Protecting Species in the Edwards Aquifer Protects Everyone Who Needs the Water
For a fast-moving water system, the Edwards Aquifer provides plenty of water when the rain falls.
But in times of drought, the health of humans and endangered species hangs in the balance.
That’s why those with the Edwards Aquifer Recovery Implementation program have been working the past six months with a sense of urgency to devise a water management solution, program director Robert Gulley of San Antonio said.
Stakeholders and federal and state agencies entered a memorandum of agreement in three months, Gulley said. That compares to a similar program on the Missouri River that has taken nearly nine months to do the same.
While endangered species are the driving force behind efforts to maintain the aquifer, whole ecosystems and economies rely on this source of groundwater, said Jerry James, director of environmental service for Victoria. James represents the city as the municipality downstream of the springs stakeholder.
At the end of June, the springs accounted for 62.1 percent of the Guadalupe River flow at Victoria, according to Guadalupe-Blanco River Authority basin flow documents. During times of drought –when rain and runoff doesn’t enter the river –the springs can comprise more than 80 percent of the river flow, said Todd Votteler, who represents the GBRA on the steering committee for the recovery program.
With Texas population estimated to double by mid-century, demand on water supplies will only increase. The aquifer now serves 1.7 million people in South Central Texas, providing San Antonio with 95 percent of the city’s water.
A science subcommittee works to evaluate whether to apply different management strategies in the aquifer, and whether and how to maintain minimum springflows, Votteler said. The subcommittee makes recommendations to the steering committee, who will then submit their ideas to the Edwards Aquifer Authority.
The major focus right now is deciding whether to designate a pool in San Marcos that would be managed separately from other areas of the aquifer, Gulley said. Springflow needs would be better determined after biological studies of the species’ needs, he added.
The wording in the bill left it up to experts to evaluate whether springs must continually flow, Votteler pointed out.
The science subcommittee asked stakeholders to submit their opinions as a starting point:
Zero natural springflows would prevent species recovery, as the springflows make up their habitat, Votteler wrote in GBRA’s statement to the subcommittee.
The San Antonio Water System questions the lack of data on springflow needs of the aquifer species, according to its written position. The system also would like the subcommittee to consider other threats to the species. SAWS maintains "continuous minimum springflows are not essential to the survival of the species, as the species have survived periods of extreme drought." The group added that current aquifer management strategies have ensured more than adequate springflow.
Texas Parks and Wildlife Department staff believe maintaining minimum springflows during periods of drought is imperative to the species and suggests a flow regime that mimics natural conditions, the deparment’s position stated.
The decision on springflows would shape the future of the river downstream for both GBRA and Victoria, Votteler said.
"The springs are the lifeblood of the Guadalupe River," Votteler said.
When it’s raining, people don’t pay attention to springflow needs, James said. While we can’t control how much it rains, we can control how much we pump out of the aquifer, he added.
The city of Victoria diversified its water supply to include surface water, groundwater and off-channel storage, he said. During a drought, if the city could no longer pump from the river, Victoria’s stored water supply could last six months to a year.
"Ultimately, we’re relying on Mother Nature," James said.
Tara Bozick is a reporter for the Advocate. Contact her at  361-580-6504 or tbozick@vicad.com.
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