The document provides an update from the Texas Water Development Board including information on reservoir storage levels, which are currently at 83.7% of conservation capacity, applications received for the State Water Implementation Fund for Texas (SWIFT) totaling over $5.2 billion, and impacts from the 84th Legislative Session including bills related to brackish groundwater development, regional water planning, and an appeals process for desired future conditions.

1. Texas Water Development Board
Update
Bech Bruun – Chairman
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2. Drought Update
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October 4, 2011 June 9, 2015

3. Reservoir Conservation Storage Data
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Storage for June 11, 2015: 24.6 Million acre-ft (83.7%)
Conservation capacity: 31.5 Million acre-ft

4. Statewide Reservoir Conditions
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June 9, 2015

5. Lake Arrowhead – Wichita Falls
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January 22, 2014 - 27% Full May 1, 2015 - 20% Full

6. Lake Arrowhead – Recent Rains
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7. 7
Source: NPR StateImpact

8. SWIFT Applications
• Received 48 abridged apps for over $5.2B
• Invited 39 projects in for full application
– Totaling approx. $4B over 10 years
– Multi-year commitments
– Approx. $1B in projects for 2015 invited to apply
• July 23, 2015 – Target for board commitments
• Fall 2015 – Bond Sale
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9. SWIFT Timeline
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Fall
* TWDB bond sale and closing
* Borrowers close loans
Summer
* TWDB considers and approves applications
* TWDB authorizes bond sale
Spring
* TWDB prioritizes abridged applications
* Invitations to apply are extended
* Entities submit complete applications

10. 84th Legislative Session Budget Riders
• $1 million for Water Conservation Education Grants
for 2016
• $1 million for Demonstration Projects for Alternative
Water Supplies for 2016 (Groundwater Conservation
Districts)
• $1.125 million for both 2016 and 2017 for Quantifying
and Installing Water Conservation Strategies
• $2 million contingency rider for HB 30 or HB 1232 plus
2 FTEs (Groundwater Division)
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11. 84th Legislative Session Impacts
• HB 1224 (Lucio):
– Allows cross-collateralization of Drinking Water
SRF with Clean Water SRF to strengthen the credit
rating of the DWSRF.
– Demand for the DWSRF has increased in past
several years, with commitments increasing from
$6.7 million in 2010 to $230 million in 2014, due
in part to greater outreach efforts.
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12. 84th Legislative Session Impacts
• HB 949 (Lucio):
– HB 3605 last session directed that a portion of
TWDB financial assistance be used to mitigate a
utility’s system water loss if the water loss meets
or exceeds threshold established by board rule.
– HB 949 allows TWDB to provide flexibility in
addressing water loss if the applicant is already
addressing its water loss issues.
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13. 84th Legislative Session Impacts
• HB 30 (Larson):
– Encourages and facilitates development of brackish
groundwater
– Expedites TWDB BRACS program
– $1.7 million appropriated in fiscal year 2016 for
contract studies for designating priority zones in
Carrizo-Wilcox Aquifer between the Colorado and Rio
Grande Rivers, and Gulf Coast, Blaine, Rustler, or other
appropriate aquifers
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14. 84th Legislative Session Impacts
• HB 200 (Keffer):
– Establishes an appeal process to challenge
reasonableness of aquifer desired future conditions
– TWDB will provide technical analyses and expert
witness type function
– Requires revisions to TWDB Ch. 356 rules for
Appealing Adoption of Desired Future Conditions
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15. 84th Legislative Session Impacts
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16. Interregional Conflict Rulemaking
• Expand the definition to include the situation where a
recommended strategy is located in another region; and that
region has studied the impacts on its economic, agricultural and
natural resources.
• Require a RWPG to send a copy of their IPP to other regions that
contain a location or site of one of the recommended strategies.
• Clarify that a RWPG that objects to a strategy from another region
must notify the EA & provide info on the impacts on the
economic, agricultural or natural resources.
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17. Interregional Conflict Rulemaking
• Require the Board to decide if the issue rises to the level of
having a potential for a substantial adverse effect on the
region.
• Interregional conflicts are attempted to be resolved after IPPs are
submitted to the EA in time for the resolution of the conflict to
be incorporated into the revised & adopted regional water plans.
• Mechanism for handling the situation where an interregional
conflict is not resolved before the statutory deadline for
submittal of the final adopted regional water plans.
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18. @twdb_bech
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19. Texas Water Development Board
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Bech Bruun, Chairman
Bech.Bruun@twdb.texas.gov
512-463-7384
@twdb_bech