Transcript Water Planning 101 Lower Colorado Regional Planning Group-Region K January 9, 2013 W.

Water Planning 101
Lower Colorado Regional Planning Group-Region K
January 9, 2013
W. David Meesey, O.W.P.
(Old Water Planner)
1
Hydrological Cycle
2
Water Planner’s
Nightmare
3
Water Planning: Legislative
Response to Drought
 Late 1950s Drought of Record
– 1957: Creation of TWDB
– $200 million Water Development Fund
– 9 State Water Plans, 1961-2012
 Late 1990s: Potential New Drought
of Record
– ~$6 billion economic losses in ‘96
(mostly agriculture)
– ~300 entities with threat to water
supplies
– 1997 & 2001: Implementation of SB 1 &
2 which created & refined regional
water planning
4
Regional Water Planning
Statutory interests:
 Public
 Counties
 Municipalities
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Industries
Agriculture
Environment
Small
businesses
 Electric-generating
utilities
 River authorities
 Water districts
 Water utilities
 Groundwater
management areas
5
Planning Process
2010 Census plus
RWPG
adjustments
2010 Water
Use Survey
Identify
Water Management
Strategies (WMS)
Evaluate WMS
Impacts
2010 – 2070
Population &
Demand
Projections
Identify
Shortages
2010 - 2070
Select
and Recommend
WMS
2010 – 2070
Supply
Projections
Publish
Initial
Plan
Surface Water
Availability
Models
Groundwater
Availability
Models
Receive
Public
Comments
Publish
Final
Plan
Regional Water Planning
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16 regions each produce a unique 5-yr plan
Project future population and water demands
Quantify existing and future water supplies
Identify surpluses and needs
Evaluate and recommend water management
strategies
 Make policy recommendations
 Adopt the plan
Existing
Water
Supplies
Projected
Water
Demand
Surplus
(+) or
Need (-)
7
Water Management
Strategies
• WMS are the projects or actions recommended to
meet water needs
• Examples: conservation; wastewater reuse;
desalination of surface or ground water
• New infrastructure to access existing supplies
(Example: new pipeline to a distant reservoir)
• New surface water diversions or impoundments in
reservoirs (on/off-channel)
• New groundwater
8
Impact Analysis
Strategies are analyzed for potential effects on:
− Water quality
− Existing water rights
− In-stream flows
− Bay and estuary freshwater inflows
− Sustainable aquifer yield
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Agricultural water resources
Threatened and endangered species
Wildlife habitat
Public lands
Recreation
9
Why do we Plan?
Water right permits from TCEQ for a
new project must be consistent with
regional & state water plans
Financial assistance from TWDB for a
project only if it is consistent with
regional & state water plans. For some
loan programs project must be
recommended in plan to meet needs
Waiver of this requirement by agency
governing body can be granted
10
Consistency with Regional & State Water Plans
Consistency is achieved when a
proposed project will use the
same source of water as currently
used or recommended in the
water plan
The project does not have to be in
the water plan unless certain
state financing is used (WIF, etc)
Treatment & distribution
infrastructure usually not
included in plans
11
Water Planning Terms &
Concepts
• Drought-of-Record (DoR) - not the worst ever but the
worst that was recorded in TX (~150 years)
• We plan for 50 years by decade – next plan will project to
2070
• Water volume in plans is shown in acre-feet-yr (AFY)
– 1 Acre-foot = 325,851 gallons
– Major reservoir = 5,000 acre-feet (1.63 billion gal)
• Need is not equal to demand (supply-demand=surplus
(positive) or need (negative)
• Water management strategy – WMS
• Wholesale water provider – WWP
• Water user group - WUG
12
Water Planning Terms &
Concepts
• Program Acronyms (Alphabet Soup):
• WAM – Water Availability Model (Surface)
• GAM – Groundwater Availability Model
• GMA – Groundwater Management Area
containing several GCDs or Groundwater
Conservation Districts
• DFC – Desired Future Condition or the strategy
for managing groundwater by a district
• MAG – Modeled Available Groundwater or the
amount available for use annually based on the
DFC as a result of running the GAM for the area
13
Lower Colorado (K) Region
 2010-2060: population
projected to increase
100% to 2,831,937
 Water supply needed
2060: 367,670 AF
 Recommended water
strategy volume 2060:
646,170 AF
 Capital cost = $907
million
 Conservation: 37%;
reuse 21% of strategy
volume by 2060
Lower Colorado (K) Region
 Conservation:
37% of 2060
strategy volume
 New off-channel
reservoir
 Reuse: 21% of
2060 strategy
volume
Planning Group Members
• Members represent interest groups; 12 statutory & “other”
– A member (county; manufacturing) represents the
interests of ALL counties, etc. in the region
– May have more than 1 member per interest group, but
each represents designated interest for the entire region
– Region K, with all or parts of 14 counties, goes beyond
requirements by having members that represent each
county in the region
– Ultimate goal? Produce and adopt a regional water plan
every 5 years through work & cooperation of members
Planning Group Members
• Membership has its privileges - and responsibilities
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Attend meetings regularly
Designate an alternate for when you can’t go
Serve on a committee
Read and learn the material
Think about the “big picture” (water for Texas)
Ask questions when in doubt
Your vote counts; we are all in this together
Questions??
Call: David Meesey, TWDB
512) 936-0852
E-mail:
[email protected]
Visit with members of LCRWPG
(Region K)