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Region J - Plateau
2005 Regional Water Plan Overview
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.
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Region J