NewsDrop July 2023

GENERAL MANAGER’S MESSAGE

By : Roland Ruiz

AS WE LOOK TO THE FUTURE, MAINTAINING THIS BALANCED, SCIENCE BASED APPROACH BECOMES EVEN MORE IMPORTANT...

During times of drought, as we’ve had over the past couple of years, we tend to focus on quantity rather than quality of water in the Edwards Aquifer. And we are justified in doing so because our agency was created to manage the aquifer such that enough water remains in the system to sustain uninterrupted flows emanating from the two major springs – Comal and San Marcos. However, we mustn’t lose sight of the importance of the quality of water in the system and pulsing out of the aquifer through the springs. Having enough water means little if the quality of that water available is compromised beyond its usefulness. So, we strive to achieve both quantity and quality in our effort to manage, enhance and protect the Edwards Aquifer system. They are both necessary to complete the equation of a sustainable aquifer over the long term, and they each must be quantified through sound scientific analysis.

As we look to the future, maintaining this balanced, science-based approach becomes even more important as we anticipate the effects of potentially more extreme weather patterns (drought and flood) due to a changing climate and the unintended consequences of growing population spreading into the aquifer’s vast watershed areas (contributing and recharge zones). This approach is at the core of our “Next Generation, and Beyond” vision. It is premised on the idea that we can leverage the success of our established regulatory programs to establish new, non-regulatory approaches aimed at building partnerships around imaginative thinking about how we manage, enhance and protect the aquifer in more inclusive and innovative ways that hold value for everyone.

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