The future of the Edwards Aquifer

The Edwards Aquifer Website run by Gregg Eckhardrt does an amazing job of defining issues and unanswered questions facing the aquifer today. Some of these questions are technical, waiting to be answered by various scientists. Others are of legal, economic and institutional nature. Here are some of the highlights of these issues:

Technical

- The question of the "bad water line, which is actually a zone of the interface between the quickly-cycling fresh water and saline, heavier water that sits below and leeches out minerals from limestone, which makes not drinkable (1,000 ppm of total dissolved solids comparing to EPA suggested 500 ppm for drinking water). Some studies have suggested that this saline water line may move irreversibly if the aquifer  is overdrawn during a drought.

- Not all boundaries and separate pools of the aquifer have been defined. More studies are required to define those and identify the interactions (if any) between the pools.

- the geological and biological processes that turn muddy recharge water into clear, pristine springflows are not yet well studied. More knowledge on what the aquifer can handle and filter as far as contaminants and toxins would be important for regulating water quality in the future.

- what are the springflow requirements in order to support endangered species? These rates have changed since the Fish and Wildlife Service was first tasked with defining flow rates in 1990's. In times of drought these rates are important in order to define the amount allowed to be pumped from the aquifer by users.

Image courtesy of City of San Antonio website

Legal 

- Surface water is considered public property and managed by Texas Commission on Environmental Quality. Groundwater is treated as a separate, unique resource and in the case of the Edwards Aquifer is managed by the Edwards Aquifer Authority. But ultimately, both surface and groundwater are inseparable and interconnected, so the laws and regulations should reflect that fact. And so one of the major legal issues facing the aquifer is the conjunctive management of surface and groundwater.

- To what extent (if any) can development over the Recharge and Contributing Zones be regulated and which authority is responsible for the task? Is compensation required and which entity would pay that?

Texas Hill Country. Image courtesy of Save Our Springs Alliance

Economical 

- What is the value of water? Historically it has been one of the cheapest and least appreciated resources in our country, but with our growing populations and changing climate what will happen if the price of this resource goes up?

- The economica value of environmental services that the Edwards Aquifer provides are not well defined. What is the price that the public is willing to pay in order to protect the aquifer?


Institutional 

- Groundwater is a resource used by many users - urban, agricultural, recreational and etc. How can these groups be bought together and made to realize that they are using a single, common resource and therefore need to work together to manage and protect it?

- The boundaries of management institutions such as the Edwards Aquifer Authority do not overlap with political boundaries. Should those boundaries be one and the same and will the growing numbers of groundwater conservation districts complicate things even more?

- There is still a negative cultural attitudes about recycling. Efforts need to be made in order to change those views and implement water reuse strategies as part of an effort to conserve groundwater.

There are some great organizations in Texas that are working to address some of there issues:

AGUA, is a San Antonio-based non-profit organization that focuses on preserving the Edwards Aquifer. Since its establishment in 1993 this coalition was able to limit or divert many development projects off the Recharge Zone. Here is full list of their accomplishments thus far.

Water IQ is a Texas public awareness program on water conservation.

Water Environment Association of Texas (WEAT) is a coalition of professionals whose goal is designing and implementing wastewater technologies and water programs in order to protect and enhance the state's water resources.

The Greater Edwards Aquifer Alliance is a non-proft focused on education and protection of the Edwards Aquifer and surrounding Hill Country.

There are many other organizations at work in order to protect and enhance this unique Texan resource.  With growing populations, strong and influential interest groups, and changing climate the demand for high-quality groundwater is growing. But more and more people are joining the fight for the Edwards Aquifer and hopefully it will remain a steady source of drinking water, beautiful flowing springs and inspiration for many generations of Central Texans to come.