NewsDrop-Winter-2021

G E N E R A L M A N A G E R ’ S M E S S A G E

In 2021, our 25th anniversary year, we did this with even greater intention than usual. We reacquainted ourselves with our roots as an organization, not just in sentimental nostalgia, but in a more insightful inventory of the progress made over a quarter century in fulfilling our mission -- managing, enhancing, and protecting the Edwards Aquifer system. What I gleaned from this exercise is this: our work is not done. Far from being finished, you could say we’ve only just begun. A well-functioning groundwater permitting system has brought stability and reliability to those dependent on the Edwards as their water source, and consequently it has engendered a heightened water conservation ethic across our region. Regulatory programming around protecting Edwards groundwater from pollution has evolved into a more

An established habitat conservation plan is fully operational and is now integrated into our mission, assuring the Comal and San Marcos springs continue to flow to sustain federally protected species habitats. And, through persistent study and applied research, we have significantly grown the scientific body of knowledge about the Edwards. Now, we stand at the crossroads of change, at the cusp of something new and promising – the strategic vision “Edwards Aquifer: the Next Generation and Beyond.” We’ve assessed our past, we’ve taken stock of our values, and we’ve identified new ways to undergird and, where possible, energize our mission. We look to build upon our story through more inclusive, imaginative and innovative means, all with an eye toward creating something transcendent-yet-practical -- a legacy of sustainability through science and service. This work, which will take decades to accomplish, has already begun. We have already started identifying, developing and prioritizing the “tools” we think we will need in order to achieve two over-arching goals of the “Next Generation” vision: 1) a legacy of aquifer sustainability and 2) certainty around the aquifer through credibility in our programming and service.

So, over the next three to five years, we will continue to: identify potential partners to join us in the work; develop the scientific tools necessary to fuel and test new nature-based sustainability initiatives; take stock of our resources and organizational capacity; and explore innovative ways of expanding those resources such as through pilot projects and market-based approaches. In short, we will look to how we can better leverage the achievements of our first 25 years to broaden our impact -- through education, science, regulation service – in meaningful and practical ways for the greater good of our region. “Winter is a season for recovery and preparation,” so suggests acclaimed travel writer and novelist Paul Theroux. And so it is for us as we prepare, with much anticipation, for the work that lies ahead in 2022 and beyond.

Roland Ruiz EAA Genera l Manager

W INTER CAN BE A SEASON OF CHANGE AND, WITH IT, A TIME OF CONTEMPLATION . WE TRANSITION FROM ONE YEAR ON THE CALENDAR TO THE NEXT, AND WE THINK ABOUT WHERE WE’VE BEEN AND WHAT WE’VE DONE, ONLY TO REFOCUS OUR MINDS ON WHAT’S NEXT.

service-oriented, pragmatic approach to ensuring wells remain in good standing and

that regulated substances on the recharge zone are managed, stored and utilized with safeguards in place to prevent contaminants from entering the aquifer.

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