Integrated Watershed PlanningIntegrated Watershed PlanningIn TexasIn Texas

An Evolving ProcessAn Evolving Process

National Waterways Conference

Charleston, West Virginia

September 25, 2009

Bill Mullican, P.G.,Pflugerville, Texas

Why Plan?Lake Meredith 1999

Why Plan? Lake Meredith 2009

Water supply for 11 cities on the High Plains of Texas

Why Plan? Lake Travis 2009 - Water supply for

Lower Colorado River Basin including Austin

610

620

630

640

650

660

670

680

690

700

Jan-40 Jan-50 Jan-60 Jan-70 Jan-80 Jan-90 Jan-00 Jan-10

Month/Year

Min

imu

m L

ev

el

[fe

et

ab

ov

e M

SL

]

Lake Travis

Why Plan?Why Plan?Lake LavonLake Lavon-2006-2006

Sole water supply for 1.5 million people northeast of Dallas

Why Plan? Texas Population 2000-2060

Senate Bill 1A New Water Supply

Planning Process

“Public Dialogue”

The Texas Model For Meeting Water Resource Needs in the 21st Century

Water Planning Prior to SB 1Water Planning Prior to SB 1

Water Planning Post SB 1Water Planning Post SB 1

DiverseDiverseInterest GroupsInterest Groups

RepresentedRepresented

Incentives to Participate inRegional Water Planning

PermitsFunding

Lessons Learned

• Inadequacy of data and science needed for planning at local and regional level quickly became focus of process

• Adaptive planning and management required

• Focus of planning proccess shifted to plan implementation after first round of planning

Senate Bill 1A New Water Supply

Planning Process

“Data and Science”

Building Blocks

• Demographics• Groundwater Availability• Surface Water Availability• Environmental Flows• Water Quality• Socioeconomic Impacts

Regional Water Planning Areas

Major River and Coastal Basins and Water Major River and Coastal Basins and Water Availability ModelsAvailability Models

Surface Water Availability Models

Environmental flows addressed in SB 2 and SB 3 – Progress Towards Integrated

Watershed Planning in Texas

Streams

Rivers

Bays & Estuaries

Texas Instream Flow Program

Freshwater InflowRecommendations

Optimization Model

TxEMP

Hydrodynamic & ConservationTransport Model

TxBLENDHydrographic Survey

Nutrient Analysis

Sediment Analysis

Fisheries Analysis

Objectives & Constraints

Fisheries Analysis

Wetlands

Hydrology

Verification

Bays and Estuaries Program

The Major Aquifers of TexasThe Major Aquifers of Texas

The Minor Aquifers of TexasThe Minor Aquifers of Texas

Groundwater availability models:Major aquifers

Trinity Aquifer Study Area

Fredericksburg

Kerrville

Boerne

San Antonio

NewBraunfels

SanMarcos

Austin

Hondo

DrippingSprings

Blanco

MASON

KERR

UVALDE MEDINA

KENDALLGILLESPIE

BEXAR

LLANOBLANCO

Bandera

N

0 5 10 15 mi

TEXAS

Study area/modelboundaryCities

Roads

Basic Steps inBasic Steps inTexas Water PlanningTexas Water Planning

• 50 year planning period

• Projection of population

• Projection of water demands

• Determine existing supplies

• Determine future surplus or needs• Evaluate and select water management

strategies to meet needs

Total = 2,564 Local Plans

- Cities: 956- Utilities: 378- County-Others: 254- Manufacturing: 174 - Steam Electric: 83

- Livestock: 254 - Mining: 226- Irrigation: 239

Projected Water Demand & SupplyProjected Water Demand & Supply

18.3 19.0 19.6 20.1 20.8 21.6

17.916.9 16.1 15.4 15.0 14.6

0

4

8

12

16

20

24

2010 2020 2030 2040 2050 2060

mill

ion

s o

f ac

re-f

eet

Water Demand Water Supply

2060About 85 percent

2010About 45 percent

Percent of the state’s projected population Percent of the state’s projected population without adequate waterwithout adequate water during a repeat of during a repeat of

drought of recorddrought of record

Water Management StrategiesWater Management Strategies

Water Conservation

Ground Water

Surface Water

Water Reuse

Conjunctive Use

Reservoirs

Desal

Conveyances

2007Water Plan

2007Water Plan

Senate Bill 1A New Water Supply

Planning Process

“Reliable Funding”

Funding for projects in the 2007 Texas Water Plan

50 years: $30.9B

2008-2009: $762M (funded)

2010-2011: $475M (approved)

The Texas Model For Meeting Water Resource Needs in the 21st Century

“As a result of several successive years of moisture deficiency, people have become water conscious, and all sorts of plans are being suggested for doing something about it. Many of these plans have merit, but any plan that promises quick relief through human agency is fraud. A good rain is the only quick solution to the problem of the drought, and nature has as yet not yielded the secret of making rain. Unfortunately a good rain washes away more than the drought; it washes away much of man’s interest in providing for the next one, and it washes the supports from under those who know that another dry cycle is coming and who urge their fellows to make ready for it.”

More Water For Texas byWalter Prescott Webb, 1953