Travis County Commissioners Court

April 10, 2012 - Item 2
Agenda

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Number 2, Consider and take appropriate action on resolution in support of the timely approval by the Texas Commission on Environmental Cuality on the Lower Colorado River Authority's 2012 Water Management Plan.
Commissioner Huber.

>> I think when the lcra passed their water management plan recently that it was put in place that the actuality it has to go to tceq for approval there.
and the last time they sent their water management plan to tceq it took almost seven years to get it approved.
so I would just like to quickly read this resolution into the record and encourage us to support this because we feel -- many of the stakeholders the colorado river basin feel it's very important to encourage the tceq to pass this water management plan as it was presented to them in a very timely way.
whereas the Travis County Commissioners court recognizes that maintaining Lake Travis and buchanan at optimal levels that reflect decisions for a variety of stakeholders is critical in maintaining municipal water supply as well as to the health, safety, economic and recreational interests of the district's customers.
whereas the lower colorado river authority, lcra, currently has an emergency order in effect to maintain minimal lake levels because of the continuing extreme drought conditions and the lowest annual inflows into the highland lakes in history.
and whereas weather patterns and futurer model indicate conditions in Texas will continue to be hotter and drier than normal.
and whereas the population of Texas is expected to grow by more than 20 million in the next 50 years while at the same time water consumption is project to do increase 22%.
and whereas the most recent state water plan remains unfunded leaving the lcra water management plan the only current implementable long-term option for water management.
and whereas the lcra organized a diverse committee of stakeholders to formulate a new water management plan to address extreme drought conditions and the committee worked diligently for 18 months to present a plan which addressed all of the stakeholder interests.
whereas the court recognizes and applauds lcra for approving the new 2012 water management plan, submitting it to the Texas commission on environmental quality.
and whereas Travis County and Lake Travis coalition sponsored the Lake Travis economic impact important which shows assessed lake property values with hundreds of jobs and 200 million in tax revenues generated by the Lake Travis area alone, producing critical data supporting key components of the water management plan.
whereas it took seven years for tceq to approve the last water management plan and whereas the state climatologist has predicted increased chance of drought for the next decade and whereas the business and local governments including Travis County will see significant negative impact should the drought continue in the absence of an approved water plan.
now therefore be it resolved that the executive director of the Texas commission on environmental quality approve the 2012 water management plan as submitted by the lower colorado river authority with an urgency fitting our circumstances.
I move approval.

>> second.

>> seconded by Commissioner Eckhardt.
any discussion on the motion?
pardon me.
all in favor?
that passes by unanimous vote.
and do you have the original?

>> I don't, but we will generate and circulate them.

>> that passes by unanimous vote.

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