THE
PRESIDENT’S AWARD
Botanist Minnette Marr (pictured
below with her award) was announced as the winner of the President’s Award at
the SMRF annual meeting, but had to miss the event because her new job at Lady
Bird Johnson Wildflower
Center required that she be at
another event. Many SMRF members have
met Minnette during the monthly hyacinth removal
volunteer days at Spring Lake,
or on Greenbelt Alliance walks on city greenspaces. Minnette managed
the elephant ear removal project around Spring
Lake, the slough, and the
river. She also ran the aquatic nursery
at Aquarena, collecting and propagating native plants to use in the restoration
of the vegetation there
because these plants are good at preventing erosion or feeding
birds and other wildlife like the timid swamp rabbit that visited her nursery
often.
She planted thousands of plants in the place of exotic invasives she and her volunteers removed. She took the few hours she was paid to work,
multiplied it many times with all kinds of volunteer help she supervised, and
then threw in her own countless hours, just for the love of the work. She steadily improved the plant community at
Aquarena to better support the native species of birds and animals and resemble
its original state. She made SMRF’s volunteer days at Spring Lake fun, safe, and efficient for two years.
San Marcos
still benefits from her skills and dedication as a volunteer for SMRF and the
Greenbelt Alliance, though she works on state-wide botanical projects at the Wildflower
Center now. Board President Fairchild presented her a
framed print of a beautiful Sally Cummings painting of Spring
Lake and the slough.
Photo of Minette Marr with President’s Award
(in printed version of newsletter)
ANOTHER WIN
AGAINST ALGAE BLOOMS
A huge thank you to the SMRFers
who mailed form letters that were inserted in a SMRF newsletter years ago to
TCEQ---last month there was finally some action on the wastewater plant permit
in New Braunfels!
Six years ago, over 500 people protested the lax wastewater treatment, who either drink water from Lake
Dunlap sent to San
Marcos, or live along the Guadalupe
River, or around Lake
McQueeney
or Dunlap. TCEQ and New
Braunfels delayed renewing
the permit for years, holding one set of public meetings after another. Finally
the permit came up on the TCEQ agenda for action, and a decision on whether a
hearing would be held.
The lakeside landowners and SMRF showed up at the
TCEQ Commissioner’s meeting last month, thinking that this would be just one
more hopeless meeting. Suddenly
Commissioner Larry Sowards woke everyone up by
objecting strongly to the TCEQ staff, for allowing this wastewater permit to be
renewed at the same old poor treatment level, while multiple studies submitted
by the protesters, and done over DECADES, proved that phosphorus treatment was
urgently needed. Just two Commissioners
were there that day, and he did not have strong support from Commission Chair
White, so it was clear that Sowards could not get all
that he wanted inserted into this permit renewal. However, he did get a clause inserted
requiring that this permit be tightened in three years to definitely include
phosphorus treatment---no ifs, ands, or buts.
Instead of a hearing that would have been costly,
causing further delays, a study was mandated.
It has already begun, by New Braunfels
and TCEQ, to learn exactly how tight the phosphorus requirement needs to
be. It has taken way too long to get
this requirement inserted, but at least it is in place now, and New
Braunfels will have to start
improving their wastewater treatment soon.
This whole protest stems back to SMRF’s
early 1990’s work to clean up the San Marcos River, which served as the
inspiration to the lake groups. Algae
studies done by Dr. Al Groeger were pivotal to both
efforts. Many long hours were spent on
this New Braunfels
effort by SMRF members who helped the lake groups get the information they
needed to win this new permit requirement.
Thanks to all those SMRF members who mailed in letters. The huge numbers
of those letters had a definite impact on the TCEQ Commissioners!
APPEALS OF SMRF’S WIN ARE
FILED
SMRF’s water right application
for water to be left in the San Marcos
and Guadalupe Rivers to reach coastal bays has moved through District Court,
with a winning decision for SMRF. The
judge told TCEQ to reconsider SMRF’s water right
application, denied by TCEQ in ’03. In
June, TCEQ appealed this SMRF win to the 3rd Court of Appeals, and was joined
in appeals by many other parties in the case including San
Antonio and Guadalupe-Blanco River Authority. The case has been moved from the Austin
appeals court to the Corpus Christi
court, just to even out the caseloads around the state, and not by the request
of any parties. No word yet on when the
case will be heard. SMRF continues to
work hard to raise funds for the legal costs to carry on this important case,
and to ensure that Texas has
rivers and healthy bays in its future. SMRF’s work has drawn attention all over the nation. In April, SMRF staff was invited to speak
about the SMRF application and case at a Western water law conference in Portland
, after an article ran about SMRF in the national publication, The Water
Report, www.thewaterreport.com.
MARTINDALE DAM UPDATE
The federal permit to generate electricity is almost
complete, but generation probably won’t start for about a year, says David
Long, owner of the Martindale Dam. The
safety plan, just submitted, asks for a sign that says “Dam ahead, portage on
the right” and that will go up this summer.
Long promises to improve the portage if and when the
generation pays back the original investment to get it going again. There has been a finding of no significant
archeological or environmental impact on this plan to generate again. The operators have pledged to not do any
surge generating, changing river levels, and further, they will stop generating
when the river stops flowing over the dam in a drought. They will also start keeping river level
records when the San Marcos river
gauge drops to 100 cubic feet per second.
SMRF BOARD MEETS THURSDAY,
JULY 27
SMRF’s board meets on the 4th Thursday of July, October, January and April,
for its regular quarterly board meetings.
On other months year-round they meet for the informal Nuts & Bolts
work meetings, also on the 4th Thursdays. Special board meetings are called as
needed. To receive notice of meetings,
contact SMRF at 353-4628 or sign up for the SMRF weekly update emails at wassenich@grandecom.net. Information about river issues,
events, and volunteer opportunities are in these weekly email updates as well.
MEMORIAL FOR SUSIE BROWN BY
TRPA
Pictured below are (L to R) San Marcos City Councilman
John Thomaides, City Administrative Services Director
Collette Jameson, Tom Goynes
of TRPA, City Parks Director Rodney Cobb, and Mayor Susan Narvaiz
at Rio Vista
Falls. Goynes, President
of the Texas River Protection Association, is presenting a check for $1200 in
memory of Susie Brown to the City, to help with landscaping and trees for the
newly completed Rio Vista
Falls.
Susie
passed away in March last year and the outpouring of support from the canoe
racing community for her husband Jerry and two daughters, Avery and Taylor, was
enormous. Jerry is a canoe racer and
Susie supported him on his three Water Safari races, and was his team captain
in 2000. Her family wanted the
memorials donated by the racers to be used in a way that touched as many people
as possible, especially children.
When
Jerry was at the Water Safari this year as a team captain for one of the racing
teams, he saw the new Rio Vista Falls on a weekday evening very
soon after it opened. It was full of
people of all ages, playing in the water, sitting on the bank, grilling,
napping, and playing on the parkland. He
said “I could not think of a better use of the funds, or a better memorial to
my wife” than the landscaping work needed at the site. He also wanted to recognize the efforts that
TRPA members put into urging City officials to rebuild the unsafe dam in such a
creative and beautiful way.
The
landscaping work has already begun.
Everyone is urged to be careful to take care of the plantings, and if an
area is fenced off, let it have time to get established before walking on
it.
Photo of TRPA Check Given to
City
JULY 15 CHILI COOKOFF &
SILENT AUCTION
The Purgatory Creek Chili Pod will hold its annual Chili Cookoff at Staples Dam, where Shorty
Grumbles has a great barn to offer shade by the river, July 15 and 16. SMRF members are invited to be judges for
this excellent bunch of chili cooks from all over Texas, which only takes about
an hour or so of tasting, either day, starting around 12:30. Silent auction items are also being rounded
up, so call today if you have something to donate. The Chili Pod donates to SMRF every year
after this special cookoff and auction, so this is a
way SMRF can help them raise the money. SMRFers can also bid on auction items,
enjoy judging, or just show up for a swim.
For more information call 353-4628 immediately. Auction items are needed by Friday night,
July 14.
JULY 22 IS THE NEXT
HYACINTH DAY
Volunteers can show up at 9
a.m. for the fun work on the lake, removing hyacinth or call
353-4528 for details.
PLUM CREEK WATERSHED PROBLEMS
SMRF board members Annette Paulin and Judy Telford are
serving on committees for the Plum Creek Watershed Plan, and so is San Marcan Eric Mendelmann of Texas
Watch. SMRF’s Executive
Director is on the Steering Committee for the unique planning effort that the
Soil and Conservation Service is directing in partnership with Texas
Cooperative Extension. Monthly meetings
are in Lockhart, Luling or Kyle, all in the Plum
Creek watershed which is having a serious water quality problem (phosphorus and
bacteria). The 400 square mile watershed
is about the same size as the Blanco River’s. Citizens involved are meeting monthly,
researching and figuring out what can be done to improve the situation. Plum Creek flows into the San
Marcos River near Luling. It is
intermittent near its beginning around Kyle but has springs in lower stretches,
and is carrying a big load of wastewater from the growing communities in its
watershed. For info on the planning
effort, see http://pcwp.tamu.edu.
CHECK THE LABEL DATE ON NEWSLETTER
Thanks
to all who have paid ’06 dues. Data base
manager Mark Boucher is trying to get all the label dates corrected, so check
yours to be sure it accurately reflects the last date of your donation to SMRF
and call 353-4628 if the date is incorrect.
Remember that lifetime SMRF members can ignore these reminders. FYI, all your dues/donations are much
appreciated because they are an important way that SMRF can match grants and
carry on many important projects for the river’s benefit.
GOOD PLANTS
FOR RIVERBANKS
Since so many SMRF members are riverside landowners
or know them, the list below of good plants for bank stabilization may prove
very useful. Some plants’ root systems are almost as stable as solid rock, in a
flood. For the water’s edge, Emory
sedge, sawgrass, bulrushes, water willow, scouring
rush, buttonbush and indigobush amorpha
have very strong root systems. For spots
that are not always wet, the roots of spiny aster, black willow, seepwillow baccharis, Fremont
cottonwood, knotgrass, bushy bluestem, or spikerushes
are helpful in holding the soil during a flood.
For dry spots that may get water only during roaring floods, switchgrass, Eastern gamma, deergrass
muhly, big sacaton,
sycamore, little walnut, roughleaf dogwood, and
American elm have good root systems. The plant list with stability ratings is
from the Riparian Notes in the Reference Materials section of www.blm.gov/or/programs/nrst.
WATER SAFARI NEWS
It was a hot and slow Safari, with very low water levels
in the rivers. Because operators of the
Gonzales Dam were surge generating, the river was extremely shallow and racers
had to portage 38 times in the stretch from Gonzales to Hochheim! Mosquito clouds were thick below Victoria
and even the fast moving racers were bothered by them this year. San Antonio
Bay was a little choppy for the canoers but at least there were no small craft warnings
because of strong winds this year. The Belize
team of 6 were the winners this year (with John Bugge of College Station
being one of the 6). They were 44
minutes ahead of the second place team of 6 which included locals Fred and
Brian Mynar, John Dunn, Jerry Cochran, with Sammy Prochaska and Mike Vincent of Canada. The Belize
team made it to the finish line Sunday night at 11
p.m., after leaving San Marcos
at 9 a.m. Saturday. See the website www.texaswatersafari.org
for more info.
SUMMERFEST
LIGHTED RIVER PARADE
The
Lions Club lighted river parade was cancelled this year because of a good
soaking rain with lightning and thunder that fell the evening of July 4th , bringing
about two inches to San Marcos and five to
Martindale! SMRF packed away its
beautiful “tube” float lighting and decorations to save them for next
year. Thanks to all who worked on it: Meredith Murray, Cindy D’Anton,
Susan Narvaiz, Diane McMahon, Jack Fairchild, Ann
Allen, Judy Telford, Ann Jensen, Dianne and Tom Wassenich. Thinking of making a
small float for next year? Call SMRF for
help with any questions.
RIO
VISTA DAM IS NOW
RIO VISTA FALLS
Rio Vista Dam was repaired and remodeled into three “falls” which
opened up in late May for public use.
The three falls are heavily used by tubers and paddlers, and the huge
numbers of visitors has prompted the City to add extra maintenance staff to
control the trash and behavior problems that popped up with the crowds. The City has also called for a Citizen’s
Patrol that will be trained to offer an eye on the parks. The volunteers will not be enforcing rules,
but will call the Park Rangers when they are needed to control a problem person
or group. To volunteer
call the Parks Department at 393-8400.
Pictured below are the SMRF volunteers who ran a lemonade stand for the
community celebration held for the purpose of announcing the new program and
accepting TRPA’s donation check for landscaping. Volunteers standing and mixing lemonade are Paul and Meredith Murray, with Tom Goynes
seated behind the cooler. Also pictured
are SMRF members Allen and Hattie Bates’ twins, Thomas and Sophie, playing in
the sandy beach across the river from the grand opening celebration for Rio Vista Falls in late May.
The Falls are a great success story, since the City started with a
crumbling old dam and ended up with a recreational plus for the community. Unfortunately, the City was alerted late in
the construction process that the boulders used in the project were pulled from
a creekbed near Johnson City. TCEQ was
called by landowners near that creek.
The report by TCEQ inspectors has not yet been released, but apparently
the contractor and property owner did not have all the permits necessary. In general, quarrying is quite unregulated in
Texas. It is
becoming increasingly obvious, in this case and many others across the central
Texas hill country that have made the news lately, that stricter statewide
quarry regulations are needed, especially along waterways.
Photo of Lemonade Stand
at Rio Vista celebration
Photo of children at Rio
Vista Grand Opening
RIVER FLOWS
LOW---CONSERVE WATER
The river had a brief reprieve with the rains
of July 4th, which raised the aquifer level slightly and gave the
river flow a little boost. But a week
later, the numbers are dropping again, and the river flow is about 108 cfs, with the J-17 index well in the Edwards Aquifer
reading about 655 feet. Most of the heavy
rain on July 4 was east of the recharge zone.
At this rate, stricter critical period water conservation may be
triggered aquifer-wide this week by the extremely low San Marcos springs/river flow, rather than the J-17 index well
level.
There is increasing talk about whether the local water use around San Marcos, and local rainfall, are the most important
determination of San
Marcos spring
flows. Those who want to use more water
from the aquifer in San
Antonio are of
course the most interested in changing the boundaries and rules, so it would be
best to have good technical information before any decision is made. San Marcos has already switched to surface water for most of
its water use. It is also extremely
important for local well users to realize that they are governed by city
watering rules, or EAA rules, and can be fined heavily for wasting water or for
watering with sprinklers during the day. Very few violate the rules these
days.
Keep up the water conservation efforts, and consider the rebates the
City gives on irrigation sensors, toilets, and washers, plus the water audits
they do to save you water, and thus money, at your home or business. Call 393-8010, the City Water Conservation Officer Jan Klein for info. Consider
all the beautiful native plants and mulches available now, which allow
landscapes to use less water and fertilizer.
They are great for replacing grass lawns to save mowing time and work as
well, which is also better for our air quality since mowers and trimmers are worse than cars about
spewing pollution.
HUGE CRYPTO REMOVAL
PROJECT DONE
The removal of the invasive Sri Lankan water trumpet, or Cryptocorynae, is completed but restoration goes on. A $380,000 grant from the Preventing
Extinction Fund of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service was awarded to the local refugium staff on McCarty Lane who directed the project in the river below
Thompson’s Islands at Stokes Park. Part of the
funds went to contractor Dredge America, which had scuba divers working for months this
spring with giant suction hoses, pulling plants and root material out of the
river bottom. The hoses directed the
material and gravel to huge bags of black filtering cloth, to compost in the
sun, on the grounds of the city’s property next to the wastewater plant. (See bags below.)
Part of the funds went for the enormous investment of time from USFWS
staff to supervise, and watch out for the river and its inhabitants. These staff members are now supervising a
continuing effort by scuba divers going back to find and pluck individual
plants that may have been missed. Most
worrisome, they have found plants that grew unexpectedly outside of the
boundaries of the project, more downstream in the deeper waters of the lake formed
by Cummings Dam.
Baylor University is working on the restoration planting, which will be in full swing
once the inspection of the areas for stray plants is completed. Turbidity from the Rio Vista dam remodel
project stopped work by Dredge America for several days near the end of the crypto removal
project. Crypto has the potential, with
its rampant growth, to choke out the endangered wild rice in the river, and it
was actually starting to cause islands to form, since crypto mats catch
sediment and then grow upward through the sediment. Some “islands” of crypto reached 4 ft. in
height and the growth was so rapid that it had the potential of altering the
river’s shape and flow.
Thanks to USFWS staff for their excellent work and to SMRF volunteers
who worked on the very successful pilot project to try out the suction method,
several years back. Paula Powers
directed the pilot project and applied for the grant, and Carrie Thompson
worked to get all the permits required, but these two USFWS staff members moved
to California and so Mara Alexander supervised it. (Pictured
below with the disposal bags).
Photo of Crypto Bags
SMRFERS MAY WANT TO PARTICIPATE
Look
at www.smgreenbelt.org to get details on the local Naturescapes photo contest (deadline July 31).
And
help this grad student for 10 minutes with a study of how the public learns or
hears about water issues. Go to this
website to begin the survey online: http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.asp?u=539442196389SPECI
SPECIAL DONATIONS DESERVE THANKS
Fund for Wild Nature gave a generous $2,000 grant to SMRF’s
water right project in June. They are
based in Portland, Oregon. Their website,
to learn more about their interesting work, is www.fundwildnature.org
.
Just to follow up, SMRF was able to match the George Mitchell $10,000 grant last fall by the end of the year,
with many donations from members, the Taco Cabana benefit night, the Purgatory
Creek Chili Pod and Grande donations and a $7,500 grant from Rachael and Ben
Vaughan Foundation. Since then, silent
auction proceeds and other donations and grants have been gathered and listed
to apply for a match again. Matching is
a way that individual donations can be doubled, and this base of financial
support from members is always very important to the granting
foundations.
The Harold and Debbie Perkins
family was generous to let Water Safari watchers into their vacation place at
Cottonseed Rapids, and gave the donation jar proceeds to SMRF again this
year. Thanks! That is such a great spot to watch the canoe
racers negotiate the rapids.
A 4-drawer file cabinet was donated to the SMRF office by Sherwood
Bishop, and now we need help installing and
adjusting the metal racks that hold hanging file folders, if anyone has that
particular talent to offer.
Thanks to Green Guy who
continues to run an aluminum can drive for SMRF, keeping
track of those who drop off cans and designate SMRF as the recipient of the
money. The fund grows every month. Ask us for a poster about the can drive for
your office, and help spread the word. Help SMRF recycle ink cartridges from computer printers or old cell phones. Bring them to SMRF events or the SMRF office,
or call for pickup.
Thanks to the mysterious Randall’s and Tom Thumb shoppers who have designated SMRF on their
Remarkable discount cards, for years now.
Tell others who may shop at those stores about this great way to donate
to SMRF painlessly and get good discounts at the same time. SMRF’s designated
number is 1808.
Photo of Hays County and San
Marcos
attendees at
Envision Central Texas Award Luncheon with 2 finalists
ENVISION CENTRAL TEXAS AWARDS
SMRF nominated several
excellent projects for the Envision Central Texas annual awards this year, and
two of them were announced as finalists after being judged by national experts
in the field of planning!
The Price Seniors Center was one of the finalists in the Pioneer
Category. SMRF’s
office rent is paid for by volunteer work at this historic remodeled former
church building, which is run by a nonprofit.
The Greater Edwards Aquifer Alliance (GEAA) was a finalist in the
Raising Public Awareness Category, and went on to win the award at the
luncheon, winning among a group of outstanding finalists! SMRF is one of the 40 groups in GEAA working
together to educate the Edwards Aquifer region about protecting the aquifer and
its recharge zone.
In the awards luncheon
crowd of over 450 at the Hyatt on Town Lake in Austin were several San Marcos and Hays County residents who gathered to honor the two local
finalists. Left to right in the photo
above, are (back row) Hays County Judge Powers, Tom Wassenich of SMRF, San
Marcos City Councilmen Daniel Guerrero and Chris Jones, Todd Derkacz of San Marcos Greenbelt Alliance, City Councilman
John Thomaides, (front row) Dr. Gwen Smith of the
Price Center Board, Amy Kirwin of the local Council
of Neighborhoods, Annalisa Peace of GEAA, San Marcos
Mayor Susan Narvaiz, and Dianne Wassenich of SMRF.
Envision Central Texas is a regional effort covering five counties around Austin which has been assisting in the public development
and implementation of a regional vision addressing the growth of central Texas, with emphasis on land use, transportation and the
environment. They inserted
questionnaires in area newspapers and distributed them online to thousands of
residents of the five counties, then assembled the answers into a vision that
they are now working with the counties to implement. They hope the counties can preserve and
enhance the region’s quality of life, natural resources, and economic
prosperity with this vision.
TIDBITS OF RIVER NEWS:
Wild rice
surveys were done in June by Jackie Poole of Texas Parks & Wildlife, and
her teams of volunteers. Many “tillers” or runners of the rice were taken to
the refugium on McCarty Lane
to plant, just in case the drought decimates the river’s wild rice this year.
Edwards Aquifer
Authority is discussing some difficult decisions at their meetings this
summer, with low flows at San Marcos
and Comal Springs causing some “pressure” on all the cities in the aquifer
region. Pumping rules and whether to
have protective recharge zone rules are the hot topics. Stay tuned for decisions.
Well owners in
Comal and Hays County
are urged to work with EAA on the studies this summer, to determine what
direction water is moving in the Edwards Aquifer.
River Ranger volunteers
were given another new test kit for their water quality testing by SMRF, to
make it easier for their many volunteers to have access to a kit. The Lions Club helps SMRF with these water
quality projects. The River Rangers test
the river all the way to Prairie Lea. For info call Rachel Sanborne
at 754-7532.
Price Seniors
Center was led by Dr. Gwen Smith in serving at the Cottage Kitchen
recently, and SMRF members Linda Keese and Dianne
Wassenich helped out. SMRF is provided
an office at the Price Center
in exchange for volunteer work like this, or gardening and other chores. Judy Telford is helping SMRF staff with the
gardening weekly, since she is a Master Naturalist. SMRF needs help to
construct a wood base for the tall old steeple which will be painted and set in
the garden to grow ivy over it. Come
have lunch at the Tea Room at the Price
Center, Mon. thru Wed. 11-2, and
see it.
Park planning
events are going on and SMRF is involved in them with many other city and
university staffers and citizens. A
city/university park charette was held recently that
was well attended and came up with many good ideas. Twice a month Aquarena Master Plan meetings
are going on at the Rivers Center.
The City’s bike/pedestrian master plan is being implemented with many grants,
and will see paths on the ground this year and next. And meanwhile the Greenbelt Alliance trail
builders keep building ¼ mile of trail each month, steadily, in San
Marcos greenspaces.
Old Photos of
Rio Vista Dam are being sought by a grad student, Misha,
to do a study of the dam. Email her or
call SMRF if you have photos older than 20 years that can be inspected. Miischist@gmail.com
EARTH SHARE OF TEXAS
SMRF
will be assisting Earth Share with their donor appreciation event at Bracken Bat Cave on July 22. Volunteers Florence and Tom Dodington,
and Sheila Torres-Blank and Steve Blank will help SMRF staff set up the food
and beverage tables and host the party.
Many
SMRF members have the opportunity to support the work of SMRF through payroll
contribution plans at work. SMRF is
represented by Earth Share of Texas, an umbrella group for Texas’ leading environmental and
conservation groups. Most workplace
giving campaigns are conducted from September through early November, so soon
it will be time to look for pledge cards in your workplace. Look for Earth Share of Texas in campaign
literature and on pledge cards at all state agencies, all state colleges and
universities (like Texas State), many school districts and municipal offices
(like San Marcos), and many private employers including American Airlines,
Hewlett Packard, Dell Inc., Green Mountain Energy, Vignette and many more.
For
more information, visit Earth Share of Texas at www.earthshare-texas.org
or call 1-800-GREENTX, or email estx@earthshare-texas.org
, or contact SMRF at 353-4628 in San Marcos.
TEXAS RIVERS CENTER IS OPEN
The
Texas Rivers Center has become quite a center
of activity at the historic Aquarena hotel.
SMRF will host the Earth Share of Texas annual retreat August 11 in the River Center conference room on the
ground floor. The offices of the Rivers Systems Institute, directed by Andy Sansom, and the Texas Parks & Wildlife River Studies
Program, plus the National Park Service and Texas
Watch are all housed
in the remodeled building. There is also
ground floor exhibit space about springs, rivers, and bays that is open to the
public, and a meeting room. The view of Spring Lake from the porch is
beautiful. More good things are in store
at the Rivers Center over the next few
years. It is sure to become quite an
asset to
the
community and a must-see spot for visitors or locals. See http://rivers.txstate.edu .
ENVIRONMENTAL FLOWS MEETING
JULY 19
The Governor-appointed interim committee to make
recommendations to the Legislature about managing environmental flows in Texas
rivers (which are really the flows needed by communities, agriculture, and
wildlife all the way to the coastal bays) will continue to meet during the
summer. For information on the
meetings look at the Texas Water
Development Board website, www.twdb.state.tx.us.