Bill Text: TX SB1631 | 2013-2014 | 83rd Legislature | Comm Sub
Bill Title: Relating to water management planning by the Lower Colorado River Authority.
Spectrum: Bipartisan Bill
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2013-04-15 - Committee report printed and distributed [SB1631 Detail]
Download: Texas-2013-SB1631-Comm_Sub.html
By: Fraser, Watson | S.B. No. 1631 | |
(In the Senate - Filed March 8, 2013; March 20, 2013, read | ||
first time and referred to Committee on Natural Resources; | ||
April 15, 2013, reported favorably by the following vote: Yeas 8, | ||
Nays 3; April 15, 2013, sent to printer.) |
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relating to water management planning by the Lower Colorado River | ||
Authority. | ||
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: | ||
SECTION 1. Chapter 8503, Special District Local Laws Code, | ||
is amended by adding Sections 8503.032 and 8503.033 to read as | ||
follows: | ||
Sec. 8503.032. WATER MANAGEMENT PLAN. (a) In this section | ||
and Section 8503.033: | ||
(1) "Firm water" means a supply of water for customers | ||
of the authority that must be supplied 100 percent of the time | ||
without shortage through a repeat of the drought of record. | ||
(2) "Interruptible water" means a supply of water for | ||
customers of the authority that does not have to be met 100 percent | ||
of the time and must be interrupted or curtailed as provided by | ||
Subsections (b) and (c). | ||
(b) The authority shall interrupt or curtail the supply of | ||
water under the authority's certificates of adjudication 14-5478 | ||
and 14-5482, as amended, pursuant to commitments that are | ||
specifically subject to interruption or curtailment, to the extent | ||
necessary to allow the authority to satisfy all demands for water | ||
under such permits pursuant to all firm, uninterruptible | ||
commitments. | ||
(c) Supply of interruptible water must be cut off entirely | ||
before the authority curtails supplies of firm water or requests | ||
that firm water customers institute voluntary drought contingency | ||
measures. | ||
(d) The authority's water management plan must: | ||
(1) ensure that firm water supplies are available to | ||
meet all existing and projected demands of firm water customers to | ||
the extent provided by: | ||
(A) the April 20, 1988, Final Judgment and Decree | ||
adjudicating water rights in the Lower Colorado River Basin ("1988 | ||
Final Judgment and Decree"); | ||
(B) any orders issued by the commission or | ||
predecessor agencies subsequent to the 1988 Final Judgment and | ||
Decree approving the authority's water management plan for the | ||
operation of Lakes Travis and Buchanan; | ||
(C) water rights adjudicated by the 1988 Final | ||
Judgment and Decree, and issued by the commission, as amended; and | ||
(D) the provisions of the Water Code, rules of | ||
the commission, or other law; and | ||
(2) cease all water releases of interruptible water | ||
when the combined storage of Lakes Travis and Buchanan is at or | ||
below 850,000 acre-feet. | ||
Sec. 8503.033. FIRM WATER PROTECTION. Section 8503.032 | ||
does not, and the legislature does not intend to, diminish, | ||
decrease, limit, impair, or modify, in any manner that is | ||
detrimental to firm water customers, the authority's commitments or | ||
contractual obligations to firm water customers or firm water | ||
customers' rights, entitlements, protections, prioritization, or | ||
status as either are set forth in: | ||
(1) the April 20, 1988, Final Judgment and Decree | ||
adjudicating water rights in the Lower Colorado River Basin ("1988 | ||
Final Judgment and Decree"); | ||
(2) any orders issued by the commission or predecessor | ||
agencies subsequent to the 1988 Final Judgment and Decree approving | ||
the authority's water management plan for operation of Lakes Travis | ||
and Buchanan; | ||
(3) any water management plan of the authority | ||
approved by the commission; | ||
(4) any permits or certificates of adjudication or | ||
amendments of these issued by the commission subsequent to the 1988 | ||
Final Judgment and Decree; | ||
(5) any existing water supply agreements or other | ||
agreements between the authority and firm water customers; | ||
(6) any rules, policies, or similar guidance documents | ||
of the authority; | ||
(7) any rules, policies, or similar guidance documents | ||
of the commission; | ||
(8) the Water Code, this code, or any other law; or | ||
(9) any other document. | ||
SECTION 2. The Lower Colorado River Authority shall adopt | ||
or amend its rules and its water management plan as required to | ||
implement Sections 8503.032 and 8503.033, Special District Local | ||
Laws Code, as added by this Act. | ||
SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2013. | ||
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