| 1 | 1 | | 85R5098 SLB-D |
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| 2 | 2 | | By: Creighton S.B. No. 1529 |
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| 3 | 3 | | |
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| 4 | 4 | | |
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| 5 | 5 | | A BILL TO BE ENTITLED |
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| 6 | 6 | | AN ACT |
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| 7 | 7 | | relating to the collection, analysis, and dissemination of |
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| 8 | 8 | | information regarding the availability and quality of the |
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| 9 | 9 | | groundwater resources in this state by the Geo-Technology Research |
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| 10 | 10 | | Institute. |
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| 11 | 11 | | BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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| 12 | 12 | | SECTION 1. The heading to Section 149.004, Education Code, |
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| 13 | 13 | | is amended to read as follows: |
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| 14 | 14 | | Sec. 149.004. DUTIES IN GENERAL. |
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| 15 | 15 | | SECTION 2. Chapter 149, Education Code, is amended by |
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| 16 | 16 | | adding Section 149.0045 to read as follows: |
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| 17 | 17 | | Sec. 149.0045. COLLECTION, ANALYSIS, AND DISSEMINATION OF |
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| 18 | 18 | | INFORMATION REGARDING GROUNDWATER RESOURCES. (a) The institute |
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| 19 | 19 | | shall use data from the Texas Water Development Board, the Railroad |
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| 20 | 20 | | Commission of Texas, and the Bureau of Economic Geology of The |
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| 21 | 21 | | University of Texas at Austin to develop a three-dimensional model |
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| 22 | 22 | | of the availability and quality of the groundwater resources in |
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| 23 | 23 | | this state. The institute shall digitize data necessary to develop |
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| 24 | 24 | | the model, if necessary. Once developed, the institute shall run |
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| 25 | 25 | | the model and use the model run results to: |
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| 26 | 26 | | (1) develop a time-based representation of water level |
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| 27 | 27 | | and water yield declines in aquifers, including information on |
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| 28 | 28 | | production or injection well intervals in the aquifers studied; and |
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| 29 | 29 | | (2) identify favorable areas, including aquifers with |
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| 30 | 30 | | multiple zones, for aquifer storage and recovery projects and the |
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| 31 | 31 | | estimated storage capacity of those areas. |
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| 32 | 32 | | (b) The institute shall make the model run results described |
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| 33 | 33 | | by Subsection (a) available in software suitable for |
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| 34 | 34 | | three-dimensional visualization and volumetric analysis. |
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| 35 | 35 | | (c) Not later than September 1, 2019, the institute shall |
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| 36 | 36 | | develop and run a model described by Subsection (a) for the area |
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| 37 | 37 | | included in the following counties: |
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| 38 | 38 | | (1) Bastrop; |
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| 39 | 39 | | (2) Bell; |
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| 40 | 40 | | (3) Burnet; |
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| 41 | 41 | | (4) Coryell; |
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| 42 | 42 | | (5) Lampasas; |
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| 43 | 43 | | (6) McLennan; |
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| 44 | 44 | | (7) Travis; and |
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| 45 | 45 | | (8) Williamson. |
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| 46 | 46 | | (d) After developing and running the model for the area |
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| 47 | 47 | | described by Subsection (c), the institute shall develop and run |
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| 48 | 48 | | models for areas included in other counties in decreasing order of |
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| 49 | 49 | | importance, as determined by the institute from an analysis of |
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| 50 | 50 | | population projections and projected municipal water needs. |
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| 51 | 51 | | (e) For each area for which the institute completes the |
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| 52 | 52 | | development and running of a model, the institute shall conduct a |
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| 53 | 53 | | workshop in the area to provide information to groundwater |
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| 54 | 54 | | conservation districts located in the area, if applicable, on how |
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| 55 | 55 | | to use the model and the model run results to coordinate groundwater |
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| 56 | 56 | | management activities by those groundwater conservation districts. |
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| 57 | 57 | | (f) The institute shall create and maintain an online |
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| 58 | 58 | | geospatial information application to educate the public about the |
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| 59 | 59 | | effect of drought on groundwater quantity and quality. |
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| 60 | 60 | | (g) The institute shall assess trends in groundwater |
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| 61 | 61 | | quality during a known drought period selected by the institute to |
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| 62 | 62 | | determine how production affects groundwater quality and how those |
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| 63 | 63 | | effects vary geospatially. |
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| 64 | 64 | | SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2017. |
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