NewsDrop-Jan-Feb-2026

YEAR HALLMARK a

ISSUE 1 - JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2026

TABLE OF CONTENTS

W A T C H EAA BOARD MEETING ON FACEBOOK LIVE:

AQUIFER UPDATE

EDWARDS AQUIFER CONSERVANCY (EAC) SAFEGUARDING

EAA GENERAL MANAGER’S MESSAGE

EXTERNAL AND REGULATORY AFFAIRS MAKING METER READING EASY FOR PERMIT HOLDERS Automated Meter Reading takes reading meters off your plate DROUGHT AGAIN BRIDGES ONE YEAR TO THE NEXT IN THE EDWARDS REGION The prolonged absence of rain across South-Central Texas... PAGE 4

THE EDWARDS AQUIFER Meet the EAA Conservancy and welcome Sara Beesley, Executive Director of the EAC. PAGE 12

EAA EDUCATION OUTREACH CENTER A HALLMARK YEAR

FOR AQUIFER EDUCATION 2025 was a year of many new additions and great achievements. PAGE 14

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AQUIFER MANAGEMENT SERVICES PERMIT HOLDERS OF THE EAA REGION As development accelerates and the region’s population continues to grow, the need for continued investment in conserving lands becomes more urgent.

An aquifer conditions update is reported every month at the EAA board meeting to inform board members and the public about the status of the J-17 Index Well, J-27 Index Well, the Comal Springs

and the San Marcos Springs springflows.

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These index wells and springs are indicators of the health of the aquifer and critical to drought management.

EDWARDS AQUIFER HABITAT CONSERVATION PLAN GETTING TO THE BOTTOM OF THINGS Bathymetric LiDAR.

EAA OUTREACH WHERE WATER CONNECTS US How EAA builds a region of shared stewardship.

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The EAA board meeting takes place every second Tuesday of the month at 1 p.m. You can watch the meetings on Facebook Live or click the link below:

https://edwardsaquifer.legistar.com/Calendar.aspx

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GENERAL MANAGER’S MESSAGE

By: Roland Ruiz General Manager

DROUGHT AGAIN BRIDGES ONE YEAR IN THE EDWARDS REGION TO THE NEXT

ALSO GIVES US OPPORTUNITY TO PROVE THE VALUE OF OUR WORK. THE PROLONGED ABSENCE OF RAIN ACROSS SOUTH-CENTRAL TEXAS, WHILE CHALLENGING ON MANY DIFFERENT FRONTS TO MANY DIFFERENT PEOPLE,

such as LiDAR uses drones equipped with three-dimensional geospatial scanning capabilities to more accurately and easily map and track changes in aquatic surface and sub-surface habitats as conditions change in the aquifer’s spring ecosystems. Additionally, programmatic efforts to secure, protect and improve the natural recharge occurring on lands within the aquifer’s vast watershed (the contributing and recharge zones) will ultimately contribute to the region’s drought resilience by augmenting the aquifer’s long-term sustainability. To help in this regard, the EAA’s supporting non-profit organization, the Edwards Aquifer Conservancy is primed to further solidify

its place as a means to supplement funding of such conservation-oriented programs and other initiatives in support of the EAA mission.

So, we enter 2026 with optimism; not because rain is assured, but because we have proven tools in place to help tolerate and, to some degree, mitigate the burdens of the drought to the extent possible under our enabling statute, the EAA Act. Within the pages of this publication, you will find evidence of just some of these tools at work. Automated Meter Reading technology, for example, can make monitoring and reporting pumping amounts virtually seamless for permit holders enrolled in the program. Other technology

Finally, following a record-breaking attendance year in 2025, the EAA Education Outreach Center continues to help illustrate and articulate the value of Edwards Aquifer stewardship to stakeholders of all ages through engaging and innovative exhibits and interactive presentations. COLLECTIVELY, WHETHER IN DROUGHT OR NOT, THESE TOOLS HELP OUR ABILITY TO MANAGE, ENHANCE, AND PROTECT THE EDWARDS AQUIFER TO THE BENEFIT OF ITS MANY USERS.

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EXTERNAL AND REGULATORY AFFAIRS

By: Larry Jackson Executive Director of External and Regulatory Affairs

MAKING METER READING EASY FOR PERMIT HOLDERS

One major advancement is the deployment of Automated Meter Reading (AMR) technology, which streamlines the entire meter reading process. Traditionally, permit holders submit their meter readings to the EAA once a year—and during Critical Periods, most permit holders are required to report monthly. These reports are essential to effective aquifer management and monitoring. With AMR, manual readings are a thing of the past. The equipment reduces the need for multiple monthly visits by the user but also provides near real-time usage reports, empowering permit holders to better manage water consumption and conservation. Additionally, the data supports our science teams in modeling and managing the Edwards Aquifer more efficiently. AS PART OF THE EDWARDS AQUIFER AUTHORITY’S NEXT GENERATION INITIATIVE, WE CONTINUE TO EXPLORE & PROMOTE INNOVATIVE TOOLS DESIGNED TO MAKE LIFE EASIER FOR OUR PERMIT HOLDERS.

The AMR station is a self-contained unit featuring a transceiver (i.e. both a transmitter and receiver), batteries, and a solar panel, all housed in a secure cabinet mounted on a pole next to the meter. Installation and maintenance of the AMR equipment come at no cost to permit holders. Because readings are fully automated, accuracy is guaranteed. Our team only performs occasional inspections to ensure everything operates as expected. Meter reading data is transmitted through the EAA’s private cellular network via LTE Modems installed within the unit, where the data is securely stored in our database servers. Each station typically collects and transmits data every six hours, totaling four times per day. Ultimately, our permit holders can access their meter readings and usage information through the EAA Meter Matters app on their smart phone.

Because our municipal and industrial permit holders use many different meters, the EAA will conduct a site survey to determine if the current meter is compatible with our AMR technology. If it is not, the EAA will install a compatible meter at no cost to the permit holder. However, as with our current policy, subsequent replacement meters in the future may be at the permit holder’s expense. Contact us to find out more about taking advantage of this improved meter reading technology. To learn more about taking advantage of this improved meter reading technology, please contact our Meter Team at fieldtechs@edwardsaquifer.org .

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AQUIFER MANAGEMENT SERVICES

By: Rebecca Nunu Principal Geoscientist

EDWARDS AQUIFER PROTECTION THROUGH LAND CONSERVATION

As development accelerates and the region’s population continues to grow, the need for continued investment in conserving lands becomes more urgent. Acquiring conservation easements, prioritizing riparian corridors, and incentivizing land stewardship offer clear pathways forward to advance the EAA’s mission to manage, enhance, and protect the Edwards Aquifer. The EAA and EAC’s continued commitment to programs like the EAPP will be essential to preserving water quality, sustaining spring flows, and ensuring a resilient water supply for future generations.

The Edwards Aquifer is one of the nation’s most productive yet vulnerable groundwater systems. The Aquifer supplies drinking water for more than two-and-one-half million people across south-central Texas and sustains iconic springs, including Comal and San Marcos Springs. To safeguard this critical resource, in 2000 the City of San Antonio created the Edwards Aquifer Protection Program (EAPP), which was funded through a one eighth cent sales tax approved by voters. Over the past 25 years funds raised via the EAPP have been used to protect over 150,000 acres of land through fee simple acquisitions and conservation easements.

land to remain privately owned. Conservation easements on the recharge and contributing zones of the aquifer are a significant component of EAA’s fulfillment of its mission to manage, enhance, and protect the Edwards Aquifer. In addition to the EAPP and other land conservation initiatives, the EAA and the Edwards Aquifer Conservancy (EAC) hold more than 7,900 acres in easements. These lands include the Field Research Park, where EAA scientists are studying aquifer hydrology and land management techniques. The EAA’s Aquifer Science Research and Sustainability teams support the EAPP by conducting geological assessments to help identify the most protective properties for the program and by providing annual monitoring to ensure long-term integrity on nearly 185,000 conserved acres in the region.

While much of the EAPP’s efforts to conserve land have focused on the recharge zone, the contributing zone remains vastly underprotected. The contributing zone makes up roughly 80 percent of the Edwards Aquifer region, yet less than one percent of its more than two million acres is conserved. The contributing zone is arguably just as important to protect, as streams and rivers flowing from the contributing to the recharge zone provide an estimated 70 to 80 percent of the total recharge to the aquifer. Compared to other major watershed protection efforts, there is great potential for the Edwards Aquifer region with respect to long-term investment. Only six percent of the region is protected through easements, with thousands of acres of land yet to be conserved. The EAA and EAC are committed to continual support of the EAPP and other land conservation efforts.

A conservation easement is a voluntary legal agreement that permanently protects land by limiting certain types of development, while allowing the

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EDWARDS AQUIFER HABITAT CONSERVATION PLAN (EAHCP)

By: EAHCP

Riggins’ team, the Ecological Research Group at MCWE, has two primary roles. One is habitat restoration which includes removing invasive, non-native plants from Spring Lake and San Marcos River. They also dislodge vegetation or algal growth that could be impeding springflows from the five major springs and more than 100 minor spring openings. Additionally, they plant native aquatic vegetation in those water bodies to replace and enhance aquatic habitat for other native species, primarily the endangered fountain darter fish. Spring Lake is critical habitat for five of the EAHCP’s covered

species: fountain darter, Texas wild-rice plant, San Marcos salamander, Texas blind salamander, and a small population of the Comal Spring riffle beetle. Both the San Marcos River and Spring Lake are national tourist destinations due to the extremely clear and cool water that emanates from the San Marcos Springs. A critical part of the EAHCP programming is measuring the impacts of recreation on the San Marcos Springs ecosystem. The new bathymetric LiDAR images could also play into how the City of San Marcos and Texas State University teach people about water, the endangered species that thrive there and how

people enjoying the San Marcos River can actively help protect those natural resources.

The drone-mounted bathymetric LiDAR equipment was provided by Frontier Precision and operated by Austin Rains, Frontier’s regional sales manager in the Southern U.S. “What was so enticing about this project in Spring Lake is that the water here is so clear,” Rains explained. “ Spring water is perfect for this type of technology because a LiDAR sensor can see all the way to the lake bed with no difficulty. We’ve done projects in Louisiana and other places with

lo GETTING TO THE BOTTOM OF THINGS

Transect line of classified Spring Lake LiDAR points. This one tran sect line contains approximately thousands of data points, the white points represents trees or above-water features, blue represents the water surface, and yellow is the underwater bathymetric topography.

EAHCP team pilots new drone-based LiDAR technology. Austin Rains launches a drone with a YellowScan Navigator LiDAR sensor attached at Spring Lake in San Marcos.

Austin powers up the LiDAR drone for vegetation mapping.

EAHCP TEAM PILOTS NEW DRONE-BASED LiDAR TECHNOLOGY

very turbid water which will not yield the level of detail for the client that this location will. LiDAR data is initially collected as a “point cloud” of millions of data points reflected from the land surface, river bottom, trees and other vegetation and even structures that might be there. Those data points are then assembled into detailed three-dimensional maps. The EAHCP program and professionals, like Chris, who are responsible for these mapping programs, can then assess trends over time. We’ll be very interested to learn how the higher-detailed maps this technology affords helps with upcoming Spring Lake assessments.” To that end, Riggins noted that since this is the first time using bathymetric LiDAR in San Marcos, part of the learning process will focus on how they can use the technology. In the past, the team manually mapped the aquatic vegetation of Spring Lake with 2-dimensional polygon shapefiles. That type of process will not yield a 3-D type of map. The orders of magnitude of data this LiDAR will provide over

manual mapping will not only help save tremendous amounts of time in data gathering but provide a much more detailed assessment of aquatic habitat conditions. “There are some specific points of interest we will be looking for,” Riggins said. “For example, the considerable amount of new data and associated map details of the open substrate in the lake will help us assess the status of the San Marcos salamanders which live in and near the spring openings. Also, the 3-D map will give us a better gauge of the volume of plants we are tracking.” Traditional LiDAR is based on the machine’s laser sending out pulses from the air to the first hard object encountered on the ground. Those pulses reflect to the airborne receiver and vertical space data is captured. The type of bathymetric LiDAR Frontier employs is called “full wave LiDAR” or “green wave LiDAR.” There are two extremely strong lasers on board the drone which do not use pulses

but are always connected to the targets on land or in water. Traditional LiDAR can work through tree canopies and other vegetation, but it will only measure the tops of water bodies. Full wave LiDAR is designed to penetrate water until it hits a hard object at the bottom of the water body. “We’ve been doing vegetation mapping since 2010, but the level of data and the frequency of how often we collect that information has been increasing over time. The bathymetric LiDAR collection will be the most data we’ve ever collected in the shortest amount of time. In two hours of flying the drone, Austin was able to cover around 40 acres and gather much higher densities of data than we can using current methods. Also, we will now have a colorized, survey-grade representation of Spring Lake’s lake floor which we could not have produced with traditional mapping techniques. And that is a truly exciting type of development in our work to protect the unique ecosystem in San Marcos.” Riggins concluded.

BATHYMETRIC LiDAR . That’s not your typical kitchen table term, and there is good reason for that lack of familiarity. Bathymetric LiDAR is a type of technology that pushes boundaries in the topographical mapping world. With the Edwards Aquifer Habitat Conservation Plan (EAHCP) team always looking for innovative ways to evaluate and protect the Edwards Aquifer-fed ecosystems they’re responsible for, the team decided to find out just how deeply this type of LiDAR can enhance monitoring of aquatic habitat in the San Marcos River and Spring Lake.

According to the United States Geological Survey (USGS), LiDAR, commonly written as “lidar,” stands for Light Detection and Ranging. It is a technology used to collect high-resolution topographical 3-Dimensional (3-D) terrain maps of elevation and/or depth characteristics with an accuracy of about four inches. A LiDAR instrument principally consists of a laser-scanner, and a specialized GPS receiver. Airplanes and helicopters are the most commonly used platforms for acquiring LiDAR data over broad areas. However, drones are now being utilized as go-to aircraft for collecting LiDAR measurements. The two types of LiDAR are topographic and bathymetric. Topographic LiDAR typically uses an infrared lasers

to map the land, while bathymetric LiDAR uses water-penetrating green wavelength lasers to also measure seafloor and riverbed elevations. “This new type of LiDAR instrument should be able to give us a fresh look at our vegetation maps in Spring Lake and portions of the San Marcos River we’ve been restoring over the last several years,” said Christopher Riggins, a wildlife and fisheries biologist at the Meadows Center for Water and Environment in San Marcos (MCWE). “Routine sampling of Spring Lake includes species counts and surveys of specific sections of Spring Lake. With these bathymetric LiDAR 3-D data, we will have a more detailed look at the bottom of the lake and the amount of available aquatic habitat.”

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EDWARDS AQUIFER CONSERVANCY

IS TO EXCLUSIVELY SUPPORT THE WORK OF THE EDWARDS AQUIFER AUTHORITY (EAA) AND THEIR MISSION TO MANAGE, ENHANCE, AND PROTECT THE EDWARDS AQUIFER SYSTEM... WHICH PROVIDES WATER FOR DRINKING THE MISSION OF THE EDWARDS AQUIFER CONSERVANCY (EAC)

By: Sara Beesley Executive Director of the EAC

MEET THE EDWARDS AQUIFER CONSERVANCY DID YOU KNOW THE EDWARDS AQUIFER CONSERVANCY (EAC) OWNS THE FIELD RESEARCH PARK PROPERTY?

AND OTHER ESSENTIAL PURPOSES FOR OVER 2.5 MILLION SOUTH CENTRAL TEXANS

The EAC and EAA combined hold over 8,500 acres of conservation easements, protecting precious resources like the Crane Bat Cave, a karst preserve for endangered invertebrates located in northwest Bexar County and on the Edwards Aquifer Recharge Zone. Preserving habitats along the recharge zone helps the EAA further their mission to enhance and protect. The Edwards Aquifer Conservancy envisions a sustainable Edwards Aquifer system preserved by building partnerships for financial and in-kind support, which enhances aquifer research and education, protects key landscapes within the aquifer’s watershed, and accelerates existing and new conservation practices.

The Edwards Aquifer Authority recently welcomed Sara Beesley into the role of Executive Director of the EAC. In her role, she will act as the Executive Director of the Edwards Aquifer Conservancy, guiding the organization towards their mission to enhance, protect, and conserve the Edwards Aquifer System by supporting the Edwards Aquifer Authority. Sara was most recently the Director at the Mitchell Lake Audubon Center and brings more than a decade of conservation program and nonprofit management to the EAA and EAC.

In 2019, the city of San Antonio donated the $5.5 million piece of land located over the Edwards Aquifer Recharge Zone to help protect the aquifer and the Edwards Aquifer Authority (EAA) holds a lease for the property. But that’s not all – the Conservancy helps support the research that happens there, administers transportation grants for schools to visit the EAA Education Outreach Center, and provides groundwater conservation grant matching funds for installation of improved irrigation efficiency equipment.

SUPPORTING THE EDWARDS AQUIFER AUTHORITY

The Edwards Aquifer Conservancy is entering an exciting new phase, taking its support of the EAA’s mission to a new level. But they need help – 100% of your donation supports research, education, and conservation of the Edwards Aquifer system beyond what the Edwards Aquifer Authority can do alone.

HELP CONSERVE WATER FOR FUTURE GENERATIONS TODAY WITH A DONATION.

SUPPORTING THE EDWARDS AQUIFER AUTHORITY

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EAA EDUCATION OUTREACH CENTER

YEAR

By: EAA EOC Staff

HALLMARK a

for Aquifer Education

2025 WAS A YEAR OF MANY NEW ADDITIONS AND GREAT ACHIEVEMENTS AT THE EDUCATION OUTREACH CENTER! NEW FACES, NEW EXHIBITS AND A MILESTONE NUMBER OF VISITORS ARE JUST SOME OF THE HIGHLIGHTS OF THE YEAR!

While most of our visitors came for school field trips, there were additional groups and events hosted at the EOC. This year, we saw multiple senior centers, homeschool groups, and teacher trainings. In January, we welcomed Janeisha Grider, the Mayor of Kirby, along with a senior center group for an aquifer presentation and a tour of all the exhibits. In June, Elizabeth Gutierrez, EAA STEAM Outreach Educator II, facilitated Project WET training for Comal ISD teachers. Teachers were guided through activities ranging from elementary and secondary-level activities that focus on water use, conservation, water quality, water cycle, and

physical properties of water. In October, the EOC hosted visitors who attended the EAA’s Annual Luncheon Summit Event at Morgan’s Camp. Guests including researchers, aquifer scientists, community partners, and other environmental professionals were invited to tour both the EAA’s Education Outreach Center and Field Research Park. Master of Ceremonies, KENS5 Meteorologist, and EOC friend, Bill Taylor opened the event, focusing on the importance of the Edwards Aquifer. Speakers Paul Bertetti, Sarah Rountree Schlessinger, and Roland Ruiz participated in a lively audience Q&A.

Amazing Guests

The EOC achieved a remarkable milestone this year, reaching over 10,000 visitors! On Wednesday, November 19th, Scarborough Elementary School pushed us over the 10,000 mark with 155 students visiting on November 19th and 20th. With nearly 100 schools engaging in our educational program, we are honored to have hosted so many students throughout this year.

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EAA EDUCATION OUTREACH CENTER

By: EAA EOC Staff

UNTIL NEXT YEAR…

NEW INTERNS

NEW FACES

2025 began with an exciting addition of our newest STEAM Outreach Educator, Elizabeth Gutierrez! Elizabeth has over 14 years of experience as an environmental educator.

Wall Wraps

TopoBox

As the fall semester started in August, we were thrilled to welcome 9 new interns, our largest cohort since opening in 2022! Students from UT San Antonio and Alamo Colleges joined us to support the EAA mission in various ways. With diverse academic pursuits ranging from environmental science to digital marketing and design, interns contributed to school programs, social media content, visitor data analysis, and more. There is always something happening at the EOC, and this dynamic group helped keep everything running smoothly!

As we wrap up an incredible year at the Education Outreach Center, we are grateful for the students, educators, partners, and community members who helped make 2025 our most impactful year yet. Each new visitor, program, exhibit, and team member contributed to our goal of inspiring curiosity and fostering a deeper understanding of the Edwards Aquifer. We look forward to building on this momentum in 2026 by creating even more Aquifer Ambassadors, innovative learning experiences, and community connections. Here’s to another year of growth, discovery, and excitement at the EOC! Thank you so much for being part of our journey!

Throughout the year, she has spearheaded multiple projects at the EOC to enhance the center’s impact. Some of those included adding new STEAM activities in the EOC’s education program, facilitating Project WET and WILD educator trainings, and so much more. Born and raised in El Paso, Texas, Elizabeth is no stranger to drought and the need to conserve water. She later moved to San Marcos, Texas to pursue her Bachelor of Science in Geography--Resource and Environmental Studies at Texas State University. As she completes her first year at the Edwards Aquifer Authority, her positive impact on the center is evident and deeply appreciated.

EOC sign

Weather Station Screen Weather Station Sensor

NEW EXHIBITS

Composting Poster

Gardening Tips Poster

2025 was an exciting year full of new developments and additions to the EOC! In the spring, our weather station, Birds of Texas poster, and TopoBox were installed as the first additions to the year. The weather station sensor , located in the native plant garden, collects real-time climate data including temperature, humidity, wind speed, etc. Visitors can view this data on the display screen to the left of the entrance and learn how daily weather patterns affect the surrounding environment. The TopoBox uses augmented reality software that is both colorful and interactive. The projections at your fingertips display elevation changes inside the box, allowing students to shape and reshape landforms in real time. It‘s a fun and unique way to bring topography and watersheds to life.

This summer, our DIY Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math (STEAM) bins and sensory tubs made a big splash as the newest thing to do! Our DIY science bins come with materials and instructions for an aquifer-related activity that guests can enjoy during their visit. These activities range from sorting recyclables to crafting Texas blind salamander figures. Moving outside the EOC, our sensory tubs provide younger visitors with engaging and exploratory fun. On one side of our entrance, we have chemistry-themed tubs filled with water, accompanied by test tubes, beakers, flasks, floating targets, pouring spouts, and more. On the other side of our entrance, lentil-filled tubs allow young learners to explore through play as they “plant” with flowerpots, fake flowers, and child friendly gardening tools. These activities help guests enjoy their natural surroundings, while engaging in meaningful and tactile learning.

The fall season brought another wave of exciting updates with fresh signage around the center. We unveiled a new EOC sign off Evans Road, making it easier for our guests to locate us! With a prominent banner, we’ve increased our entrance visibility for the local community and guests coming from all over town. Soon after, two more wall wraps were installed on the walls outside the EOC. Near the compost and garden exhibits, you can find our composting poster on the West-facing wall near the compost bin and bird blind. On the opposite side of the building near the Native Demonstration Garden, our new gardening tips poster brightens the space.

If you’re interested in becoming part of the EOC Volunteer Team, visit our website at eaaeoc.org under the “Donate” tab to learn more. We would love to have you join us!

Join in!

Visit us and leave your review at:

Read our blog.

EOC Hours: The EOC is open Monday-Friday 8 AM - 5 PM. Admission is free.

Book your school field trip, group tour, or self-guided visit today at: eaaeoc.org

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EAA OUTREACH

WHERE WATER

CONNECTS US

By: Nikki Young EAA Senior Community Engagement Administrator

FOR NEARLY 3 DECADES , THE EDWARDS AQUIFER AUTHORITY (EAA)

HAS RECOGNIZED THAT PROTECTING THIS RESOURCE BEGINS WITH SCIENCE AND GROWS STRONGER THROUGH THE PARTNERSHIPS, SPONSORSHIPS, AND COMMUNITY CONNECTIONS THAT HELP CARRY THAT SCIENCE INTO DAILY LIFE.

Throughout the region, the EAA participates in a variety of activities that bring people together and strengthen community connection. This includes volunteer cleanups, conservation events, wellness activities, local and regional races, and the many informational community resource fairs where staff share aquifer knowledge with residents of all ages. The EAA also supports and

speaks at conferences across Texas, helping connect aquifer science, conservation strategies, and community needs with broader regional and statewide conversations. Board members and employees alike take part in these outreach opportunities, demonstrating the organization’s commitment to showing up as active partners across the communities it serves.

For the EAA, sponsorship means investing in programs, events, conferences, and educational opportunities that bring aquifer awareness to the public . Partnership reflects the ongoing relationships the agency builds with community organizations, nonprofit groups, schools, cities, businesses, and collaborators across Texas and beyond. Together, these two approaches allow the EAA to support and uplift the people and organizations contributing to the wellbeing and resilience of the communities that rely on the aquifer. STEWARDSHIP

OF SHARED HOW EAA BUILDS A REGION

which shape how the agency seeks meaningful opportunities to collaborate. That approach has broadened its work far beyond traditional water spaces. While conservation remains foundational, EAA now engages with arts and cultural programs, accessibility efforts, educational networks, and small and diverse businesses. These partnerships widen the circle of people who see themselves as part of aquifer protection. A major part of this outreach centers on education and STEAM-focused career exploration. When staff visit schools and community spaces for Career Days, speaking engagements, and hands-on demonstrations, students learn through water sampling, aquifer models, and conversations about Career Pathways in science, technology, engineering, art, and resource management. The EAA Speaker Bureau extends this reach through tailored presentations for classrooms, civic groups, and professional organizations. THE EAA’S NEXT-GENERATION MISSION IS GUIDED BY THREE CORE VALUES — IMAGINATION, INNOVATION, & INCLUSION

management. These collaborations support both nature-based strategies and technological innovation, reinforcing that aquifer protection is a shared responsibility across local, regional, and state levels. Cities throughout the aquifer region remain central partners as well, working alongside the EAA on conservation activities, watershed awareness efforts, public outreach opportunities, and neighborhood initiatives that empower residents to take an active role in protecting their water. After nearly thirty years, one truth continues to guide the EAA’s work: protecting the aquifer is something accomplished together. Through the events it sponsors, the conferences where it speaks, the organizations it partners with, the resource fairs it participates in, and the people it connects with across the region and

beyond, the EAA’s mission becomes a shared one. Every collaboration, whether large or small, strengthens the collective effort to understand, value, and protect the water that sustains us. Through this ongoing network of partnership and purpose, the EAA moves forward with the communities it serves, working side by side to safeguard the Edwards Aquifer for generations to come. Organizations interested in exploring partnership or sponsorship opportunities, or requesting EAA participation at an event, may submit inquiries to nyoung@edwardsaquifer.org. While not all requests can be accommodated, each will be thoughtfully reviewed for mission alignment and community impact.

These outreach experiences often lead students, educators, and community members to the Education Outreach Center and Field Research Park, where learning deepens. At the EOC, guests explore exhibits such as the Global Perspective Display, which situates the Edwards Aquifer within a worldwide context. At the Field Research Park, visitors see how nature-based solutions and innovative technologies support long-term monitoring, conservation work, and applied research. Hosting groups at these sites — whether from within the region, across Texas, or from international delegations — reinforces the reciprocal nature of partnership: the EAA meets the community where they are, and the community comes to the EAA to see aquifer science and stewardship in action.

Beyond education and outreach, EAA’s partnerships extend statewide through efforts that advance conservation education, scientific leadership, and resource

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Charge up your knowledge on all things Edwards Aquifer from the EAA. TUNE IN

The Recharge Zone Podcast is the official podcast for the Edwards Aquifer Authority (EAA), a groundwater district, which protects the portion of the Balcones Fault Zone Edwards Aquifer – a jurisdictional area that provides water to over 2.5 million South Central Texans and covers more than 8,000 square miles across 8 counties! Our podcast made its debut in April of 2020 and is going strong on its 7th season.

You can listen to this podcast everywhere podcasts are available. Catch the Aquifer In-Sight Series on our YouTube channel.

view here: https://www.youtube.com/@EdwardsAquiferAuthorityEAA

BOUT US A

The mission of the EAA is to Manage, Enhance, and Protect the Edwards Aquifer. The Edwards Aquifer Authority is a regional water management agency that regulates with integrity, transparency, respect, and commitment to sustainability of the aquifer. NewsDrop is a production of the EAA Communications and Development Department with helpful assistance from EAA Staff.

Visit our website to listen to the newest podcast episode: https://www.edwardsaquifer.org/news/

Edwards Aquifer Authority 900 E Quincy St • San Antonio, TX, 78215 www.edwardsaquifer.org