Technical Reports Document Library

Note:  This report is included because of its possible historical value.  It has been replaced by more recent plans.

The Trans-Texas Water Program was initiated as a regional water planning process by the Texas Water Development Board to identify the most cost-effective and environmentally sensitive strategies for meeting the current and future water needs of southeast, south-central, west-central and north-central Texas. Each of these areas was designated as a study region. This report relates to the West Central Study Area of the Trans-Texas Water Program which was formed in 1993 (see map of study region, p. 3.). The West Central Study Area comprises thirty-two (32) counties west of the Brazos River and includes the Guadalupe-Blanco, San Antonio and Lower Colorado River basins, part of the Nueces River basin, the Edwards Aquifer and part of the Carrizo-Wilcox Aquifer.

Initially, the program was to be carried out in three phases: 1) Program Initiation/Conceptual Planning; 2) Feasibility Studies; and 3) Implementation. The Senate Bill 1 process superseded the Trans-Texas Water Program process and consequently, feasibility studies and the  implementation phases were not completed….

Committee Conclusions
Water Resource Evaluation Criteria
The Water Resource Evaluation Criteria listed below were the result of the deliberations of the Integrated Resource Planning Committee over the period of its existence. As agreed to by the committee and the PMC for the West Central Study Area, these criteria will be submitted to the Texas Water Development Board as part of the record of work accomplished by the Trans-Texas Water Program for this study area. They are intended for use by water planners as they evaluate the various alternatives to meet the water needs of their region. The criteria would be employed by asking how well an alternative achieves the following objectives:

Economic
• Facilitates economic development
• Minimizes long range negative socio-economic impacts (including loss of tax base)
• Promotes opportunities for cost sharing and economic partnership
• Provides cost effective solutions

Water Quality
• Provides and maintains appropriate water quality for the intended use

Fairness
• Maximizes efficient use of water in areas that import water
• Promotes equitable distribution of costs in meeting region’s water needs

Feasibility
• Demonstrates feasibility in terms of timing, technical, scientific, economic, political, regulatory, legal, and public acceptance factors

Efficiency
• Minimizes evaporative and distribution losses
• Promotes conservation
• Promotes conjunctive use

Flexibility
• Adaptable to new and innovative technology
• Adaptable to changes in demand projections
• Adaptable to changes in law
• Adaptable to future supply options

Compatibility
• Maximizes regional compatibility with local water plans
• Minimizes negative impacts on property rights
• Maximizes consistency with local growth management plans
• Maximizes compatibility with plans from surrounding regions

Reliability
• Maximizes a sustainable (referring to yield) supply of water for short-term and long-term needs
• Minimizes interruptions to water supplies

Environment
• Minimizes short-term and long-term negative impacts on natural resources
•Wildlife/habitat
• Rivers
• Bays
• Estuaries
• Lakes
• Aquifers
• Karsts
• Air quality
• Water quality
• Wetlands
• Minimizes short-term and long-term negative impacts to the human environment
• Recreational
• Cultural/historical
• Archeological
• Esthetics

Recommendations
The IRPC agreed on the following recommendations with the intention of providing more guidance to water planners to assure better regional water planning. The IR.PC wanted to emphasize the need for water planners to take into account the indirect impact of their actions and decisions as well as their direct impact. The recommendations were:
• Public participation and education should continue to be an integral part of a regional water planning process.
• When evaluating alternatives, ensure that indirect impacts such as growth inducing or inhibiting effects are considered.