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111 RESOLUTION 1992- 48 R A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF SAN MARCOS, TEXAS, SUPPORTING ACTIONS TAKEN BY THE TEXAS WATER COMMISSION PERTAINING THE EDWARDS AQUIFER; AND DECLARING AN EFFECTIVE DATE. WHEREAS, the threat to the continued existence of the San Marcos Springs and San Marcos River posed by ever-increasing demands for water across the entire area of the Edwards Aquifer- Balcones Fault zone, which serves as the source of water for the springs and river, is among the most critical issues facing the City of San Marcos today; and, WHEREAS, through many years of regional negotiation, failed attempts to adopt legislation, and fruitless mediation, the City of San Marcos has consistently supported several fundamentals concepts regarding management of the Edwards Aquifer: 1. The Edwards Aquifer is an inter-related water system which includes the upstream watersheds that serve as its primary source, the recharge zone, the reservoir and artesian zone, the springs, the downstream rivers and the coastal bays and estuaries; 2. The San Marcos and Comal Springs are unique and essential natural resources to the State of Texas as the last remaining first-order springs in the state, as the aquatic habitat for several endangered species of plants and animals that are endemic to the springs and the spring-fed river habitats, and as a source of downstream water essential to the economic and environmental well- being of downstream counties and the coastal bays and estuaries; 3. Failure to manage the Edwards Aquifer will result in the cessation of natural springflow at the San Marcos and Comal Springs; and 4. The Edwards Aquifer must be managed as a regional resource where the interdependency of the region is taken into account; and, WHEREAS, the Texas Water Commission (the "Commission") has a vi tal role to play in establishing regulation of the Edwards Aquifer given the inability of the region to reach agreement over the past four decades, and given the mission of the Commission to protect the state's water resources; and, WHEREAS, the City of San Marcos has taken numerous pro-active steps to reduce our own reliance on the aquifer and protect water quality: 1. Voter commitment to building a surface water treatment plant in San Marcos by 1995 to integrate surface water into San Marcos' municipal water supply; 2. Purchase of water rights from Canyon Reservoir for our surface water supply; 3. Adoption of numerous ordinances protecting water quality by restricting development over the recharge zone and along the San Marcos River, protecting caves and sinkholes, and establishing drainage and erosion controls; and