| 1 | 1 | | 86R13957 SLB-D |
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| 2 | 2 | | By: Zaffirini S.B. No. 1496 |
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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 a pilot project conducted by the Texas Water |
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| 8 | 8 | | Development Board regarding the real-time monitoring of the |
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| 9 | 9 | | inundation and water quality of certain portions of the Rio Grande. |
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| 10 | 10 | | BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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| 11 | 11 | | SECTION 1. Title 2, Water Code, is amended by adding |
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| 12 | 12 | | Subtitle G to read as follows: |
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| 13 | 13 | | SUBTITLE G. PILOT PROJECT |
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| 14 | 14 | | CHAPTER 39. RIO GRANDE MONITORING PILOT PROJECT |
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| 15 | 15 | | Sec. 39.0101. PURPOSE. It is the policy of this state and |
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| 16 | 16 | | the purpose of this chapter to: |
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| 17 | 17 | | (1) implement a pilot project on the Rio Grande to |
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| 18 | 18 | | better provide for the public's interests and needs regarding that |
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| 19 | 19 | | river; |
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| 20 | 20 | | (2) demonstrate new tools in water quality monitoring |
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| 21 | 21 | | and early flood warning that will be transferable to other areas of |
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| 22 | 22 | | this state; and |
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| 23 | 23 | | (3) provide more efficient and effective |
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| 24 | 24 | | administration of the conservation of this state's natural |
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| 25 | 25 | | resources and protection of the public and the environment. |
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| 26 | 26 | | Sec. 39.0102. DEFINITIONS. In this chapter: |
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| 27 | 27 | | (1) "Board" means the Texas Water Development Board. |
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| 28 | 28 | | (2) "Commission" means the Texas Commission on |
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| 29 | 29 | | Environmental Quality. |
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| 30 | 30 | | (3) "Pilot project" means the Rio Grande monitoring |
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| 31 | 31 | | pilot project. |
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| 32 | 32 | | Sec. 39.0103. RIO GRANDE MONITORING PILOT PROJECT. (a) The |
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| 33 | 33 | | board and the commission jointly shall conduct a river monitoring |
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| 34 | 34 | | pilot project on the Rio Grande between Columbia and Falcon Lake as |
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| 35 | 35 | | described by this section. |
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| 36 | 36 | | (b) The pilot project must include improvements to or |
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| 37 | 37 | | installation of monitoring sites at the following locations: |
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| 38 | 38 | | (1) Colombia Solidarity Bridge; |
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| 39 | 39 | | (2) World Trade International Bridge; |
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| 40 | 40 | | (3) Juarez-Lincoln International Bridge; |
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| 41 | 41 | | (4) US Geological Survey Site 084592000; and |
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| 42 | 42 | | (5) a site in San Ygnacio upstream from Falcon Lake. |
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| 43 | 43 | | (c) The board shall: |
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| 44 | 44 | | (1) enhance the stream gaging network that monitors |
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| 45 | 45 | | stream flow in the Rio Grande; and |
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| 46 | 46 | | (2) develop a flood inundation modeling system for the |
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| 47 | 47 | | Rio Grande. |
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| 48 | 48 | | (d) The commission shall establish a continuous, real-time |
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| 49 | 49 | | water quality observation network for the segment of the Rio Grande |
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| 50 | 50 | | described by Subsection (b), including a program of periodic water |
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| 51 | 51 | | sampling to determine the levels of: |
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| 52 | 52 | | (1) turbidity; |
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| 53 | 53 | | (2) acidity; |
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| 54 | 54 | | (3) temperature; |
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| 55 | 55 | | (4) dissolved oxygen; |
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| 56 | 56 | | (5) nitrates; and |
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| 57 | 57 | | (6) total dissolved solids. |
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| 58 | 58 | | (e) The commission and the board may post information |
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| 59 | 59 | | obtained in the pilot project on the commission's or board's |
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| 60 | 60 | | Internet website. |
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| 61 | 61 | | (f) The board may contract or cooperate with any person |
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| 62 | 62 | | necessary to complete the pilot project, including the United |
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| 63 | 63 | | States Geological Survey Texas Water Science Center. |
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| 64 | 64 | | Sec. 39.0104. PILOT PROJECT REPORT. Not later than |
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| 65 | 65 | | September 1, 2024, the board shall deliver a report to the governor, |
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| 66 | 66 | | lieutenant governor, speaker of the house of representatives, and |
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| 67 | 67 | | standing committees of the senate and house of representatives |
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| 68 | 68 | | having jurisdiction over matters related to water development. The |
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| 69 | 69 | | report must include a summary of the methods used and the results |
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| 70 | 70 | | obtained for each element of the pilot project. |
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| 71 | 71 | | SECTION 2. This Act takes effect September 1, 2019. |
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