2013 Brazos River BBASC Work plan for adaptive management

Senate Bill 3 (SB3) of the 80th Texas Legislature was written to create a basin-by-basin process for developing environmental flow standards. SB3 requires the creation of a �work plan� to facilitate the adaptive management of the environmental flow standards adopted. The SB3 offers the following language for timing of and what components should be incorporated in the work plan. Section 11.02362 (p) In recognition of the importance of adaptive management, after submitting its recommendation regarding environmental flow standards and strategies to meet the environmental flow standards to the commission, each basin and bay area stakeholders committee, with the assistance of the pertinent basin and bay expert science team, shall prepare and submit for approval by the advisory group a work plan. The work plan must: (1) establish a periodic review of the basin and bay environmental flow analyses and environmental flow regime recommendation, environmental flow standards, and strategies, to occur at least once every 10 years; (2) prescribe specific monitoring, studies, and activities; (3) establish a schedule for continuing the validation or refinement of the basin and bay environmental flow analyses and environmental flow regime recommendations, the environmental flow standards by the commission, and the strategies to achieve those standards. The Brazos River and Associated Bay and Estuary System Basin and Bay Area Stakeholders Committee worked (Brazos BBASC) to develop a Work Plan for Adaptive Management (work plan). After review by the BRAZOS BBASC and Brazos River and Associated Bay and Estuary System Expert Science Team (Brazos BBEST), a final Adaptive Work Plan will be prepared for submittal to the Environmental Flows Advisory Group (EFAG) for approval.