NewsDrop Winter 2022

Edwards Aquifer Authority 900 E Quincy St | San Antonio, TX, 78215 210-222-2204 | edwardsaquifer.org

TABLE OF CONTENTS

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07

21

General Manager’s Message

Edwards Aquifer Authority Field Research Park Embarks on its Third Year

First Responders Program – Proactively Mapping Potential Contamination

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The EAA EOC Springs into the New Year 2000-Plus AquiSmartys

Different Journeys, Same Boat – NHCPC Brings People Together to Preserve Endangered Species and Community Growth

The Ripple Off Effect of the Contributing Zone

45 The Deputy General Manager Rides Into Retirement

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49

A Fairy Tale Ending

A Scientist’s Service to the Community

Cover: New Braunfels, TX, Main Plaza.

EAA General Manager, Roland Ruiz.

WE LIKE TO THINK THAT IN TIMES OF DROUGHT, SUCH AS WE’VE EXPERIENCED THIS YEAR, OUR WORK TO MANAGE, ENHANCE AND PROTECT THE EDWARDS AQUIFER SYSTEM IS MOST VALUED.

Friends and Neighbors, It has been a difficult year.

Patience is tested. Perseverance is pushed. Our objective of regulation through service was tested in 2022 like in no other time in recent memory. But just like with the 2011-2014 drought, our regulatory programs and conservation measures proved their worth, stemming the declines of aquifer levels to satisfy our statutory mandate, i.e. the reason the EAA was created. Edwards Aquifer is a unique and complex hydrological system, with diverse economic and social interests dependent on the aquifer for water supply. In keeping with that finding, the Edwards Aquifer is declared to be a distinctive natural resource in this state, a unique aquifer, and not an underground stream. To sustain these diverse interests and that natural resource, a special regional management district is required for the effective control of the resource to protect terrestrial and aquatic life, domestic and municipal water supplies, the operation of existing industries, and the economic development of the state. Use of water in the district for beneficial purposes requires that all reasonable measures be taken to be conservative in water use.” So in the winter of this season, let us take the time to reflect, reassess, and renew our resolve to stay the course. The best we can. Together. From the EAA Act, Article 1: “The legislature finds that the

As of this month, 2022 has been the 2 nd driest year in recorded history for the City of San Antonio. The scarcity of rain was further exacerbated by record high temperatures over a span of 18 days and the second greatest number of days over 100°F. As a result, the need for water was immense across all sectors of our region – especially among the agricultural community where producing a crop in drought is always tough. As of the end of November, the Edwards region was in varying stages of our Critical Period Management Plan as follows during this year. For the San Antonio Pool: Stage I (20 percent reduction) – 33 days; Stage II (30 percent reduction) 63 days; Stage III (35 percent reduction) 148 days; and Stage IV (40 percent reduction) 24 days. For the Uvalde Pool: Stage I (not applicable); Stage II (5 percent reduction) 118 days; Stage III (20 percent reduction) 45 days; and Stage IV (35 percent reduction) 0 days. Thankfully, neither pool entered stage V in 2022. We like to think that in times of drought, such as we’ve experienced this year, our work to manage, enhance and protect the Edwards Aquifer system is most valued. Without question, it is most challenged. When there’s no rain and little signs of it to come, resources get stretched.

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The property known today as the EAA Field Research Park (FRP) began as an easement property that was transferred to the Edwards Aquifer Conservancy (EAC) by the City of San Antonio in December of 2019. The EAA leases the property from EAC, the non-profit organization that supports the EAA, and established the long-term objective of the FRP to continually improve the understanding of the Edwards Aquifer, resulting in continuous improvements to managing the aquifer, for the benefit of all users of the aquifer.

In 2020, the FRP boomeranged into land management with the installation of its first two berm and swale structures, which are intended to slow surface run off, improve soil health, and hold soil moisture longer to improve filtration and infiltration of surface water runoff. The addition of a native plant garden started while the demonstration site received a makeover with rock berms and the planting of lush vegetation. The FRP rooted itself in research this year with the installation of a weather station, a survey on soil depth, and detailed geologic mapping of the property. Additionally, an eddy covariance tower was installed on the property to study evapotranspiration, which is the elusive process by which water moves from earth’s surface into the atmosphere.

In December, 2022, the EAA FRP

The tell-tale buzzing of a DJI Mavic drone can be heard overhead as the craft passes by a group of scientists observing the flight. Unmanned Aerial System pilot and University of Texas Ph.D. candidate Mariel Nelson follows the Drone’s pre-planned flight path on her controller screen, as the Mavic nicknamed “Robin” continues its methodical pattern back and forth along a large section of the EAA’s Field Research Park. Mariel had tasked the drone to test out the flight path, while recording high-resolution photogrammetry of the FRP. This initial test was conducted in preparation just prior to launching a more advanced unit, the DJI Matrice nicknamed “Grackle”, a six rotor drone coupled with a Phoenix LiDAR imager payload. LiDAR, or light imaging detection and ranging is an active remote sensing technique that uses laser pulses to create a very accurate digital elevation model of the earth’s surface. The LiDAR data can be filtered to create a digital terrain model, a highly detailed image of the ground surface without vegetation, or a digital surface model, an image that isolates tree canopies and buildings from the ground. Among many types of analyses that plan to be performed, EAA scientists hope to use the data to study geomorphic and ecological changes to the FRP land management demonstration area over time. As the six-rotor Grackle returns to the observation area, Mariel initiates the landing sequence and lowers the stabilizing arms. The drone finishes its forty-meter descent and touches down gently on the ground, carrying with it gigabytes of valuable LiDAR data. The EAA acknowledges and thanks Mariel and the University of Texas’ Jackson School of Geosciences for the contribution of their time, talents and resources in conducting the LIDAR survey.

EAA Aquifer Data Analyst II, Logan Schmidt, and two graduate students from UTSA, log and characterize rock chip samples from a borehole drilling.

An EAA scientists holds out a “rock chip tray.” Each pocket of the tray represents a drilling depth and composition of five feet.

A low rumble sounds as a drill bit rapidly churns, erupting rock chips and dust from a strategically placed borehole at the EAA’s Field Research Park. EAA scientists and graduate students from the University of Texas at San Antonio look on, eagerly awaiting the rig operator’s delivery of the next sample of rock extracted from the drilling process 25-feet below the ground surface, near the bottom of the borehole. The completed 30-foot boreholes represent a window into the vadose zone, the area below the ground surface and above the water table of the aquifer. EAA scientists intend to use the boreholes to deploy geophysical tools including nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) to record hydrologic properties such as water content and void spaces. The scientists are interested in the direction and volume of water infiltrating the system, especially within the FRP land management demonstration area. The boreholes are being installed upgradient, within, and downgradient of land management practices in

the demonstration area to help quantify the potential benefits of land management as a conservation practice. The drilling process provides an opportunity to characterize the rock cuttings in different drilling intervals and prepare samples for laboratory analyses. The drill momentarily halts its methodical churning, as the operator collects a one gallon sample bag worth of rock cuttings. The scientists and students collect the bag and split the sample to begin logging and characterizing the tiny fragments, bringing them one step closer to answering research questions about the geologic character and conceptual framework of the vadose zone at the FRP.

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In hydrology, the area between the ground surface and the water table of the aquifer is known as the unsaturated zone or vadose zone. Although the vadose zone isn’t saturated with water like the aquifer itself, it is still an important hydrological zone, supplying virtually all the water used by plants in the Edwards Aquifer region and contributing recharge to the aquifer through infiltration. Despite this importance, the vadose zone is complicated, and not well studied scientifically, especially in karst systems like the Edwards Aquifer. To combat this knowledge gap, EAA scientists will be using a cutting-edge method in vadose zone research known as nuclear magnetic resonance borehole logging. Nuclear magnetic resonance or “NMR” is one of only a very few methods capable of measuring the amount of water stored in rocks in the unsaturated zone. It does this by exploiting the behavior of atomic nuclei (specifically, the nuclei of hydrogen atoms, protons, in water molecules) in the presence of magnetic fields. The details are

technical, but the result is that NMR provides a direct estimate of the amount of water in the ground. This will allow EAA scientists to use NMR to monitor how much water is in the ground, and how that amount changes over time in response to rainfall, drought, and changes in land management. That capability alone is extremely valuable, but the NMR measurement also contains information about the flow properties of the material the water is held in. To get the NMR tool deep into the ground where it can measure the amount of water stored there, EAA scientists have installed eight 30-feet deep boreholes at the EAA Field Research Park specifically designed for NMR measurements. By collecting NMR measurements in the boreholes before and after rain events, scientists will be able to assess the potential water quantity benefits of land management and characterize other vadose zone environments typically found in the Edwards Aquifer Region.

FRP T IMEL INE

2019 EAC ACQUIRES EASEMENT The City of San Antonio transfers ownership of an easement property to the Edwards Aquifer Conservancy (EAC). The property, now known as the EAA Field Research Park, or FRP, is leased by the EAA from the EAC.

2021 DATA COLLECTION LIFT OFF The FRP hosted its first volunteer event on National Public Lands from the various land management and research studies occurring on the property. Day and continued collecting rich data

2020 RESEARCH TAKES ROOT EAA staff and contractors initiate work to construct a land management demonstration site while also installing data collection equipment designed to monitor weather, soil moisture, evapotranspiration, and groundwater levels.

2022 EXPLORING THE RECHARGE ZONE This fall was an eventful time on the FRP, which included: flying hi resolution drone-based LiDAR, and installing multiple 30-foot-deep boreholes to collect data within the vadose zone; plus, installing a pan evaporation station. Moreover, in December, a new monitoirng well was added to the FRP water well network, with a fifth planned for early 2023 to aid in better understading of groundwater behavior and characteristics at the FRP.

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First Responders Program map sample.

Questions like these got members of the EAA Recharge Zone Protection (RZP) team thinking about the potential mixing of firefighting water runoff and regulated substance, and how the EAA might help prevent such mixing from occurring. For years, the RZP team has regulated facilities that store regulated substances (hazardous substances, petroleum products, etc.) on the Edwards Aquifer Recharge Zone. As part of the regulation, facilities are required to provide the EAA with documentation detailing the type and amount of regulated substance stored at their facility. In addition, the facilities are required to provide EAA staff with a facility map that includes all recharge features, location of

water wells, site drainage patterns, storm sewer inlets, firefighting water connections, etc. In early 2017, the RZP team began envisioning how this information could be compiled into one central location for Fire Departments to access when responding to a fire. The years that followed consisted of hours of GIS mapping, countless meetings, and hours of ground truthing in the field until the EAA’s First Responder Program became a reality. Today, the City of San Antonio Fire Department can digitally access up-to date facility maps, on site photographs, and facility registration forms that provide the type, volume, and location of regulated substance stored for 38 facilities located within Bexar County and on the Edwards Aquifer Recharge Zone.

To recreate the maps, EAA staff used a combination of ArcGIS software, and Quick Terrain Modeler (QTM), a program specially acquired to facilitate the First Responder Program. The QTM software uses LIDAR elevation data to map surface topography. Knowing the surface topography allowed EAA staff to conduct water accumulation simulations. These simulations essentially created a hypothetical flood event at a given facility, thus allowing EAA staff to locate areas at the facility where water would accumulate. Another interesting simulation is QTM’s Raindrop tool. Using the Raindrop tool, EAA Staff would click on the map containing the LIDAR elevation data and the program would calculate where water will flow downstream to its stopping point.

IN DEVELOPING THE EAA’S FIRST RESPONDER PROGRAM, EAA STAFF SPENT SIGNIFICANT TIME BUILDING A RELATIONAL GEODATABASE, GROUND TRUTHING IT TO CREATE A DIGITAL TWIN AND DOING FLOOD ANALYSIS TO DELIVER NEW INFORMATION THAT DIDN’T EXIST BEFORE, AND DELIVERED IT DIRECTLY TO THE FIRST RESPONDER MOBILE DEVICES INSIDE FIRE TRUCKS AS AN AUTOMATICALLY UPDATED MAP APP THAT COULD BE EASILY READ.

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Several clicks in several locations produced a pattern of water flow that EAA staff used to verify site drainage patterns. Understanding where water will accumulate, and where water will flow allowed EAA staff to identify areas where first responders might deploy best management practices that can slow or divert firefighting water runoff away from sensitive features thus helping to reduce the impact of a large fire event on the Recharge Zone. Examples of best management practices include but are not limited to pre event planning, use of on-site stormwater basins to capture firefighting water runoff, the use of rock socks, berms, booms, sandbag dams, or plastic sheeting to redirect firefighting water, and reduction of firefighting water. The First Responder Program information is not only available to local Fire Departments, but it is also utilized by members of the RZP team. The various layers are saved into maps that can be accessed on a field inspectors’ mobile device using ArcGIS Collector and Field Maps for ArcGIS. As RZP staff conduct their annual site inspections of the First Responder Program facilities, inspectors can save a snapshot of the facility of interest and use a method of field data collection called disconnected editing. The maps function without cell service, using the saved map and the user’s GPS location. Data collected from the day’s inspection is uploaded, thus ensuring the First Responder Program’s information is always up to date. With the development of the First Responder Program, local first responders are now able to access site specific information about facilities that store regulated substances within Bexar County and on the Edwards Aquifer Recharge Zone. The information is annually updated by EAA staff, thus ensuring accurate site-specific information. Knowing the type, quantity, and location of regulated substance will increase protection for the men and women responding to a fire. Knowing the location of sensitive features (caves, sinkholes, fractures, faults, water wells, etc.,) may allow first responders the opportunity deploy best management practices to prevent, or at least reduce the negative effects of firefighting water runoff on the Edwards Aquifer.

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THE EAA EOC Springs Into the New Year with 2,000-Plus “AquiSmarties”

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“And that’s why it’s important to protect the aquifer’s recharge zone. Any questions?” Edwards Aquifer Authority (EAA) educator, Mariel Ortega, clicks onto the last slide of her presentation and looks around the Karst Theatre—the Education Outreach Center’s (EOC) presentation room that replicates an Edwards Aquifer cave. The group of elementary home schoolers eagerly reach their hands for the ceiling. Ms. Ortega nods at a 3rd grade boy. Leaning forward in his seat, he says, “That was fun!” Amidst all the questions that followed, the boy’s excitement highlights the importance of the EAA-EOC. Educating the public on our shared natural resource is at the heart of the EAA’s mission, and what better way to foster learning than through fun? Ever since the grand opening in April, the EOC has been a hub of non-stop, fun education for children and adults alike. We started things off with a bang, hosting the first-ever Aquipalooza, a day of food and community in celebration of the EOC. Just one month after the grand opening, over one hundred guests enjoyed the family-friendly entertainment, from photo booths to face painting to a water-themed comedy magic show. Our grand opening itself was an exciting day. Several stakeholders were present at the ribbon-cutting. These included Gordon Hartman, co-founder of Morgan’s Wonderland which is now the host site for the EOC, and representatives from the Native American Inter-Tribal Group. Completing the ceremony was our very own mascot, Karston the Texas Blind Salamander.

EAA Sr STEAM Outreach Educator, Sarah Valdez at the EOC with TV station KENS 5 San Antonio, Bill Taylor.

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Excitingly, in October the EOC welcomed a live Texas Blind Salamander into our aquariums. The EOC is the only place in San Antonio for the public to get a rare look at this endangered and unique species! The EOC is already a hub for community engagement. The San Antonio River Authority and HEB volunteers contributed to building the Native Plants Garden and Wildlife Viewing Area respectively. And the Texas Master Naturalists are in the process of naming the EOC an official volunteer site.

EAA Sr STEAM Outreach Educator, Sarah Valdez at the EOC with TV station SA Live, Mike Osterhage.

Saudi Arabian Visitors.

The EOC has also hosted many professional meetings. The Texas Master Naturalists, the Guadalupe River Authority, the 4-H Water Ambassadors, and Texas Children in Nature are just a few of the groups who have made use of our Karst Theatre. Notably, Texas Comptroller, Glenn Hegar, visited the EOC to discuss the importance of groundwater and its role in our life. The EOC has even reached visitors from Saudi Arabia as part of the “Sustainable Landscapes: Promoting Economic Growth and Environmental Security” portion of the International Visitor Leadership Program!

The EOC has been featured on independent blogs, such as the SA Charter Moms blog, as well as on news channels such as Kens5, SALiveKSAT, News 4 San Antonio, etc. Generously, KENS 5 Weather Chief Bill Taylor himself records a weekly update on the Edwards Aquifer and the weekly weather just for the EOC! As the second season of the EOC approaches, we are already anticipating even more guests. Look forward to brand new activities at the EOC—including a nature walk activity!—and more exciting events! Be sure to schedule a visit! As always, don’t forget to ask for our scavenger hunt. We hope you leave with a smile on your face and the exclamation, “that was fun!”

In addition to these groups, the EOC has received over 2,000 guests! This includes over 25 different schools and homeschool groups. These visits are not limited to K-12 students. Texas A&M-San Antonio undergraduate and graduate Water Resource students visited the EOC in August. EAA Protection Supervisor, Thomas Marsalia, and Aquifer Science Research Supervisor, Jennifer Adkins-Schudrowitz, led a presentation. This was followed by a trip to the Field Research Park, the EAA’s adjacent property running long-term research projects on soil retention, moisture retention, land management, and more. The EOC is the first space dedicated solely to education on the Edwards Aquifer. As such, it has caught the attention of many.

Texas Master Naturalists.

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E D W A R D S A Q U I F E R H A B I T A T C O N S E R V A T I O N P L A N

DIFFERENT JOURNEYS, SAME BOAT NHCPC brings people together to preserve endangered species and community growth

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If you go to the National HCP Coalition’s (NHCPC) website, the Edwards Aquifer Habitat Conservation Plan (EAHCP) can be found on the front page and featured as a regional success story. While the National HCP Coalition is only seven years old, it is quickly gaining momentum throughout the country by championing a message of “balance” in protecting endangered species while facilitating economic growth. “We’ve seen in our own county that both developers and local governments can get behind protecting endangered species when they know what the game Valerie Covey, who is the NHCPC board president and a Williamson County Commissioner. “We are a young organization but I think we’ve progressed quickly because we focus on informing anyone who might be affected by the Endangered Species Act permit process about what to expect and how they can minimize their own permit acquisition times and costs,” Covey said. rules in implementing a habitat conservation plan are up front,” said

It was agreed that a national HCP Coalition was needed, and that group adopted the Coalition’s mission and established initial committees. The first NHCPC annual meeting was held in 2016 and have continued since. More than 100 attendees from all over the U.S. took part in the 2019 annual meeting. That number nearly doubled for this year’s meeting held in Austin. “Our early meetings were held in West Virginia but the group decided it would be beneficial to hold our conferences where actual endangered species habitat was being protected,” Covey noted. “Our first meeting away from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife training center was in Florida. Texas was next on the places to visit but that conference was delayed by the COVID issues. We did hold meetings online during that ordeal, but we were really happy to get the Austin conference scheduled and held this year. There’s really nothing like meeting in person and we were able to get back to our original plans of giving attendees the opportunity to see the habitats in person.”

At the Austin meeting, attendees had the choice of three field tours to get an up close experience of various endangered species protection programs being implemented in Central Texas. The Texas Cave Tour in Williamson County took attendees underground to inspect the habitat for three karst invertebrates the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has listed as endangered. The County also provides habitat species of salamander, two bird species and 19 species of karst invertebrates. In the next 30 years, population in the County is expected to grow from under 400,000 to more than 1.5 million. And, an estimated 69 percent of that growth is projected to occur in the karst zone, where most of the endangered and rare species and their habitat occur. for other rare species, including at least four

The Refugia in San Marcos.

Covey also explained how the National Coalition started through some informal discussions between groups in Texas and California who were developing and managing their own habitat conservation plans. The California groups had been meeting with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) and in November 2015, the Texas-California collaboration got together at the USFWS’ Nation al Conservation Training Center in West Virginia to discuss the status and effectiveness of large-scale HCPs. THE GAME RULES IN IMPLEMENTING A HABITAT CONSERVATION PLAN ARE UP FRONT.” “WE’VE SEEN IN OUR OWN COUNTY THAT BOTH DEVELOPERS AND LOCAL GOVERNMENTS CAN GET BEHIND PROTECTING ENDANGERED SPECIES WHEN THEY KNOW WHAT

Texas Blind Salamander.

The Meadows Center for Water and the Environment.

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The Edwards Aquifer Habitat Conservation Plan tour featured an in-depth look at how the EAHCP partners are protecting several threatened and endangered species that inhabit the Edwards Aquifer and its spring systems. Conference attendees visited the San Marcos Aquatic Resource Center to learn about husbandry and applied research of the EAHCP. Participants then took a glass bottom boat ride over Spring Lake in San Marcos to view several threatened and endangered species up close in the wild. The Springs and Songbirds tour in Austin provided insights on the management for both the Barton Springs and Austin Blind salamanders at famed Zilker Park. Participants learned about restoration efforts and current monitoring at a municipal spring-fed pool which is the habitat for the endangered Barton Springs Salamander. Participants also visited the largest known population of the endangered Barton Springs salamanders at Eliza Springs.

Attendees then got a guided tour of the Reicher Ranch where the HCP focus is on the endangered Golden-cheeked warbler and several cave invertebrates. “We received some great feedback about the three tours and so we know the field trip aspect of the National HCP Coalition’s annual meeting is very much appreciated,” Covey concluded. “Additionally, I think one of the most important aspects of these meetings is that we get to hear from regulators, HCP managers and private company consultants alike and have the opportunity to learn from each other. And it’s these relationships that will help us improve and grow locally and nationally over time. “Through the National Coalition, you learn quickly that there are a lot of different perspectives about the Endangered Species Act, and sometimes people on both sides of the issue can get very emotional about it. From what I’ve experienced, when people know the rules going into the HCP process and you don’t change the rules on them, groups can play very well together.

Early on, developers were having to go through the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service on their own to get projects done and the costs were sometimes not completely known. That process could take years to get to a conclusion. Now, with HCPs being implemented regionally or locally, public and private parties can work together through the development and implementation of an HCP. That helps smooth out uncertainty and saves both sides time and money while protecting endangered species and their habitats. With that in mind, the National this regional, collaborative approach to ensuring both protection of newly listed endangered species and the orderly development of communities around them.” HCP Coalition plans to continue to encourage

E D W A R D S A Q U I F E R H A B I T A T C O N S E R V A T I O N P L A N

The Meadows Center for Water and the Environment.

This year’s National HCP Coalition Conference had about 190 people in attendance coming from 20 different states and locations, including Guam. Due to the pandemic, we had to delay the Austin Conference for almost 2 years. During that time, the National HCP Coalition Planning Committee worked hard to keep the momentum going by hosting the annual meeting in an online-virtual setting. When we got the green light to move forward with the Austin conference, the Texas Planning Committee picked up right where we left off in 2019. From a coordinating perspective, the Texas Planning Committee and the National Planning Committee worked really hard to make this event something worth the wait. - Olivia Ybarra, NHCPC Conference Coordinator. NATIONAL HABITAT CONSERVATION PLAN COALITION CONFERENCE

Olivia Ybarra, NHCPC Conference & Habitat Conservation Plan Coordinator.

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The Ripple Effect Of The EAC’s “Contributing Zone”

Established in 2014, The Edwards Aquifer Conservancy (EAC) is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization with the sole purpose of supporting the mission of the Edwards Aquifer Authority (EAA). The EAC does this by raising funds to carry out EAA authorized programs, projects, and special initiatives. The EAC Board of Directors is the nonprofit’s governing body and is composed of members of the EAA Board of Directors who have been appointed by the EAA to serve in this capacity. As a nonprofit, the EAC accepts cash and non-cash gifts, such as land parcels, to fulfill its legal purpose.

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SUPPORTING THE EDWARDS AQUIFER AUTHORITY

Ewald Kubota in Selma, Texas, generously donated agricultural equipment rental services to the Field Research Park.

When a person makes a contribution of any kind, it causes a ripple effect. And much like what happens when you throw a peddle into a pond, these gifts or actions can have a large positive impact which in turn can make a bigger impact (or ripple) and so forth and so on. Contributions of rain help the Edwards Aquifer to flow and contributions of time, talent, and treasures help it to flourish. Below are just a couple of ways you can make an initial ripple and contribute to the EAC: 1. One-Time Donation through Champions for Charity – a no-cost program that gives 100% of the funds raised back to the participating organizations, plus incentives including a 7% match. 2. Recurring Gift – easily set up an automatic donation of a specific amount on a weekly, monthly, quarterly, or annual basis. 3. Text BoxMatching Gifts Through Your Employer – ask your employer if they offer a matching gift program which are donations a company makes to match its employees’ charitable contributions. 4. Sponsorships – support any of our upcoming signature events in 2023 including our first annual Night of a Thousand Drops gala to be held May 13, 2023. 5. Volunteering – share your time and expertise out at our Education Outreach Center or Field Research Park with beautification projects or by helping out at on-site events. 6. Amazon Smile – for eligible purchases through AmazonSmile, the AmazonSmile Foundation will donate 0.5% of the purchase price to the EAC when you select us from the list of charitable organizations. A great way to contribute when doing your online holiday shopping! 7. In-Kind Donations – we welcome any non-monetary gift including goods, services, and/or the transfer of assets.

To begin a ripple effect and learn more about any of the aforementioned ways to contribute to the EAC, please visit www.eaconservancy.org or send an email to eaconservancy@eac.org.

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SEASON 3 - EP I SODE 11

“BROCK HAS BEEN A STEADY MAINSTAY AT THE EAA FOR AS LONG AS I’VE BEEN WITH THE ORGANIZATION. HIS INSTITUTIONAL KNOWLEDGE COUPLED WITH HIS PERSONAL CONVICTIONS ABOUT UPHOLDING THE HIGHEST STANDARDS OF TRANSPARENCY AND PROFESSIONALISM IN ALL THAT WE DO HELPED SHAPE THE OPERATIONAL ETHIC OF OUR ORGANIZATION OVER MANY YEARS. HIS COMMITMENT TO EXCELLENCE IN THIS For as long as anyone can remember, Brock Curry has been an employee of the Edwards Aquifer Authority. Curry joined the EAA in October 1996 and was promoted to Deputy General Manager in 2012 – leading to a 25-plus year career at the agency. Brock has worked alongside EAA GM Roland Ruiz for over a decade, overseeing all aspects of EAA operations. Brock has also served as a liaison to the EAA Board of Directors to ensure staff is appropriately implementing the organization’s policies. Additionally, Brock has served as the EAA’s representative on the City of San Antonio’s Conservation Advisory Board, overseeing the Edwards Aquifer Protection Program.

REGARD IS HIS LEGACY.” - Roland Ruiz, EAA General Manager

EAA Deputy General Manager, Brock Curry.

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A Fairy Tale Ending

“A Tall Texas Tale” is how Luana Buckner has compared her history with the Edwards Aquifer Authority. Her story with the agency began in 1996 after being elected to the inaugural board of directors as the director for Medina and Atascosa Counties. After her initial two-year EAA board term, Buckner had been re elected for six consecutive four-year terms, beginning in 1998. As chair, Buckner has presided over the board and Executive Committee for 26 years. Due to a physical relocation, she is stepping down, writing the last chapter of her Texas tale. In addition to her illustrious EAA career, Luana served as the first woman general manager of any conservation district in Texas - the Medina County Groundwater Conservation District.

“I OWE A PERSONAL DEBT OF GRATITUDE TO LUANA BUCKNER FOR BELIEVING SO PASSIONATELY IN T HE EAA MISSION AND FOR CARING SO DEEPLY FOR T HE PEOPLE CHARGED WIT H CARRYING IT OUT DAY TO DAY. YOU CANNOT TRULY APPRECIATE T HE HISTORY AND EVOLUTION OF T HE EAA MISSION WIT HOUT REALIZING T HE INFLUENCE OF LUANA. HER IMPRINT ON T HE WORK OF OUR ORGANIZATION AND T HE IMPACT MADE IN T HE REGION AND T HE STATE IS INDELIBLE AND SURELY PROVIDES T HE FOUNDATION FOR T HE NEXT GENERATION OF OUR MISSION.” - ROLAND RUIZ, EAA GENERAL MANAGER

EAA Board of Directors Chairwoman, Medina / Atascosa Counties - District 13, Luana Buckner.

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A SCIENTIST’S SERVICE TO THE COMMUNITY

A realtor and retired computer geologist, Ronald J. Walton accrued 34 years of experience working for various federal agencies on water-related issues. Walton grew up on a small farm in Indiana, where his life-long love for science was encouraged by being exposed to geological features similar to those found in the Edwards Aquifer. Ronald J. Walton was first elected to the EAA board in 2010. His current term expires in 2022. A member of Oakwood Baptist Church in New Braunfels, he considers serving as a deacon his greatest achievement. Walton and his wife Judith have been married for 55 years. The couple have three children, including a son in San Antonio and a daughter in Austin. “RON WALTON BROUGHT A UNIQUE BLEND OF TECHNICAL UNDERSTANDING AND PASSION FOR SERVICE THAT HELPED SUSTAIN THE EAA MISSION OVER THE TIME OF HIS TENURE ON THE BOARD. IN PARTICULAR, HIS SUPPORT OF OUR SCIENCE-BASED APPROACH TO POLICY IS MOST APPRECIATED AS ONE OF HIS MOST IMPORTANT CONTRIBUTIONS.” - ROLAND RUIZ, EAA GENERAL MANAGER

Comal / Guadalupe Counties - District 9, Ronald J. Walton.

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New Braunfels, TX, near Landa Lake.

C O N T R I B U T O R S

The NewsDrop is a production of the EAA Communications and Development Department with Helpful Assistance from the following EAA Staff:

Brent Doty

Sarah Eason

Mark Hamilton

Gizelle Luevano

Roland Ruiz

Logan Schmidt

Ben Urbanczyk

Olivia Ybarra

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