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Edwards Aquifer News for 2023

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August 2023

Two species of blind catfish proposed for listing as endangered

On August 21, the U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service released a news release announcing that two rare cavefish are proposed for listing as endangered under the Endangered Species Act.

Both are species of blind catfish, the toothless blindcat and the widemouth blindcat, that occur in the San Antonio segment of the Edwards Aquifer in Bexar county. The Service noted that groundwater well uptake is the primary threat increasing risk of extinction.

The blindcats were first discovered in the early 1900s from fish ejected from groundwater wells. They are among the smallest catfishes in Texas, measuring no more than a couple of inches. Like other cave-adapted animals, they lack pigment and developed eyes. These fishes inhabit a very deep and little studied region of the aquifer that is inaccessible to humans.

Given the great depth of their habitat, neither species survives ejection from groundwater wells tapping deep portions of the Edwards Aquifer. The widemouth blindcat was last collected from a well in 1984, while the toothless blindcat has been collected in small numbers from a single well as recently as 2022.

"The toothless and widemouth blindcats are among the rarest fish species in the world and are found at the greatest subterranean depths known for cavefish, at over 1,000 feet below the City of San Antonio in the Edwards Aquifer" said Michael Warriner, Supervisory Fish and Wildlife Biologist for the Austin Ecological Services Field Office. "While the great depth of their habitat protects them from many human-caused threats, thousands of these fishes were likely lost over the last one hundred or more years as groundwater pumping activity increased across Bexar County."

See the complete news release here.

July 2023

San Antonio records hottest 10-day stretch

In July 2023, San Antonio recorded its hottest-ever 10-day stretch, with an average high temperature of 103.7 degrees. The previous record was 103.4 degrees in August 1962.

Atmospheric high pressure that settled in over the area caused sinking air, which compresses near the ground, causing it to warm up.

Long range models predicted continued record-setting to near-record heat through the end of July.

June 2023

Another 400 acres added to protected lands

On June 1, the San Antonio City Council approved the addition of 400 more acres to protected lands under the City's Edwards Aquifer Protection Program.

Council approved the purchase of a conservation easement for the Morrow Ranch just south of Concan. The $854,000 purchase uses most of the final dollars from the 1/8 cent sales tax that had been approved four times by voters since 2000.

Philip Covington, manager of the Edwards Aquifer Protection Program, said the newly protected parcel is in a "very high development pressure area. There's lots of interest in creating resorts and recreational facilities for tubing and camping, so this is an opportunity to protect a very sensitive area of the Recharge Zone that ultimately benefits the city of San Antonio's water quality and quantity through recharge."

May 2023

Votteler publishes new article on Edwards Aquifer disputes and their resolution

On May 11, prolific Edwards Aquifer author Todd Votteler published a new article entitled Hands Across the Water: How the 57-Year Dispute Began, Persisted, and Was Resolved.

Mr. Votteler lived all this first hand - he served as special master for the U.S. District Court in Midland in the Sierra Club v. San Antonio case, the famous lawsuit that resulted in the management of the Edwards Aquifer that is in place today. He also worked for the court monitor during Sierra Club v. Babbitt and has in-depth first hand knowledge of the many complicated legal, hydrologic, economic, and cultural issues surrounding the Edwards Aquifer.

His latest article traces the history of the long-running dispute over the Edwards from inception to resolution, with many insights that only Votteler can offer.

His previous articles have examined almost all aspects of water in Texas, including boondoggle water development schemes, drought, floods, and Texas water policy. I am pleased to be able to offer a selection of his publications for reading and downloading in The Todd Votteler Archives.

TCEQ signals it will not block Guajalote Ranch permit

At a May 9 public hearing on a wastewater discharge permit for Guajalote Ranch, an overflow crowd of more than 300 people mostly expressed opposition. It was sometimes contentious, with many wearing T-shirts and holding signs and expressing concerns about what the treatment plant could mean for local water quality.

TCEQ said that based on their analysis, the water from the Guajalote Ranch plant would be clean enough to swim in and would not pose any risk to wildlife or the community. Residents said they were also concerned about potential failures at the treatment plant. TCEQ staffers said they would go over the information and comments presented at the hearing and send out a response to comments. The final decision on the permit will be made by the TCEQ commissioners and executive director.

April 2023

Neighbors organize against Guajalote Ranch permit

In April, residents of the Helotes and Scenic Loop Road areas ramped up their opposition to a wastewater discharge permit that would allow treated water from a large new development to flow into Helotes Creek. TCEQ scheduled a public hearing on the permit for May 9. Residents are concerned about potential impacts of nitrogen and phosphorous in the treated water on Helotes Creek and the Edwards Aquifer.

Although most conventional water recycling plants do not treat water to a very low level of nutrients, the plant at Guajalote Ranch would do so, using an advanced Biological Nutrient Removal (BNR) process. In many locations where streams flow intermittently, a continual release of highly treated water is seen as a benefit for the receiving stream and aquatic ecosystems.

March 2023

Two newly protected parcels may be some of last preserved with sales tax

Two parcels of land that are now protected by conservation easements under the Edwards Aquifer Protection Program may be some of the last plots protected using funds from a one-eighth cent sales tax that funded the program since voters first approved it in 2000. It was reauthorized by voters three times after that, but the sales tax is now earmarked for other city priorities.

The tax provided about $15-20 million per year in funding for protection of sensitive tracts of land, either by outright purchase or through conservation easements. For now, the city has signalled it will continue to fund the program at a reduced $10 million per year.

The latest conservation easements were for the 2,268 acre Moos Ranch in Uvalde County and the 74 acre Littleton Ranch in Medina County. Costs were $3,143,208 and $294,575, respectively. Under the conservation easements, landowners voluntarily restrict certain uses of the property to protect the quantity and quality of water entering the Edwards Aquifer.

These tracts bring the total protected to 177,635 acres. In March of 2023, there was $1.4 million in sales tax funding left.

February 2023

Aquifer conservation making progress on Comal, San Marcos Rivers

In February of 2021 the Community Impact Newspaper reported the Edwards Aquifer Habitat Conservation Plan (EAHCP) has made significant progress in preservation of the spring ecosystems in New Braunfels and San Marcos. The EAHCP is a federally mandated plan for conservation of endangered species associated with the Edwards, and it brought together stakeholders from across the region to outline habitat improvement and preservation measures.

Efforts have included removal of invasive plants and animals like Hygrophila and nutria, litter removal, and water quality protection. Thousands of native aquatic plants have been reintroduced into Landa Lake and the Comal River.

Christopher Riggins, a research biologist and head of the Meadows Center Habitat Field Crew at Texas State University, said "We have already hit our goal for Texas Wild Rice expansion and pretty much targeted every section of river. We're also about to reach our next goal, which is the reduction of invasive species where it's basically all bulk removal. Major patches and sections in the river have all been removed. So we're just learning hot to maintain that effort."

Kristy Kollaus, a biologist and environmental scientist with the Edwards Aquifer Authority, noted the Habitat Conservation Plan has a goal of helping to provide optimal spring flow through conservation and irrigation abatement methods, in order to provide habitat for the survival of endangered species, as well as ensure the river systems remain adequate for recreation.

January 2023

Hot sulfur baths back at Hot Wells

In the early 20th century, the Hot Wells Hotel and Spa was a world famous destination for "taking the waters" of hot Edwards wells thought to be health-inducing. In January 2023, visitors can once again experience a dip in 102-degree sulfurous water at Camp Hot Wells.

Owner James Lifshutz, who has been instrumental in preserving the Hot Wells legacy through the Hot Wells Conservancy, drilled a new well 1,800 feet deep to tap into the same source that once supplied the 19th century resort. Camp Hot Wells is adjacent to the remains of the resort, which have been stabilized and turned into a county park. Guests can soak their feet in a pair of shallow pools, swing in hammocks, and order wine and light snacks.

For a deeper hot water experience, Camp Hot Wells members can book time in one of two private bathing areas or reserve both rooms and a landscaped garden for private events.

Some of the furniture in the bathing rooms was crafted from timbers that once were part of the Resort, and a water feature in the garden is made of reclaimed stray bricks and tiles found on the grounds.