Res 1995-023 - Laserfiche WebLink

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158 RESOLUTION 1995-~R A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF SAN MARCOS, TEXAS, EXPRESSING THE CITY'S POSITION ON STATE LEGISLATION PERTAINING TO THE EDWARDS AQUIFER; AND DECLARING AN EFFECTIVE DATE. RECITALS: 1. The Edwards Aquifer is a unique natural resource in Texas, because it provides water for approximately 1.3 million persons, it is interconnected with the surface basins of the Nueces, San Antonio, and Guadalupe Rivers, it has high recharge capacity, rapid internal water movement, high well discharge rates, and large spring discharges, it functions as a single water-bearing unit with recharge and pumping affecting water levels across the entire region, and it supports rare endemic animals and plants at the two largest natural springs remaining in Texas, the San Marcos and Comal Springs. 2. The City of San Marcos has long held as a goal the development of a regional management plan for the Edwards Aquifer in order to equitably meet the needs of aquifer users while preserving the natural flow of the springs and river which share their name with the City. . 3. The City Council expressed support for the following management concepts for State legislation involving the Edwards Aquifer in Resolution 1993-33R: (a) The Edwards Aquifer must be managed as a unique natural resource, separated from existing state-wide groundwater law. : (b) The critical need of agricultural interests and communities downstream from San Marcos and Comal Springs regarding the Edwards Aquifer is maintenance of natural springfJow at these two springs, especially in drought conditions, when the springs provide 70-80% of flow in the Guadalupe River. (c) Until water conservation and reuse measures, alternative water supplies, recharge enhancement measures and other realistic means of reducing the overdrafting of the Edwards Aquifer are implemented, the establishment of restrictions on withdrawal of water from the Aquifer is the only realistic means of maintaining natural springflow at the San Marcos and Comal Springs. (d) The establishment of county-based water conservation districts over the Edwards Aquifer region without withdrawal restrictions established and enforced on a region-wide basis will not meet downstream needs along the San Marcos and Guadalupe Rivers. (e) A regional management agency for the Edwards Aquifer should be established, to include a balance of representation on the ~ governing body between agricultural irrigators, municipal and industrial users, and the spring. communities and downstream interests along the San Marcos and Guadalupe Rivers. (f) The establishment of a regional management agency for the Edwards Aquifer would facilitate the issuance of an "incidental take permit" by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service regarding pumpage from the Aquifer, allowing greater flexibility in managing the Aquifer and insulating federal activities and individual pumpers from liability under the Endangered Species Act when Comal springfJows are low.