Legislative requirements in House Bill 1629 | LCRA-SAWS water agreement provisions |
| 1 | Protect and benefit basin interests
The project must “protect and benefit the lower Colorado River watershed and the district's water service area, including municipal, industrial, agricultural, recreational, and environmental interests.” | Sections 1.2, 1.3, 1.3A, 1.3C, 1.8A, 1.11C, 2.8, 2.9 |
| 2 | Consistent with state public planning process
The project must be “consistent with regional water plans filed with the Texas Water Development Board on or before Jan 5, 2001.” | Sections 1.8A, 1.11C |
| 3 | Ensure health of Matagorda Bay
The project must “ensure that the beneficial inflows remaining after any water diversions will be adequate to maintain the ecological health and productivity of the Matagorda Bay system.” | Sections 1.3, 1.3D, 1.8A, 1.11C |
| 4 | Maintain current river flow protections
The project must “provide for instream flows no less protective than those included in the district's (LCRA’s) Water Management Plan for the Lower Colorado River Basin, as approved by the Texas Natural Resource Conservation Commission.” | Sections 1.3, 1.3D, 1.8A, 1.11C |
| 5 | Require stringent water conservation by SAWS
The project must “ensure that, before any water is delivered under the Agreement, the municipality (SAWS) has prepared a drought contingency plan and has developed and implemented a water conservation plan that will result in the highest practicable levels of water conservation and efficiency achievable within the jurisdiction of the municipality.” | Section 2.24 |
| 6 | Provide broad review process
The project must “provide for a broad public and scientific review process designed to ensure that all information that can be practicably developed is considered in establishing beneficial inflow and instream flow provisions.” | Sections 1.3, 1.8A, 1.11C |
| 7 | Raise average levels of lakes Travis and Buchanan
The project must “benefit stored water levels in the district's (LCRA’s) existing reservoirs.” | Section 1.8A, 1.11C |
