Edwards Aquifer Launches New Educational Program

BY: JC HERNANDEZ, NEWS REPORTER

@JayC_021

It is safe to say that the Edwards Aquifer is the most prominent water source in our area, serving close to 2 million south Texans daily. However, do many of you know how close our region was to losing management control of the aquifer? The issue dates back close to about 23 years ago, but became the basis of many of the innovative water conservation and management programs that have been implemented today, such as the Aquifer Storage & Recovery (ASR) Leasing Program.

In 1991, the Sierra Club, a grassroots environmental organization, brought a federal suit against the US Fish and Wildlife Service. They accused the USFWS to be in violation of the Endangered Species Act by not protecting the federally listed species in the Comal and San Marcos springs. The court ruled in favor of the Sierra Club in 1993. This ruling meant that the Texas Legislature needed to take immediate action to protect the endangered species or face federal intervention, meaning they would no longer have management control of the aquifer. They responded by creating the Edwards Aquifer Authority (EAA), which would be responsible for managing withdrawals from the aquifer while ensuring minimum continuous spring flow at the Comal and San Marcos springs.

Even though this was a very good solution, conflict of the overflow into the springs continued. In 2007 the Legislature had the EAA collaborate with four other state agencies to devise a plan to protect the federally listed species. According to the Edwards Aquifer website, “In early 2013, the Edwards Aquifer Habitat Conservation Plan (EAHCP) was officially approved by the USFWS and an implementation process began.” This plan helped initiate habitat conservation for the federally listed species and managing the spring flow. The plan also includes the ASR Leasing program, which basically maintains the pumping of groundwater from the Edwards Aquifer during times of excessive. The establishment of the EAA and EAHCP has helped bring assurance to the Edwards Aquifer users by allowing them to manage their own water resource without the anxiety of a possible lawsuit involving endangered species.

Not only has the Edwards Aquifer helped launch many conservation programs, but they also strive to educate the community and today’s youth about the importance of preserving our aquifer, “We believe that becoming a life-long water conservationist begins at a young age.” With that being said, the EAA has launched their new educational program, specifically designed for second and third graders. This interactive program is TEKS and STARR aligned, so students will benefit from the program by becoming more knowledgeable about conservation. The program will also introduce their mascot, the Texas Blind Salamander, also known as Karston. Karston will feature a special eBook and sing along aimed at Kindergarteners and first graders. Both the eBook and interactive program will be featured on the EAA website. The EAA continues to show their emphasis on education by supplying free classroom materials to students of all ages.

For more information about the Edwards aquifer visit their website at www. edwardsaquifer.org