Canyon lake and the guadalupe river edwards aquifer. The waterbearing units are composed predominantly of limestone and dolomite of the edwards group and sands of the trinity group. In addition, the edwards aquifer feeds the comal and san marcos springs, provides springflow for recreational and. The history and future of the edwards aquifer authority. Cities like san antonio have long depended on the edwards aquifer for water, making it an integral part of the environment and geology of the region. Explore edwards aquifer authoritys 259 photos on flickr. The edwards aquifer authority eaa was established in 1996 after lawsuits that were filed for the protection of endangered species in comal and san marcos springs revealed the need for aquifer management. Nearly flatlying, mostly comanche lower cretaceous strata of the aquifer system. Without the edwards aquifer, san antonios growth and sustainability as a city would have been impossible. A major problem facing the edwards aquifer is the threat of overdrafting the average annual recharge and maintaining natural springflows. Since the 1950s, competing interests for use of edwards aquifer resourcesthe primary source of water for.
The nations largest and oldest latino civil rights organization has sued the san antoniobased edwards aquifer authority over how it elects its governing board, charging that the statemandated. Bibliography of the edwards aquifer, texas, through 1993 compiled by julie a. How such a large and fractious group came together to resolve one of the nations most intractable and longstanding water problems serves as a case study in consensus. The inside story of the edwards aquifer recovery implementation program kathie and ed cox jr. Located on the eastern edge of the edwards plateau in the u. Use the search, sort and filter functions below to find jobs that interest you.
Several events set the stage for water management in texas and the creation of the eaa. It is one of the greatest natural resources on earth, serving the diverse agricultural, industrial, recreational, and domestic needs of almost two million users in south central texas. Evaluation of the edwards aquifer in kinney and uvalde counties, texas. The edwards aquifer is one of the most prolific artesian aquifers in the world. In this book, gulley tells the inside story of the edwards aquifer recovery implementation program earip, a federally sponsored process put in place by the texas legislature. The untold story of the lower colorado river authority river books. The edwards aquifer authority manages, enhances, and protects the edwards aquifer. The edwards aquifer is a unique groundwater system and one of the most prolific artesian aquifers in the world. The edwards aquifer authority eaa is a regulatory agency that preserves and protects the edwards aquifer for the approximately 2 million south texans who rely. Any opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this publication are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the organizations or.
This page displays provisional, unaudited raw data. Genevieve and william make an aquifer in a cup to visually represent the edwards aquifer system. Take the first step to join our team by applying for one of the available career opportunities listed below. Aquifer listing list of aquifers aquifers in canada arkell spring grounds laurentian river system oak ridges moraine aquifers in the united states biscayne aquifer bishop subbasin buried valley aquifer system edwards aquifer floridan aquifer fox hills formation h2olympia kirkwoodcohansey aquifer mahomet aquifer ogallala aquifer permian basin. This activity was supported by the edwards aquifer authority under contract no. All content is posted anonymously by employees working at edwards aquifer authority. A number of cities rely on the aquifer as their only source of drinking water. The edwards aquifer system is one of the great karstic aquifer systems of the world. Although the enabling legislation of the eaa seems to authorize that agency to implement water quality rules, the legislations author has said it does not. In limestone terrains, commonly called karst terrains, water may flow beneath the surface in caves to emerge at springs.
Study finds no media bias when it comes to story selection. Greg abbott blocks saws from selling edwards aquifer. Sep 26, 2017 the edwards aquifer literally is the life blood of the hill country. On june, comal springs part of the edwards aquifer system and one of the largest freshwater springs in the southwest stopped flowing for the first time in recorded history. Day the question of who owns groundwater in place is currently before the supreme court of texas. Field assessment and analytical assessment of the hydraulic relationship between the trinity and edwards aquifers.
When i started this website in 1995, the primary issue that had to be resolved was how much users could pump, and the edwards aquifer authority had been handed the job of allocating water. Review of the edwards aquifer habitat conservation plan. The act grants all of the powers, rights, and privileges necessary to manage, conserve, preserve, and protect the aquifer. Uvalde joins water lawsuit against san antonios edwards aquifer. Edwards aquifer authority history edwards aquifer authority. The edwards aquifer authority and the state of texas v. Facebook is showing information to help you better understand the purpose of a page. An example of a significant and sustainable carbonate aquifer is the edwards aquifer in central texas. I started collecting reports and photographs and reading all i could about it, and i always assumed i would write a book. The hcp seeks to effectively manage the river aquifer system to ensure the viability of the esalisted species in the face of drought, population growth, and other threats. The edwards aquifer authority s board of directors approved a rate hike for the first time in five years for its 2010 budget. This carbonate aquifer has historically been providing high quality water for nearly 2 million people, and even today, is full because of tremendous recharge from a number of area streams, rivers and lakes. In fact, this area would not have grown to what it is today without the aquifer. Before being chosen to lead the earip, he was a senior trial attorney with the us department of justice, responsible for litigation involving natural resource issues.
Abstract the edwardstrinity aquifer system under lies about 42,000 square miles of westcentral texas. The edwards aquifer authority is a groundwater district, mandated by the 1993 edwards aquifer authority act. The edwards aquifer also hosts unique groundwater, cave, and spring ecosystems. Gulley was the executive director of the edwards aquifer habitat conservation program and the mediator for the edwards aquifer recovery implementation program earip. The inside story of the edwards aquifer recovery implementation. Thats the historic average for october of the j17 well, 658 feet above sea level, the measure that influences everything related to the edwards aquifer. The edwards aquifer authority eaa regulates groundwater in the edwards aquifer aquifer pursuant to the edwards aquifer authority act of 1993 eaa act.
The authority ha d been created by the edwards aquifer authority act the eaaa or the act in 1993, the year before day bought the property. I got interested in the edwards aquifer shortly after i came to san antonio in 1972. Information in all formats relating to the edwards aquifer is collected on an ongoing basis and archived as part of the edwards aquifer collection at the austin history center. The edwards aquifer authority eaa issued water rights through an established permitting process, and today, saws has access to approximately 50 percent 284,000 acrefeet of those rights. Sep 10, 2019 the edwards aquifer authority eaa was established in 1996 after lawsuits that were filed for the protection of endangered species in comal and san marcos springs revealed the need for aquifer management. Three southwest research institute scientists contributed their groundwater management expertise to a new book about the edwards aquifer, the primary water.
Edwards aquifer authority has come a long way san antonio. The edwards aquifer runs under 8,800 square miles of texas land. Uvalde joins water lawsuit against san antonios edwards aquifer authority. Edwards aquifer authority history of the aquifer edwards aquifer. Most of the edwards plateau is not within the jurisdictional boundaries of the edwards aquifer authority, and an expansion seems unlikely. The story of water and texas starts here, some 650 feet below the surface, in san antonio. The edwards aquifer covers about 4530 square miles in parts of 11 counties in texas. Three years ago, the undeclared edwards aquifer water war came to an end. See more ideas about educational videos, field day and critical period. The eaa regulates the portion of the balcones fault zone edwards aquifer a jurisdictional area.
Edwards aquifer authority home edwards aquifer authority. A full house at the pearl stable was on hand to reflect on the legacy of the edwards aquifer authority on the occasion of its 20th anniversary. Geologic history and hydrogeologic setting of the edwardstrinity aquifer system, west central texas by rene a. This is the edwards aquifer authority company profile.
The geological composition and history of the edwards aquifer provides for a. The edwards balcones fault zone aquifer in the san antonio, texas, area was the first to be designated a sole source aquifer by the environmental protection agency in 1975. The edwards aquifer authority eaa and the united states geological survey usgs have monitored annual well and spring discharges since 1934. Edwards aquifer authority eaa public service in san antonio, texas. The edwards aquifer is an underground layer of porous limestone that stores water.
Edwardstrinity plateau aquifer texas water development board. Eardc was established in 1979 with special funding for texas state university to provide a public. Mar 22, 2020 watch educational videos geared towards different age groups explaining features of the edwards aquifer. During those years when i was collecting a lot of material, i was also sort of a computer geek. The edwardstrinity plateau aquifer is a major aquifer extending across much of the southwestern part of the state. Accordingly, the edwards aquifer authority eaa was authorized by the state legislature to develop, implement, and enforce a critical management plan cmp. Three years ago, the undeclared edwards aquifer water war came to an end after a half century of regional conflict that pitted san antonio and dozens of regional entities against one another in a feud that divided generations of neighbors. Edwards aquifer authority eaa timeline edwards aquifer. To protect the esalisted species, the edwards aquifer authority eaa and four. Saws reserves the right to make retroactive changes as system and operational situations are discovered and resolved. Report prepared for the edwards aquifer authority, june 19, 2006. Geological survey openfile report 95336 prepared in support of a study by the center for research in water resources, university of texas at austin austin, texas 1995. This aquifer provides water for municipal, industrial, and agricultural uses.
The edwards aquifer act, enacted in 1993, established a governing body to determine who in an eightcounty area can draw water from the aquifer and limits total withdrawals to. Lulac sues aquifer agency over election methods san antonio. It supplies water for more than 2 million people and for. Job opportunities careers at edwards aquifer authority. Welcome to the edwards aquifer authority application process. Currently reading edwards aquifer authority must shell out to. Edwards aquifer is not just a key source of water for over 2 million texans. Edwards aquifer authority must shell out to pecan farmers. In addition, the edwards aquifer feeds the comal and san marcos springs, provides springflow. While the edwards stretches from temple to del rio, the barton springs segment is of most interest to austinites since the water reemerges near the heart of downtown at barton springs. User guide this downloadable pdf document explains how to use the tools available in the viewer metadata the edwards aquifer maps come from official printed maps, containing regulatory boundaries based on previous geologic interpretations of the edwards aquifer zonesthat is, the recharge, transition, and contributing within the transition zones, as defined.
Edwards is the focus of this study due to its unique physical nature as a karst aquifer resulting in highly sensitive environmental areas that provide habitat to fourteen different threatened and endangered species. The authority had been created by the edwards aquifer authority act the eaaa or the act in 1993, the year before day bought the property. A look at the edwards aquifer guest columns the daily news. Edwards aquifer currently, approximately 80 percent of drinking water used by saws customers comes from the edwards aquifer. Researchers, regulators and water authorities can use this memoir to manage the aquifer and build. Back in the 50s when canyon lake was being planned by the corps of engineers and the guadalupeblanco river authority, the regions most severe drought ever recorded made san antonio realize it needed to broaden and diversity its water resources and end its complete dependence on the edwards aquifer. For decades, san antonio, as the largest user of aquifer water. I am always surprised at how little and how slowly this page has to be changed. For more than 12,000 years, it has faithfully served as a natural source of water for the people of central and south texas. Sep 25, 2016 the edwards aquifer authority spent its first 20 years gathering data, establishing baselines, and figuring out how to manage the resource while fighting negative public perception with information. The edwards aquifer is one of the most valuable water resources in the central texas area. Edwards aquifer groundwater model uncertainty analysis.
The edwards aquifer authority manages, enhances, and protects the edwards aquifer, one of the major groundwater systems in texas serving approximately 2 mill. The edwards aquifer authority eaa was established in 1996 after lawsuits that were filed for the protection of endangered. Francine romero studies texas and edwards aquifer water issues. Aquifers are basins that yield a usable amount of groundwater. After introductions and a keynote address by author joe nick patoski, moderator robert rivard opened a panel discussion with a focus on the history of the edwards aquifer authority and the factions that came together to finally agree upon a plan for management of the aquifer. San antonio search results from san antonio business journal. In an effort to manage the river systems and the aquifer that controls them, the edwards aquifer authority and stakeholders have developed a habitat conservation plan hcp. Presented to the society of american military engineers, san antonio.
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