State Water Planning Methodology of Texas

Michelle BuckholtzRebecca Cesa

Wyatt Ellertson

Regional Water Planning12 Interests Represented:

Public

Counties

Municipalities

Industries

River Authorities

Electric-Generating Utilities

Agriculture

Water Districts

Water Utilities

Small Businesses

16 Regions

Also have Non Voting members from Gov. Agencies and liaisons from adjacent planning groups.

TWDB Approves all Regional Water Plans

Specific Planning Tasks: Quantify current and projected water

demand 50 years out

Describe Regional Water Area

Evaluate current water supplies

Identify surpluses and needs

Recommend regulatory and legislative changes

Evaluate water quality

Describe how to finance projects

Regional Water Planning

Water Management Strategy: Increase Water Supply

Maximize efficient use of existing supply

Reduce demands to address water needs

Benchmark: 1950’s Drought of Record

State Water Planning

• Developed every 5 years

• Incorporates information from regional plans, but is more then a sum of the regional plans

• Topics addressed: Climate Supply Demand Projections

Financing Strategies Uncertainty Policy Recommendations

• Serves as a guide to state water policy, presents data for the state, identifies trends, provides recommendations to state legislators

Planning for Climate Change

• Temperature Increase Projections 2000 to 2019 – 1 degree F 2020 to 2039 – 2 degrees F 2040 to 2059 – 4 degrees F

• Large degree of uncertainty with Texas Climate Change Models• Plan at regional levels for the benchmark drought

of the 1950’s• Possible solutions:

Change to more water efficient crops (Cotton, Grain) Adopt new technologies to extend lives of aquifers Develop new reservoirs for surface water collection

Current Actions Taken: 2008 Far West Texas Climate Change

Conference

TWDB staff workgroup formed to monitor status of climate change and to evaluate water management strategies for climate change.

Population Growth

Historical accuracy: +/- 10%

Economic Growth

SWIFT Prioritization[State Water Implementation Fund for Texas]

Two levels of prioritization:

Regional Level• 16 Regional Water Planning Groups

(RWPG) • Uniform standards developed by

Stakeholder Committee (SHC)• Standards set it HB4, 83rd Legislature

and approved by TWDB• Regional finals were submitted

September 1, 2014.

State Level• Texas Water Development Board

(TWDB) has rules that include a prioritization system for water projects applying for SWIFT and SWIRFT funds

• Rules laid out in 31 TAC § 363.1304

Regional Prioritization

State Prioritization100!

Serves a large population

Provides

regionalizationMeets a high

percentage of water supply needs of

users to be supplied by project

Provides assistance to a

diverse and rural population30

30

3030

Local contribution & federal funding

Financial capability to

repayEmergency need

Readiness to proceed Effect of the project on water

conservation

Priority assigned by RWPG

15155

825

Critiques

• Should include environmental flows as a need • Consider water need in drought years, not demand • Reduce water consumption related to power generation, ie. coal • ~50% of all water withdrawals in the US (!)

• Project screening/prioritization• Use of 1950s drought as the “drought of record” is questionable based on tree ring

history (Cleaveland, et al. 2011 Texas Water Journal)

• Conservation, conservation, conservation

Critiques examined: Sierra Club, Southwest Farmers Association, Texas Living Waters (associated with Environmental Defense Fund)