HomeMy WebLinkAboutMinutes Water Resources Advisory Committee - 02/19/2009 •
Minutes RECEIVED
Water Resources Advisory Committee
February 19, 2009 JAN 0 5 2011 •
Water Department Conference Room •
.`�Y SECRETARY'S OFFICE
Members Present: Carola Serrato, Chair, Leland Johnson, Mark Stroop, Frank , = u
Blake, Mary Fant, Michael Cox and Jeff Edmonds.
Members Absent: Tonya Hayden
Staff members present:
Oscar Martinez, Assistant City Manager
Gustavo Gonzalez, P.E., Water Director
Mark Van Vleck, P.E., Deputy Water Director
Ivan Luna, RE., Water Quality Manager
Yolanda Marruffo, Public Relations and Marketing Coordinator
Steve Carpenter, Water Plant Manager
Kristi Shaw and Carl Crull, HDR
Joanne Salge, Tammy Hernandez and Katrina Newsom—Water Staff Members
The meeting was called to order by Carola Serrato at 11:35 a.m.
II. Mrs. Serrato requested that everyone introduce themselves. She stated that based on the
City Council's committee term limitations, this would be her last meeting.
III. Approval of Minutes
Mrs. Serrato stated that minutes of October 3rd were not available for review and would be brought
to the next meeting for approval.
IV. History of Regional Water Supplies for the City of Corpus Christi and their Customers
After a brief introduction by Mrs. Serrato, Carl Crull discussed the history of regional water supplies
for the City of Corpus Christi dating back to 1898 when water was pumped out of the Nueces River
and carried to town in horse driven carriages. The first pump station was built in 1912. The La
Fruta Dam was built in 1929 upstream of Lake Corpus Christi with up to 64,000 acre feet capacity.
It was rebuilt in .1935 after the dam was washed by heavy rainfall. During the 1950s drought
conditions forced the development of Wesley Dam which was completed in 1958.
City leaders faced substantial controversy over the development of a second dam; however, the •
U. S. Bureau of Reclamation deemed that Choke Canyon be built at Three Rivers. Choke Canyon
was the first reservoir which had identified regulatory requirements to allow freshwater releases
upon filling to capacity. In as much as the Bureau had not set a plan for the releases, the City
accepted the terms. While it was not expected to fill for decades, Choke Canyon filled to capacity
in 1987. A complaint was filed with Texas Natural Resources Conservation Commission (now
Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ), to require the release of 97,000 acre feet
per year.
During 1993 the City entered into a contract with the Lavaca Navidad River Authority to acquire
water rights with option to acquire additional water from Garwood Irrigation Company. The 1994-
1995 drought forced the City to excel its effort to bring additional water. Through the work
performed by the City, Nueces River Authority and Port of Corpus Christi staff (Mr. Crull
SCANNED 1
recognized Frank Brogan work) helped to bring the Mary Rhode Pipeline into operation by
September 1998.
Mrs. Serrato asked if the City intended to pump 3,000 acre feet and the status of the Rincon
operations plan. Mr. Gonzalez stated that diversions had not been made in months based on the
1999-2000 Bureau of Reclamation study impact on productivity for off-channel diversions. He
suggested providing monthly pass-through during approximate time of the year. Mrs. Serrato
asked if the operating plan would go before the Nueces Estuary Advisory Committee. He stated
that a draft plan had been developed, but not finalized and that it would go to the NEAC group for
review.
Mr. Crull finalized his comments by making reference to the book written by Atlee Cunningham,
entitled Corpus Christi Water Supply Documented History from 1852 to 1997. He stated that a
copy was available at the Central Library.
V. City of Corpus Christi Nueces Bay and Estuary Activities and Regulatory Considerations
Impacting Water Supplies
Ms. Kristi Shaw of HDR discussed the history of TCEQ Agreed Order originating with the 1992
Interim Order that established monthly schedule for desired freshwater inflows. The Nueces
Estuary Advisory Committee was formed to study the health of Nueces Estuary.
It was followed by the 1995 Agreed Order which was similar to the 1992 Order with exception to
monthly inflows limited to Choke Canyon Reservoir and Lake Corpus Christi inflows. The 2001
Agreed Order identified changes to freshwater inflows at 40 percent and 30 percent reservoir
system upon institution of mandatory outdoor water restrictions and reservoir system capacity
calculated using new volumetric surveys. It also set provisions for the construction of Rincon
Bayou pump station and pipeline to the Nueces Delta.
Ms. Shaw described other City initiatives to provide freshwater inflows to the Nueces Delta and bay
included return flows, Allison Demonstration Project and Rincon Pump Station and Pipeline
VI. Corpus Christi Water Supply Model and Demonstration
Ms. Shaw described the computer water supply model as developed for the City and the Regional
Water Planning Group— Region N and its customers.
The history of models developed for the Nueces Basin water users, City of Corpus Christi and their
customers including the:
■ Nueces River Basin Model of 1990 for the NRA, City, TWDB, EAA and STWA. The model
calculates the yield of CCR/LCC Reservoir System considering water rights and channel
losses, recharge to Edwards Aquifer and operations of recharge dams.
• Lower Nueces River Basin and Estuary (NUBAY Model) (1991, 1995, 1999—City, STWA,
TWDB, NRA, Port of Corpus Christi. The model evaluates alternative requirements of
Agreed Order and their effect on CCR/LCC system yield and changes in freshwater inflows
to Nueces Bay and Estuary.
• Nueces River Basin WAM (1999—TCEQ). This model evaluates water availability to
individual water rights throughout the entire Nueces Basin.
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■ Corpus Christi water Supply Model (Expanded version of NUBAY) (2000-2008—City,
Region N, Corp of Engineers and sponsors). The update of NUBAY model integrates Lake
Texana and Mary Rhodes Pipeline and evaluates water supply available to Corpus Christi
considering existing and potential future water supply options.
Ms. Shaw identified the distinctions between the TCEQ Nueces River Basin WAM and Corpus
Christi's Water Supply Model
Distinctions TCEQ Corpus Christi
Nueces River Basin WAM Water Supply Model
Hydrologic Period Studied Nueces WAM reviews period Corpus Christi Water Supply Model
from 1934 to 1996 contains data from 1934 to 2003
Extend of Model Nueces WAM—Nueces River Corpus Christi water Supply Model
identifies multi-basin (Nueces,
Lavaca, and Colorado River Basins)
Additional aspects of Corpus • Ability to model future projects
Christi Water Supply Model outside the Nueces River Basin
■ Includes TWDB Harvest
equations for Nueces Estuary fish
species
■ Graphical user interface that
supports analysis of various
reservoir operation simulations
with ease
Updates made to Corpus • Water quality routine updated
Christi Water Supply Model 2008 to identify chlorides and
total dissolved solids in Choke
Canyon, Lake Corpus Christi,
Lake Texana and Calallen Pool.
■ Concept of pass-through banking
based on U.S. Corp of Engineers
project currently in progress
relating to storing potential pass-
throughs in Lake Corpus Christi
controlled by Bay salinity and
expiring after a certain timeframe.
Ms. Shaw reported that for all purposes, the Corpus Christi Water Supply System Model was the
most appropriate model to use for evaluating the operations of the region's water supply sources.
VII. Ongoing Water Supply Studies with Possible Benefits to the City of Corpus Christi and
Their Customers
Ms. Shaw continued her presentation to identify Region N Regional Water Planning study and the
U.S. Corp of Engineers Nueces Feasibility Studies.
She provided a brief history on regional water planning that began in 1957 with the creation of the
Texas Water Development Board which was followed when the Texas Board of Water Engineers
adopted the first State Water Plan in 1961. In 1997 Senate 1 required bottom up water planning
on a regional level that resulted in the 2002 State Water Plan. Sixteen regional water planning
groups were organized to review respective regional water plan which is approved by Texas Water
Development Board every 5 years.
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VIII. Regional Water Planning (Region N)
The City's water supply projections based on the safe yield supply from CCR/LCC/Lake Texana is
estimated to be 200,000 acre/ft per year through year 2060. In turn, the City and its customer
demands are expected to reach 245,247 acre feet/year by 2060, leaving an estimated shortfall of
45,247 acre feet/year based on available existing water supplies.
The safe yield supply is used rather than the firm.yield due to drought conditions to allow a
cushion. Ms. Shaw stated that additional water supplies were needed to meet the needs of the
region, ideally 75,000 ace feet.
Ms. Serrato asked if the city would develop supplies soon if demand shifted to the left with the
addition of Las Brisas. Ms. Shaw stated that some water management strategies might be more
attractive than others; however, the TWDB required that first strategies be included. Ms. Serrato
stated that she'd preferred to be inclusive, rather than exclusive and that more information was
needed from the City as to when it would acquire Garwood water.
Ms. Shaw encouraged committee members to visit the www.nueces-ra.org to view Phase I draft
study reports as posted to the Nueces River Authority web site.
HDR identified Phase 2—additional water management strategy studies such as evaluating inter-
connections to Mary Rhodes pipeline for industrial users with intakes at the Calallen Pool; water
supply with productivity multipliers for Nueces Bay and Estuary Freshwater Inflows; and brackish
groundwater supply evaluations.
A timeline of expected public meetings for 2009 was presented.
IX. USACOE Nueces Feasibility Studies
Discussion followed on the progress of the USA Corp of Engineers Nueces Feasibility Study. Ms.
Shaw identified the six projected being reviewed.
- Desalination - Off Channel Reservoir
- Wastewater Diversion to Nueces Delta - Recharge Enhancement Projects
- Cotulla Diversion Project - Brush Control
Mrs. Serrato thanked Ms. Shaw for her presentation.
Mrs. Serrato reminded the group that it was her last meeting as her three year term expired in
March 2009. Mrs. Marruffo stated that several committee members will have expired terms;
however, they would be contacted to determine if they wish to be appointed by the Mayor for
another term.
With no further business, the meeting was adjourned at 1:05 p.m.
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