regional Water Planning PermitsFunding

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

Senate Bill 1 A New Water Supply Planning Process “Data and Science”

Building Blocks Demographics Groundwater Availability Surface Water Availability Environmental Flows Water Quality Socioeconomic Impacts

Regional Water Planning Areas

Major River and Coastal Basins and Water Availability Models

Surface Water Availability Models

Environmental flows addressed in SB 2 and SB 3 – Progress Towards Integrated Watershed Planning in Texas Streams Rivers Bays & Estuaries

Texas Instream Flow Program

Freshwater Inflow Recommendations Optimization Model TxEMP Hydrodynamic & Conservation Transport Model TxBLEND Hydrographic Survey Nutrient Analysis Sediment Analysis Fisheries Analysis Objectives & Constraints Fisheries Analysis Wetlands Hydrology Verification Bays and Estuaries Program

The Major Aquifers of Texas

The Minor Aquifers of Texas

Groundwater availability models: Major aquifers

Trinity Aquifer Study Area

Basic Steps in Texas 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

Total = 2,564 Local Plans - Cities: Utilities: County-Others: Manufacturing: Steam Electric: 83 - Livestock: Mining: Irrigation: 239

Projected Water Demand & Supply

2060 About 85 percent 2010 About 45 percent Percent of the state’s projected population without adequate water during a repeat of drought of record

Water Management Strategies Water Conservation Ground Water Surface Water Water Reuse Conjunctive Use Reservoirs Desal Conveyances 2007 Water Plan

Senate Bill 1 A New Water Supply Planning Process “Reliable Funding”

Funding for projects in the 2007 Texas Water Plan 50 years: $30.9B : $762M (funded) : $475M (approved)

The Texas Model For Meeting Water Resource Needs in the 21 st Century Reliable Funding Data & Science Public Dialogue

“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 man’s 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