1997

February

Authority directors appoint Gregory M. Ellis as interim general manager of the agency and begin a nationwide search for a permanent general manager.

Authority critical period management plan goes into effect. New water conservation triggers are set. This plan provides the stages for water conservation efforts aimed at slowing the decline of springflow in times of drought. Irrigation use is exempt from reductions and reporting and 10,000 acres of farmland will not be irrigated for the first time as part of the pilot Irrigation Suspension Program.

May

The U.S. Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals finds that a federal district court injunction issued to limit pumping from the Edwards Aquifer is invalid because the Authority is now managing this natural resource.

June

June 1, 1997 – Senate Bill No. 1 (S.B. No. 1) or the Brown-Lewis Water Plan is passed and provides for a major overhaul of many longstanding state water laws and policies. Among its many provisions, the Brown-Lewis Water Plan requires all groundwater conservation districts to develop a management plan for the groundwater within each districts jurisdiction.

June 10, 1997 – Authority directors approve the first aquifer management fees and begin installing flow meters on all irrigation wells in the region.

August

Authority directors hire Gregory M. Ellis as the agency's permanent general manager.

November

Authority directors select Weather Modification Inc., as the contractor to apply for a weather modification permit from the Texas Natural Resources Conservation Commission (TNRCC) on behalf of the Authority.

December

Carson B. Wells, et al v. Authority. Lawsuit alleges the Authority, and the board, are engaging in acts causing immediate and irreparable harm to the plaintiffs by ignoring and violating the applicable law of its enabling statute.