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	Region J 2005 Plan Review State Water Plan Planning Timeline Acronyms and Abbreviations

Region J - Plateau

2005 Regional Water Plan Review

The following general review is based on the 2005 Initially Prepared Regional Water Plan (IPP).

Regional Facts

Major Cities	Del Rio, Kerrville
Population: 2000	115,129
Population: 2060	206,297
Total Water Use: 2000	49,662 Acre-Feet
Total Water Use: 2060	58,559 Acre-Feet
Primary Rivers	Rio Grande, Nueces, San Antonio, Guadalupe
Major Aquifers	Edwards-Trinity, Trinity, Edwards (BFZ)
Annual Precipitation	16-32 Inches
Net Evaporation	40-56 Inches

Basic Plan Facts

This sparsely populated planning area is projected to witness a 79% population growth between 2000 and 2060
Total capital cost of proposed water supply measures: not available
No new reservoirs proposed

What's at Issue?

Predominately rural and drought prone, the viability of this region is highly dependent on its groundwater resources. In addition to meeting the majority of the region's water supply needs, groundwater sources create the base flow to three of the state's major rivers - the Nueces, San Antonio, and Guadalupe - and regional springflow supports a rich wildlife habitat and a growing tourism industry. To meet projected demands, there is an emphasis on increasing the use of groundwater resources, despite opportunities for demand management through the implementation of advanced water conservation measures.

Action Items

Here are some of the items the Region J Planning Group must address.

Conservation and Drought Management
For conservation and drought management, the plan needs to...

Include advanced conservation measures as a strategy to meet demands. The plan doesn't discuss the adequacy of current conservation levels or recommend any additional water-saving measures, other than loss audits - which are already required by state law - and public education.
Propose drought management measures to meet identified water needs in the region. Each water user group with a shortage should use its drought management plan as a water management strategy to meet their water needs. The regional plans in the state are based on a drought of record and it only makes sense that drought management measures should be a component of planning for that drought period.

Environmental Flows
To secure the protection of flows for fish and wildlife, the plan needs to...

Include information on the nature of both the major and regional springs and the habitats they support.
Fully assess how environmental flows are affected by current and proposed projects and existing and proposed water permits.
Evaluate quantitatively how springflow, both major and regional, is affected by increased groundwater use and the proposed water management strategies.
Designate stream segments in the region that meet the criteria as having "unique ecological value". The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department recommends 20 segments for designation in this region.

Economics
To ensure that only the most economically sound water supply strategies are implemented, the plan needs to...

Compare the costs and benefits of the supply alternatives in a consistent and reasonable manner.

Online Resources

Regional water plan documents can be located on the TWDB website. Additional information may also be found on the region's website.

TWDB Regional Water Planning Website

The 2001 Region J Water Plan & 2005 Initially Prepared Plan

Online Resources

Regional water plan documents can be located on the TWDB website.


		Find Out for Region J


		sustainability


		Contact the Regional Group Member who represents your interest. Contact Your Group Member Attend a Region J group meeting. Times and locations are posted on the TWDB website. Attend a Region J Meeting Here are just a few things you can do. Learn more about water issues in the Texas Hill Country. Learn More


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