Transcript TCEQ Border Governor`s Conference

Texas Water Resources and Issues
Texas Commission on Environmental Quality
May 2006
Physical and Socioeconomic Profile
• Area and geographic boundaries
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261,797 square miles
254 counties; 1210 cities and towns
23 major river basins
Borders
• South: Mexican states of Chihuahua, Coahuila, Nuevo León,
and Tamaulipas
• North: Oklahoma
• West New Mexico
• East Arkansas and Louisiana
– Ranges from Mountainous to Subtropical desert or
tropical areas
Physical and Socioeconomic Profile
• Population
– 20,851,820 million (2000)
– 2,125,464 million inhabitants along the border region
– McAllen-Edinburg-Mission 4th fastest growing metro
statistical area in the country
– Border city growth expanded near 50% in ten years
(Mexican Side)
• Socioeconomic conditions
– Principal activities: agriculture, ranching, oil and gas
production, trade and commerce, industry and tourism
– Of the 35 poorest US counties (per capita income) 13 are
in the Texas portion of the border area
Legal Framework
• In Texas, surface water and ground water are
property rights.
– Surface water belongs to the state
• Permits to appropriate surface waters are granted by the
Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ).
– Ground water is an individual property right,
established by case law.
• However, state law empowers local or regional groundwater
management authorities and states that Groundwater
Conservation Districts are the preferred method of
groundwater management.
Institutional Framework
• Federal Law
– Clean Water Act:
• Primary legal Protection for the nation’s water
• Federal Agencies
– U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
• Federal oversight of surface water and drinking water quality programs
• Oversight of state efforts to regulate solid waste landfills and hazardous
waste sites
– U.S. Natural Resources Conservation Service
• Conservation and improvement of natural resource use on private lands
• Manages and mitigates agricultural non-point source pollution
– U.S. Geological Survey of the Dept of the Interior
• Water quality monitoring and assessment
• Data collection and analysis
Institutional Framework
• Principal State Agencies
– Texas Commission on Environmental Quality
• Establishes water quality standards on a triennial basis,
subject to EPA approval.
• Water quality standards are set on a segment by segment
basis
– Texas Water Development Board
– International Boundary and Water Commission, U.S.
Section
– Special districts
• include water control and irrigation districts and groundwater
conservation districts
– Nonprofit water supply corporations
Institutional Framework
• Mexican Water Quality Institutions
– Comisión Nacional del Agua
• Manages Mexico’s water resources including quality
monitoring and protection
• International Institutions
– International Boundary and Water Commission
• Entity with U.S. and Mexico sections that oversees 1944
Water Treaty
– Border Environment Cooperation Commission and
North American Development Bank
• Assist communities with environmental infrastructure for
border region
Regional Programs—Rio Grande and
South Texas
• Watermaster Programs
– Ensure compliance with
water rights by monitoring
stream flows, reservoir
levels, and water use.
– Coordinate diversions in
the basins managed by
their programs.
– Regulate reservoirs as
needed to prevent the
wasting of water or its
being used in quantities
beyond a user's right.
Regional Conditions
• Climate
– Characteristics: desert with less arid and
more tropical climate as the Rio Grande flows
toward the Gulf of Mexico.
– Average annual rainfall ranges from 9.43
inches in El Paso to 60.57 inches in Jasper
County
– Border region is generally warm and windy.
– Border has experienced prolonged drought
Surface Water: Major Groundwater Basins
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Average Statewide Texas Monthly
Precipitation and Temperature (2005)
Surface Water Supply
Groundwater
• In West Texas, the amount of
water being recharged is
minimal
• Arid conditions and growing
population increase concerns
about water use
• The right to use aquifer
waters that cross political
boundaries is an issue,
especially in the tri-state area
• Several counties in the Rio
Grade basin rely on
groundwater for more than
55% of their water needs
Regional Challenges: Water Demand
• The population of Texas
is expected to nearly
double in the next 50
years, from 21 million
(2000) to 40 million
(2050).
• Total projected demand
for water is expected to
increase 18% from nearly
17 million acre-feet in
2000 to 20 million acrefeet in 2050
Projected Texas Water Demand
Water Use and Demand Projections
12,000,000
10,000,000
(acre-feet)
Municipal
8,000,000
Manufacturing
Mining
6,000,000
Steam-Electric
Irrigation
4,000,000
Livestock
2,000,000
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1990
2000
2010
2020
2030
2040
2050
Regional Challenges: Water Supply
• Water supplies from
existing sources are
expected to decrease
19% from 17.8 million
AFY in 2000 to 14.5
million AFY in 2050.
• Water supplies from
existing groundwater
sources are expected to
decrease 19% from 8.8
million AFY in 2000 to 7.2
million AFY in 2050.
Projected Water Supply From Texas Aquifers
2000-2050
Texas Vision for Hydrological Development
• Water Conservation
• Groundwater
Management Strategies
• Surface Water
Management Strategies
• Reuse
• Desalination
• Others
Management Strategies
Source of Water to Meet Needs
Surface Water
Conservation
Reuse
Desalination
Other
Grounwater
Texas Water Conservation Strategies
• More water-efficient irrigation practices
• Voluntary transfer of surface water rights from
agricultural users to municipal users.
• Change crop varieties and types
• Utilization of genetic engineering
• Voluntarily conversion of irrigated acreage to dry-land
production
• Utilization of conservation tillage methods
• Installation of efficient irrigation equipment
• Lining of irrigation canals
• Additional conservation techniques include laser leveling
of fields and automated water delivery control systems.
Texas Groundwater Management Strategies
• Installation of new wells (most common groundwater
management strategy)
– New wells would produce about 631,000 AFY by 2050.
• Strategies for additional pumping of existing wells
– Additional supply of approximately 122,000 AFY
• Artificial recharge strategies
– Additional supply of 26,000 AFY in 2050.
• Groundwater transfers (long distance transfers through
pipelines)
Texas Surface Water Strategies
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Expanded use or acquisition of existing supplies
Reallocation of reservoir storage for new uses
Voluntary redistribution of existing water resources
Enhance yields of existing sources
Interbasin transfers
Major reservoir development
Texas Reuse and Desalination
• Reuse
– Reuse of wastewater would result in 423,268 AFY of
additional water supplies by 2050.
• Desalination
– desalination of brackish groundwater would provide
66,954 AFY in additional supplies
– Desalination of coastal waters would provide an
additional 84,012 AFY
– Region B included desalination in two recommended
water management strategies for a total of 28,808
AFY.
Other Texas Strategies
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Weather modification
Brush control
Aquifer storage/recovery
Contract renewals
– from systems with a mixed supply of
groundwater and surface water
Statewide Comparison of Supply versus Demand
(with and without Regional Water Plan Implementation)
U.S.-Mexico Border Profile
• La Paz Agreement provides legal framework for Border
2012 program
– Empowers federal environmental authorities in the U.S. and
Mexico to undertake cooperative initiatives
• Border region is home to 11.8 million inhabitants
• Projected growth rates exceed anticipated national
average
– In some cases by more than 40%
– If current trends continue border population is expected to
increase by 7.6 million people by 2020
TCEQ Rio Grande Watermaster
• Allocates, monitors and controls the use of surface water
to municipal/domestic, industrial, agricultural and other
user storage accounts in the Rio Grande Basin
– Allocations are based on the available water in storage in Falcon
and Amistad Reservoirs
• Area encompasses 1173 river miles of the Rio Grande,
382 stream miles of U.S. tributaries and approximately
1600 water right accounts.
– Area is downstream of Fort Quitman in Hudspeth County to the Gulf of
Mexico.
• Works closely with water rights holders.
Major Aquifers—Border Region
Cenozoic Pecos Alluvium
Hueco-Mesilla Bolson
Edwards-Trinity (Plateau)
Carrizo-Wilcox
Gulf Coast
Combined Capacity in Rio Grande International
Reservoirs
Source: International Boundary & Water Commission
www.ibwc.state.gov/wad/IMAGES/amfalpct.gif
Available Water Supplies—Rio Grande Water
Planning Region (Region M)
Basin Areas—Rio Grande Water Planning
Region (Region M)
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Rio Grande Water Planning
Region encompasses eight
counties and portions of three
river or coastal basins
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Water users are located in all
three of these basins but
practically all rely upon surface
water from the Rio Grande or
groundwater for their water
supplies.
Rio Grande Water Planning Region
(Region M): Projected Water Demand
Region M: Total Water Demand Projections
2000 - 2060
1,400,000
(acre-feet)
1,200,000
Irrigation
1,000,000
Livestock
800,000
Manufacturing
600,000
Mining
400,000
Steam Electric
200,000
Series6
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2000 2010 2020 2030 2040 2050 2060
Subregion Analysis of Current Conditions: Upper Rio
Grande (New Mexico Border to Amistad)
• Water Quantity Issues
– Sparse rainfall
– Increasing Water demand
• Water Quality Issues
– High salt and nutrient content
lessens optimal quality
– Levels of bacteria exceed
standard for contact recreations
(after treatment water meets
public water supply and
irrigation standards)
Subregion Analysis of Current Conditions:
Upper Rio Grande
• Current Needs
– Long-range, strategic water quality and quantity
planning
– Institutional water initiatives, data sharing and
conservation
– Wetlands preservation
– Watershed approach to environmental
management
Subregion Analysis of Current Conditions:
Middle Rio Grande
• Water Quantity
– Increasing water
demand
• Water Quality
– Nitrate level concern
– High salinity
• due to natural
geologic salt deposits
• Invasion of the salt
cedar
Subregion Current Plans and Programs:
Middle Rio Grande
• Pecos River Projects
– Addressing the salt cedar problem
• City of Pecos
– Addressing the need for water and wastewater infrastructure
• Texas Water Development Board
– Fund water and wastewater infrastructure projects
• TEXAS Plan and North American Development Bank
– Installation of water and wastewater connections for colonias
Subregion Analysis of Current Conditions:
Lower Rio Grande
• Water Quantity
– Low flow conditions
• 2005—4th driest year
• Concerns remain about
Mexico not providing
water under 1944 treaty
• Aquatic weeds
• Water Quality
– High bacteria levels
Subregion Current Plans and Programs: Lower
Rio Grande
• Optimize supply of water from Rio Grande
• Reduce municipal demand through conservation
• Diversify water supply sources including reuse
and desalination
• Implements conservation practices
• Acquire additional Rio Grande water supplies
Contact
Carlos Rubinstein, Water Table Co-Chair
1804 West Jefferson Ave
Harlingen, TX 78550-5247
(956) 425-6010