)19 pie:25)00e COMMISSIONERS' COURT AGENDA REQUEST PLEASE FURNISH ONE ORIGINAL AND ONE (1) COPY OF THIS REQUEST AND DOCUMENTS TO BE REVIEWED BY THE COURT MADE BY: Judge Tinley OFFICE: County Judge MEETING DATE: October 25, 2010 TIME PREFERRED: SUBJECT: Consider, discuss and take appropriate action on Resolution in support of the Lower Colorado River Authority. EXECUTIVE SESSION REQUESTED: (PLEASE STATE REASON) NAME OF PERSON ADDRESSING THE COURT: ESTIMA1ED LENGTH OF PRESENTATION: IF PERSONNEL MATTER - NAME OF EMPLOYEE: Time for submitting this request for Court to assure that the matter is posted in accordance with Title 5, Chapter 551 and 552, Government Code, is as follows: Meeting scheduled for Mondays: 5:00 PM previous Tuesday THIS REQUEST RECEIVED BY: THIS RQUEST RECEIVED ON: @ .M. All Agenda Requests will be screened by the County Judge's Office to determine if adequate information has been prepared for the Court's formal consideration and action at time of Court Meetings. Your cooperation will be appreciated and contribute towards your request being addressed at the earliest opportunity. See Agenda Request Rules Adopted by Commissioners' Court. Make sure any and all back up material is attached to this form. RESOLUTION RESOLUTION OF KERR COUNTY COMMISSIONERS' COURT IN SUPPORT OF THE LOWER COLORADO RIVER AUTHORITY WHEREAS, The Lower Colorado River Authority (LCRA) was Conceived in Calamity, Birthed in Controversy and matured to Benefit its constituents in the Colorado River Valley, and WHEREAS, Major destruction and misery were the results of the frequent floods, and WHEREAS, Due to massive flooding, the City of Austin (COA) lost successive dams in 1900 and 1915 and the lower basin continued to suffer from the frequent floods, and WHEREAS, A new major economic enterprise has been created in the lower counties that would benefit from a more assured supply of water for irrigation as well as relief from massive flooding, and WHEREAS, As early as 1915 interests from counties throughout the basin met to develop plans to harness the river for the benefit of all constituents in the basin by minimizing flooding and capturing the excess flows for future development, and WHEREAS, The support from the counties was crucial and instrumental in obtaining support for construction of dams to create the Highland Lakes, and WHEREAS, Those supportive efforts and pledges from the interests in the lower counties and from the Austin Chamber of Commerce did ultimately result in the creation of the Lower Colorado River Authority, and WHEREAS, With the controversy abounding, it required four special legislative sessions to obtain approval for the creation of the LCRA on November 13, 1934, and WHEREAS, The enabling LCRA legislation mandated that the primary duty of the LCRA is to control, store, preserve and sell those waters within the boundaries of the Authority or the extended watershed , and WHEREAS, The policy of the LCRA has been to manage the lakes and the river as a single system to address and respond to the sometimes competing demands for water, and WHEREAS, That policy has enabled the LCRA to maximize water supplies for municipal and industrial customers while continuing to provide water for irrigation needs; and WHEREAS, Additional recreational, tourism and environmental demands have also been recognized and provisions made to address those demands, and WHEREAS, To accommodate those demands a Water Management Plan (WMP) was created and has evolved by enlisting those various interests throughout the basin in the creation, and WHEREAS, A revision of the WMP has been initiated that will consider the increasing water supply demands due to record population growth and recreation in the upper basin while seeking to accommodate the historic demands of the water supply in the lower basin as well as environmental needs, and WHEREAS, These new water supply demands represent an unprecedented challenge to the LCRA administration and staff and they have committed the necessary resources to the WMP Revision Committee to update the WMP, and WHEREAS, New creative and innovative approaches are required to accommodate the unprecedented future water supply demands such as a creation of off channel reservoirs. THEREFORE, 13E IT RESOLVED, that cooperative initiatives, as was the precedent set by the original historic efforts to harness the river, should immediately be employed in the new formation of the WMP with utilization of all interests, and NOW THEREORE, BE IT RESOLVED THAT the Kerr County Commissioners' Court encourages the LCRA to aggressively move efforts forward that will enhance water supplies for the lower basin and with utilization of all interests. BE IT FUTURE RESOLVED, that we pledge our cooperation and assistance to support those efforts. Approved this 25th day of October, 2010. PAT TINLEY, Kerr County Judge H.A. "BUSTER" BALDWIN, WILLIAM H. WILLIAMS, Commissioner, Precinct 1 Commissioner, Precinct 2 JONATHAN LETZ, BRUCE OEHLER, Commissioner, Precinct 3 Commissioner, Precinct 4 Page 1 of 1 Jody Grinstead From: Jeanne Emerson [comcrt @burnetcountytexas.org] Sent: Wednesday, October 06, 2010 11:38 AM Cc: cojudge @co.matagorda.tx.us Subject: Judges Meeting - Burnet County Attachments: LCRA Resolution (2).doc; Resolutions Letter.doc Dear Fellow Judges: Those of us who attended the Annual Meeting with LCRA learned a great deal about CREZ lines and Water issues. There is a lot happening! We all came away acknowledging our greatest concern is water. It is essential. There is not any more of it now than there was 50 years ago! The Judges at the meeting were asked to join Judge Nate McDonald, Matagorda County and myself in working together to partner with LCRA to help define our needs, ensure fairness and search for solutions. Attached is a review letter and a "Resolution of Support" that we are asking your Commissioner's Court to adopt. Please add your county name in the last paragraph of the resolution. We had hoped we could have them back by October 20 for the LCRA Board meeting. That date might be aggressive for your court dates. If you can have them back to us by the end of October, we will be able to present them at the November LCRA Board meeting. Some of you on this email already have the letter and the Resolution. If so, just send us the approved Resolution. We are asking once you adopt the Resolution, you send a copy to your legislators. Appreciate your working with us on Water Issues! Donna Klaeger 10/06/2010 September 30, 2010 Honorable Judges: Living in the Lower Colorado River basin is an honor. As Texans and concerned citizens we have a unique opportunity to shape the future for our children and their children. But we must do it together and we must start today. The demands on water and our environment are rapidly changing. In all of our counties, the population is growing, tourism is increasing and the needs of our communities are facing new challenges. The Lower Colorado River Authority has historically been charged with managing our lakes and rivers, responding to the demands of farmers, ranchers while balancing the same needs for industrial customers. From this came the Water Management Plan. As the WMP evolves, we now have the opportunity to participate and contribute to our future. We have a chance to partner with the LCRA to help define our needs, ensure fairness, search for solution$ and be known as innovators. "If you do the same thing the same way, you get the same results." You have a Resolution with this letter. This Resolution outlines the need for us to be diligent and active in our future. We are asking you to review the Resolution and present it to your individual Commissioner's Court. If we will work together we can make a difference. We plan to present all of the approved Resolutions to the LCRA and our legislators. We will meet with you to help define and understand your water issues. Together we can make a difference. Judge Donna Klaeger Judge Nate McDonald Burnet County Matagorda County RESOLUTION WHEREAS, The Lower Colorado River Authority (LCRA) was Conceived in Calamity, Birthed in Controversy and matured to Benefit its constituents in the Colorado River Valley, and WHEREAS, Major destruction and misery were the results of the frequent floods, and WHEREAS, Due to massive flooding, the City of Austin (COA) lost successive dams in 1900 and 1915 and the lower basin continued to suffer from the frequent floods, and WHEREAS, A new major economic enterprise has been created in the lower counties that would benefit from a more assured supply of water for irrigation as well as relief from massive flooding, and As early as 1915 interests from counties throughout the basin met to develop plans to harness the river for the benefit of all constituents in the basin by minimizing flooding and capturing the excess flows for future development, and WHEREAS, The support from the counties was crucial and instrumental in obtaining support for construction of dams to create the Highland Lakes, and WHEREAS, Those supportive efforts and pledges from the interests in the lower counties and from the Austin Chamber of Commerce did ultimately result in the creation of the Lower Colorado River Authority, and WHEREAS, With controversy abounding, it required four special legislative sessions to obtain approval for the creation of the LCRA on November 13, 1934, and WHEREAS, The enabling LCRA legislation mandated that the primary duty of the LCRA is to control, store, preserve and sell those waters within the boundaries of the Authority or the extended watershed, and WHEREAS, The policy of the LCRA has been to manage the lakes and the river as a single system to address and respond to the sometimes competing demands for water, and WHEREAS, That policy has enabled the LCRA to maximize water supplies for municipal and industrial customers while continuing to provide water for irrigation needs, and WHEREAS, Additional recreational, tourism and environmental demands have also been recognized and provisions made to address those demands, and WHEREAS, To accommodate those demands a Water Management Plan (WMP) was created and has evolved by enlisting those various interests throughout the basin in the creation, and WHEREAS, A revision in the WMP has been initiated that will consider the increasing water supply demands due to record population growth and recreation in the upper basin while seeking to accommodate the historic demands of the water supply in the lower basin as well as environmental needs, and WHEREAS, These new water supply demands represent an unprecedented challenge to the LCRA administration and staff and they have committed the necessary resources to the WMP Revision Committee to update the WMP, and WHEREAS, New creative and innovative approaches are required to accommodate the unprecedented future water supply demands such as a creation of off channel reservoirs. NOW THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that cooperative initiatives, as was the precedent set by the original historic efforts to harness the river, should immediately be employed in the new formation of the WMP with utilization of all interests, and NOW THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that Commissioner's Court encourages the LCRA to aggressively move efforts forward that will enhance water supplies for the lower basin and with utilization of all interests. BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that we pledge our cooperation and assistance to support those efforts. Approved this day of , 2010. Attest: Approved: