City of San Antonio Edwards Aquifer Protection Program Southwest - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

City of San Antonio Edwards Aquifer Protection Program Southwest Texas Section TX Chapter of the American Planning Assoc. Summer Mini-Conference – August 29, 2014 1

Introduction • Objective of Edwards Aquifer Protection Program to protect City’s main water source • Edwards Aquifer supplies over 90% of San Antonio’s drinking water • Funded by 1/8-cent sales tax collection • To date, 123,865 acres have been protected over Recharge and Contributing Zones 2

About the Aquifer • Edwards is a Karst aquifer, meaning it is made up of porous, soluble rock that allows water to flow through it like a system of underground streams and channels • It naturally regenerates when water flows through specific zones via an elaborate network of fractures, fissures, and caves Source: Edwards Aquifer Authority 3

Generalized Edwards Aquifer Cross Section Drainage Zone Recharge Zone Artesian Zone Artesian Well Balcones Fault Zone 4 4 Source: Edwards Aquifer Authority

Program Funding • Proposition 3 • Approved by the voters in 2000 • 1/8-cent sales tax venue project • $45 million • Used toward fee purchases in Bexar County • Proposition 1 • Approved by voters in 2005 and 2010 • 1/8-cent sales tax venue project • $90 million per round • Used for purchase of fee land or conservation easement • Can be used outside of Bexar County 5

Program Funding • Proposition 1 sales tax initiative in 2005 and 2010 was partnered with City $45 Million Parks development and expansion venue project for Linear Creekways program $90 Million • Linear Creekways program overseen by COSA Parks & Recreation Dept. Parks Venue Edwards Aquifer Venue 6

Program Basics • Prop 1 is a watershed protection venue project • Two methods to protect land over the aquifer: – Fee purchase – Conservation easement purchase • Overseen by Conservation Advisory Board 7

Conservation Easements • Majority of property interests acquired for program are conservation easements • Conservation easements are: – Voluntary legal agreements between landowner and City that restrict future uses of land in perpetuity – Landowners retain ownership and certain rights, such as hunting or grazing cattle, but give up future development rights Landowner Rights = 8 Source: Wikinut.com

Conservation Advisory Board • COSA Parks & Recreation Board • COSA Parks & Recreation Director • Texas Parks and Wildlife Department • Edwards Aquifer Authority • San Antonio River Authority • San Antonio Water System • Economic Development Foundation • Medina County Board Member • Uvalde County Board Member 9

Program Accomplishments 2000 - Present Total Protected Acres 123,865 • Bexar County 7,721 • Medina County 35,518 • Uvalde County 80,626 Of the acres protected • Fee Simple Acquisitions 7,136 • Conservation Easements 117,729 10

Total land protected to date: 123,865 acres 11

Aquifer Flow Patterns: General Flow Is West to East 70% of our aquifer water originates in Uvalde and Medina counties 12 12

Land Identification & Acquisition • To assist the program with land identification and acquisition, two groups were established: – Scientific Evaluation Team (SET) – Land Acquisition Team (LAT) 13

Scientific Evaluation Team (SET) • SET is a science-based advisory group responsible for determining the weighting matrix for the GIS spatial model used to rank properties based on the following factors: • Permeability • Biology • Property Size • Location 14

Members of the SET • COSA Parks & Recreation Department • Edwards Aquifer Authority • U.S. Department of Agriculture • San Antonio River Authority • San Antonio Water System • Texas Parks & Wildlife Department • U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service • U.S. Geological Survey • Bosse & Associates 15

Land Acquisition Team (LAT) • In addition to COSA staff, LAT, composed of nonprofit conservation organizations, reports to CAB on availability of certain tracts based upon CAB & COSA directives • LAT members assist with negotiation of acquisitions and help coordinate due diligence necessary for each property • Current LAT Members • Green Spaces Alliance • The Nature Conservancy 16

Features We Look For Caves Sinkholes Fractures 17

Annual Monitoring • City has an inter-local agreement with EAA to monitor and inspect conservation easements acquired over the aquifer • All conservation easements are monitored and inspected annually by EAA & COSA 18

Thank you. Contact: • Grant Ellis, Special Projects Manager Grant.Ellis@sanantonio.gov, 210-207-2815 Program Website: www.sanantonio.gov/EdwardsAquifer 19