In recognition of the importance that the ecological soundness of our riverine, bay, and estuary systems and riparian lands has on the economy, health, and well-being of our state, the 80th Texas Legislature created the Environmental Flows Advisory Group ( Texas Water Code, Section 11.0236 ).

Membership

This Advisory Group is composed of the following nine members:

• Senator Kip Averitt, Co-presiding Officer
• Representative Mike Hamilton, Co-presiding Officer
• Senator Kenneth Brimer
• Senator Glenn Hegar, Jr.
• Representative Jodie Laubenberg
• Representative Dan Gattis
• Commissioner Bryan Shaw, Texas Commission on Environmental Quality
• Mr. Joe M. Crutcher, Texas Water Development Board
• Commissioner Karen Hixon, Texas Parks and Wildlife Commission

Purpose

The Environmental Flows Advisory Group will conduct public hearings and study public policy implications for balancing the demands on the water resources of the state resulting from a growing population and the requirements of the riverine, bay, and estuary systems. In the course of their study, this Advisory Group will look at items including granting permits for instream flows dedicated to environmental needs or bay and estuary inflows, use of the Texas Water Trust, and any other issues that the advisory group determines have importance and relevance to the protection of environmental flows.

Related Groups

To assist the Environmental Flows Advisory Group with their work, the Group will appoint the Texas Environmental Flows Science Advisory Committee and Basin and Bay Area Stakeholders Committees.

Texas Environmental Flows Science Advisory Committee

The Science Advisory Committee (SAC) will serve as an objective scientific body to advise and make recommendations to the advisory group on issues relating to the science of environmental flow protection and develop recommendations to help provide overall direction, coordination, and consistency relating to:

• environmental flow methodologies for bay and estuary studies and instream flow studies;
• environmental flow programs at the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, and the Texas Water Development Board; and
• the work of the basin and bay expert science team described in Texas Water Code §11.02362 .

The SAC met on Wednesday, August 13, 2008. Meeting minutes will be posted soon.

The next meeting of the Science Advisory Committee will be held Wednesday, September 3, 2008, at 9:30 AM.  The meeting will be held at the TCEQ complex, Building F, Room 2210.   A map to the TCEQ offices can be found here.

Members of the Texas Environmental Flows Science Advisory Committee

• Robert Brandes, Ph.D., P.E.
• Franklin Heitmuller
• Robert Huston
• Paul Jensen, Ph.D, P.E.
• Mary Kelly
• Fred Manhart
• Paul Montagna, Ph.D
• George Ward, Ph.D
• James Wiersema, Ph.D

Basin and Bay Area Stakeholders Committees

The Texas Water Code requires the creation of several Basin and Bay Areas Stakeholders Committees for specific river basin and bay systems listed in the Texas Water Code §11.02362 . ( map: geographical extent of priority basins).

These Committees have specific tasks to perform to assist with the work of the Environmental Flows Advisory Group. One of the tasks the Committees are to perform is to establish a Basin and Bay Expert Science Team. Each Basin and Bay Expert Science Team will develop an environmental flow analyses and a recommended environmental flow regime for their specific river basin and bay system.

Members of the Trinity and San Jacinto Rivers and Galveston Bay Stakeholders Committee

• Terry Anderson
• John Bartos
• Lloyd Behm
• James K. Brite, Jr.
• Glenda L. Callaway
• Jason Fluharty
• Lori Gernhardt
• William Goldston
• Jace Houston
• Kathy Turner Jones
• James W. "Jim" Kachtick, P.E.
• Ken Kramer
• Thomas A. "Tom" Michel
• Ramon F. Miguez, P.E.
• James E. Murray III
• Paul Nelson
• James M. "Jim" Oliver
• James M. "Jim" Parks
• Edward Seidensticker
• Adam Sinclair
• Jeff Taylor
• Danny Vance
• George A. "Pudge" Willcox
• Tracy Woody

The Trinity and San Jacinto Rivers and Galveston Bay Stakeholder Committee will meet on Wednesday, August 27, 2008, at 1:30 PM. The meeting will be held at the San Jacinto River Authority offices in Conroe, Texas. A link to the draft agenda is below.

Trinity and San Jacinto Rivers and Galveston Bay Stakeholder Committee, Draft Agenda .

Members of the Sabine and Neches Rivers and Sabine Lake Bay Basin and Bay Area Stakeholders Committee

• David Alford
• Joe Arnold
• Christopher Bean
• Keith Bonds
• W. Greg Carter, P.E.
• Jerry Clark
• Katherine Davis
• Kenneth Dickson
• Bruce Drury
• Walter Glenn
• Kelley Holcomb
• Kathleen Jackson
• Chester Moore
• Rodney Newman
• Jerry Nichols
• Fr. Sinclair Oubre, J.C.L.
• Jody Puckett
• David Roemer
• Monty Shank
• C.R. "Dick" Sherron, M.D.
• Robert Neal "Bob" Staton, Jr.
• Robert Stroder
• Jeanie Turk

The Sabine and Neches Rivers and Sabine Lake Bay Basin and Bay Area Stakeholder Committee will meet on Thursday, August 21, 2008, at 1:30 PM. The meeting will be held at the Sabine River Authority offices in Orange, Texas. A link to the draft agenda is below.

The Sabine and Neches Rivers and Sabine Lake Bay Basin and Bay Area Stakeholder Committee, Draft Agenda .

Nominations for the Basin and Bay Area Stakeholders Committee

Nominations are being accepted for these two committees:

• Basin and Bay Area Stakeholders Committees:
  • addressing the river basin and bay system consisting of the Colorado and Lavaca Rivers and Matagorda Bay
  • addressing the river basin and bay system consisting of the Guadalupe, San Antonio, Mission and Aransas Rivers and Mission, Copano, Aransas and San Antonio Bays

Nominations will be accepted later for the other Basin and Bay Area Stakeholders Committees.

To volunteer to serve or to nominate one or more persons, please submit the following:

For the Colorado and Lavaca Rivers and Matagorda Bay, nomination form.

For the Guadalupe, San Antonio, Mission and Aransas Rivers and Mission, Copano, Aransas and San Antonio Bays, nomination form.

Please send to:

Environmental Flows Advisory Group
c/o Kathleen Ramirez  MC-154
Texas Commission on Environmental Quality
P.O. Box 13087
Austin, Texas  78711-3087

On the nomination form :

• State whether you are volunteering yourself or nominating someone else.
• Include each nominee’s name and address, phone number(s), and, if available, a fax number and e-mail address.
• Include each nominee’s basin of residence.
• Indicate whether the individual is willing to serve.
• Indicate which interest group listed in Texas Water Code §11.02362(f)  the person would represent.
• Include a very brief statement of each nominee's background and qualifications.

You may also e-mail nominations to watsup@tceq.state.tx.us. Be sure to put “Nominations” in the subject line of your e-mail.

For answers to any other questions about the nominations process or this advisory group, call Kathleen Ramirez at 512-239-6757 or through the main Water Supply Division line, 512-239-4691.