2012 Nueces BBASC environmental flows recommendations report

In 2007, Senate Bill 3 (SB3) of the 80th Texas Legislature established a process for developing and implementing environmental flow standards applicable to major river basins and estuarine systems across the State of Texas. The legislation identified seven basin and bay systems in Texas to be given priority for completion under SB3 (four other river major basins are as yet not scheduled). Schedules were established for the selection of stakeholder and science teams to represent these basin and bay systems and for the completion of environmental flow recommendations and flow standards. The river basin and bay system consisting of the Nueces River and Corpus Christi and Baffin Bays was identified as one of these priority basin and bay systems. The major committees and their roles in the SB3 process are summarized in Figure 1-1. The process began with convening of the Environmental Flows Advisory Group (EFAG) in 2008. The EFAG appointed the Science Advisory Committee (SAC) in 2009 and, over time, appointed stakeholder representatives for Basin and Bay Area Stakeholder Committees (BBASCs). The BBASCs then selected a Basin and Bay Expert Science Team (BBEST), whose role it is to develop environmental flow recommendations for their basin and bay system based on the best available science. The BBASCs are then to �review the � recommendations and shall consider them in conjunction with other factors, including the present and future needs for water for other uses related to water supply planning �. The basin and bay area stakeholders committee shall develop recommendations regarding environmental flow standards and strategies to meet the environmental flow standards and submit those recommendations to the commission and the advisory group �� (TWC Section 11.02362(o)). Finally, the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) considers the BBEST recommendations, BBASC recommendations, and other factors including economic factors and human, as well as other competing needs for water in adopting environmental flow standards (TWC Section 11.471(b)).