1 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 SOUTH CENTRAL TEXAS REGIONAL WATER PLANNING GROUP 13 INITIALLY PREPARED REGIONAL WATER PLAN 14 HEARING FOR PUBLIC COMMENTS 15 HELD MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 25, 2000 16 VICTORIA, TEXAS 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 2 1 SCOTT ELFIN: The first person who is going to 2 speak is Patsy Light and the second person who gets to 3 sit in the chair and wait for Patsy is Edward 4 J-A-R-Z-O-M-L-E-H. Sorry about that. Patsy? 5 PATSY LIGHT: I am Patsy Light, a board member 6 of the San Antonio River Basin Alliance. Those of us who 7 are here in the yellow bandanas and those who were unable 8 to be present are grateful that the Initially Prepared 9 Water Plan for our region does not include the Goliad 10 reservoir. We are realists, however, and we know that 11 large reservoirs remain as possible future options. We 12 are presenting for inclusion in the public comment 13 section of the plan as follows. Resolutions in 14 opposition to the reservoir from the Goliad County 15 Commissioner's Court; Karnes County Commissioner's Court; 16 Goliad City Council; Karnes City Council; Goliad 17 Independent School District; Pettus Independent School 18 District; letter, reports, testimonies, cards and faxes 19 are from Commissioner Combs, Texas Department of 20 Agriculture; Commissioner Sansom, Texas Parks & Wildlife; 21 Commissioner Dewhurst, Texas General Land Office; State 22 Preservation Officer and Director of the Texas Historic 23 Commission, Lawrence Oaks. Texas Farm Bureau President, 24 Bob Stallman; Goliad County Farm Bureau; Karnes County 25 Farm Bureau; Goliad County Historical Commission; Karnes 3 1 County Historical Commission, Bexar County Historical 2 Commission, TNRCC Water Quality Assessment showing that 3 the reservoir area on the San Antonio River is listed on 4 the Impaired Waters List 303 D list. Joe Abel, President 5 of M.D. Abel Company, Geologist Wayne Croft; Texas Water 6 Development Board's on evaporation rate for reservoir at 7 Goliad; a letter from Myssie Ackum. Ecological 8 significance of the Proposed Goliad Reservoir by 9 Acoservices, Dr. Alice Hempel of Ecoservices, Geologist 10 Walter Light, Jr. and cards stating opposition from 1,061 11 individuals that are on the file with Moorehouse & 12 Associates in Corpus. Standing room only crowd at public 13 meetings in the courthouses in Goliad and Karnes 14 evidencing consternation felt by citizens when they 15 realized that they might lose their livelihoods, homes 16 and lands, their ancestral cemeteries and their mineral 17 interests. County and school officials realized the huge 18 loss in taxes and historians and archeologists were 19 alarmed by the loss of approximately one-third of the 20 28,000 National Register of Historic Places, historic 21 district, the San Antonio River Valley west of Goliad 22 Rural Historic District. The threat of a reservoir has 23 loomed over us like a dark cloud for over 50 years. We 24 ask you to permanently remove the Goliad reservoir from 25 future consideration. Thank you very much. 4 1 MR. ELLIFF: After Mr. Jarzomlek we're going to 2 have Monica Flores. Give the reporter a minute to let 3 her fingers -- let the smoke clear over there. Mr. 4 Jarzomlek? 5 EDWARD JARZOMLEK: Thank you for the 6 opportunity to let me speak. My name is Edward 7 Jarzomlek. I am with the Goliad County Water Action 8 Group. I am a resident of Wilson County, a property 9 owner, a ranger, a water purveyor and a water well 10 drilling contractor. We have drilled wells in Wilson 11 County from the depths of 100 feet to 2,700 feet. Sizes 12 from 5 inch casing to 14 inch casing, wells that produce 13 from 10 gallons per minute to 2,000 gallons per minute. 14 Being involved in the well drilling industry for almost 15 forty years I see three major problems with putting well 16 fields across Wilson County. First, all our shallow 17 wells in the western part of Wilson County located in the 18 outcrop of the Carrizo will go dry. A majority of our 89 19 subdivisions are located in these areas. All these 20 subdivisions get water from the Carrizo aquifer and most 21 of these subdivision wells are less than 400 feet deep. 22 I myself own 8 wells between the depths of 350 and 400 23 foot that supply water to three different subdivisions. 24 If this water level is lowered all of the wells will go 25 dry. Number two, there are several oil fields located in 5 1 the Wilson County that produce oil from the top of the 2 Carrizo sand. These wells vary in depths from 400 foot 3 in the Stockdale area to 2,000 foot in the Kosciusko 4 area. If the static level of pressure is reduced this 5 oil can start to migrate and does pollute the existing 6 Carrizo sands which is the main source of our water. We 7 need to protect our water. Wilson County needs this 8 water for future growth and does not have the resources 9 to seek new avenues for water. Number three, the Carrizo 10 water just to the south of Wilson County is already 11 salty. If the water level is lowered and the saltwater 12 from this source goes -- moves to the north it also 13 pollutes our wells. According to the numbers used by HDR 14 Wilson County uses about 22,000 acre feet of water a 15 year. The recharge is 43,000 acres. Why is it that our 16 water levels are constantly dropping, our artesian wells 17 have quit flowing and our pumps are constantly being 18 lowered. We need more scientific studies on our water 19 supply. Thank you. 20 MR. ELLIFF: After Ms. Flores we will have 21 Doyle Hines. 22 MONICA FLORES: Thank you. Good evening. I'm 23 Monica Flores and I also am a member of the Wilson County 24 Water Action Project. I first want to thank you for the 25 opportunity to let me speak to you tonight. This is an 6 1 issue that moves me deeply. Therefore, I bring you this 2 very important message tonight. Reflections for the 3 future. It isn't a wonder I'm here today to make a point 4 and to have my say, to bring to your attention and a 5 awesome request to dismiss the Cibolo reservoir as we may 6 suggest. The purpose of regional planning efforts of 7 Senate Bill 1 are to provide the following and as 8 effectively as can be done: Development, management and 9 conservation of water resources and preparation of 10 response to when the drought takes its courses. This is 11 to be done for sufficient water to be available to ensure 12 public health, safety and welfare that is reasonable for 13 further economic development and protection of our lands 14 and natural resources of the region that we find to be so 15 grand. Region L is the planning group of 20 members 16 appointed to bring one plan for the people and have it 17 anointed. The members represent 11 interests to serve 18 without pay and are responsible for the developments of 19 the South Central Water Plan today. We are asking 20 without a doubt for positive regional implications to 21 take us into the future without any reservations. To 22 certainly provide us with continued growth and prosperity 23 that will take us to new heights filled with integrity. 24 There are many concerns as you go forward to completion, 25 inaccurate numbers being used as our aquifer falls to 7 1 depletion, lack of concern for the many households being 2 disrupted in a day and age of technology that our lives 3 shouldn't be interrupted. The Cibolo is ours to protect 4 and to save. It isn't an option or one you can carve. 5 Look to other avenues that may suit your valuable needs 6 and leave the Cibolo out of the water plan as your very 7 grand deed. We ask that you research and plan with more 8 aggressive examination into options that may be possible 9 and available as in desalination. Give careful review 10 and proper dissemination of information with detailed 11 numbers of projections that will support the future 12 generation. Since our aquifer is plentiful, in our plan 13 should include protection of our natural resources and 14 all other possessions without rejection there should be 15 aquifer recharge and storage and those of conservation so 16 that you may go forward with decisions without 17 reservation. I come before you this evening to request 18 another time to see our desire to live peacefully as not 19 a threat or a crime but instead to honor the Carrizo and 20 the common good for all so that in the future we may all 21 stand proud and so tall. Thank you. 22 MR. ELLIFF: After Mr. Hines we'll have John 23 Poldreck. 24 DOYLE HINES: I'm here on behalf of the DeWitt 25 Gonzales River Association, 1,100 members that come from 8 1 some 4,000 landowners in DeWitt and Gonzales County. We 2 have attended your meetings through the last 3 two-and-a-half years and we have appreciated the 4 opportunity for having input into your process. I 5 believe we have filed various documents that have 6 supplemented some of your activities and hopefully added 7 to what you have attempted to do. We appreciate very 8 much these individuals that have sat on this committee. 9 As we have told you many times, you have a very difficult 10 job in supplying a 50 year supply of water to this 11 growing diverse region of the State of Texas. We 12 appreciate what you've done. We also are very 13 appreciative of the fact that there's no new reservoirs 14 or including -- or our reservoirs are not included in 15 these future plans that you have. We also would ask that 16 we get serious about conservation, that there be some 17 follow-ups of the conservation plans so as to be sure 18 that they are enacted, not just talk, not just lip 19 service but actually performed throughout this area. It 20 has to be done. We would ask that this be a future 21 activity of this committee that is reorganized so as to 22 have effective effort of all people. This is a very 23 important effort that we are undertaking in this 24 twenty-one counties of our state, and there is very 25 significant impact which will occur from what we may do 9 1 and how we may -- how -- what results we may have. 2 Again, I would like to thank you for the opportunity that 3 we've had from the River Association to have input to 4 you. You've had a tough job and for the committee and 5 those representatives here, we appreciate what you have 6 done. We ask that this continue, this access be 7 continued so that we would have input in the future into 8 this effort that could very definitely effect our region 9 of the State of Texas. Thank you very much. 10 MR. ELLIFF: After Mr. Poldreck, Linda 11 Poldreck. 12 JOHN POLDRECK, JR.: Hello. How are y'all 13 doing? 14 EVELYN BONAVITA: Could I ask that you say your 15 name so that the court -- 16 JOHN POLDRECK, JR.: I'm John Poldreck. 17 EVELYN BONAVITA: Okay. So that we can be sure 18 we get that together with the testimony. 19 JOHN POLDRECK, JR.: I am a member of the San 20 Antonio River Basin Alliance. I'm a rancher in southern 21 southeastern Karnes County and we understand that the 22 reservoir is no longer on your plan but it still looms 23 and it can be an option; and therefore, I, you know, 24 we're here speaking. I don't mean to brow beat you about 25 this but this is very sensitive to us. We would lose 10 1 about 120 acres of my wife and my land if this reservoir 2 would be built, so this is real serious. During the last 3 spring our group, we started putting together maps and 4 what I have here is a map for y'all of pipelines and 5 utility cables that would have to be moved or removed 6 completely if this reservoir were to be built. But this 7 does not include a new line of Koch products that was 8 just put in. We have integrated some data into this map 9 and all of these would have to be rerouted. These 10 companies that spent a lot of money buying these 11 right-of-ways and it would be unreal to even come close 12 to the amount of money they've got to spend to dig these 13 things back up and buy new right of way. Thank you. 14 MR. ELLIFF: After Linda Poldreck the next 15 speaker is Wayne Henderson. 16 WAYNE HENDERSON: I'm not going to speak. 17 MR. ELLIFF: Okay. Thank you. After then the 18 next speaker will be James Zandonatti. Mrs. Poldreck? 19 LINDA POLDRECK: My name is Linda Poldreck. I 20 am a Karnes and Goliad County landowner and a member of 21 the San Antonio River Basin Alliance. Although we 22 realize the Goliad reservoir is not included in the final 23 water plan we still view it as a potential threat to our 24 home and habitat, so we want this to go on record as 25 opposition for any future reevaluation of the Goliad 11 1 reservoir for metropolitan water and use. As I have 2 previously addressed the Regional Water Planning Group I 3 am a Karnes and Goliad County landowner. My family and I 4 purchased property bordering the San Antonio River in 5 1992. We have dedicated the past three years to 6 developing the property for wildlife and cattle 7 management. We have spent tens of thousands of dollars 8 and countless hours in planning and refining a 9 conservation program to accomplish our goals. We 10 utilized the services of the Natural Resource and 11 Conservation Service in developing the program that 12 incorporated clearing the brush land in 200 foot wide and 13 property lane strips, planted permanent grasses including 14 kline and (?) grass on the open strips and then built a 15 15,000 cubic yard stock tank for cattle, fish and 16 wildlife. During the past several months we have been 17 terrified of the prospect at the Goliad reservoir as a 18 water source for the San Antonio area. The Goliad 19 reservoir means the loss of our property to flooding with 20 noncontact water from the proposed cesspool. I cannot 21 imagine how little regard our government officials have 22 for the backbone of our society. Throughout my lifetime 23 in the farming and ranching occupation I have believed 24 that we are the providers of the meal sitting in front of 25 you on the table. We are members of a dwindling 12 1 population of good producers. We are in fact an 2 endangered species. We believe as an endangered species 3 our habitat should be protected instead of destroyed by a 4 man-made cesspool. My husband and I were blessed with 5 the birth of a beautiful little girl seven weeks ago. We 6 intend to continue the fight to preserve our home and 7 lifestyle for her and any to come after her. If the 8 Goliad reservoir is reinstated as a potential water 9 source for the region, let it be known that the Poldreck 10 family and the Oakeo family will be right here to fight 11 the destruction of God's beautiful countryside. Thank 12 you very much. 13 MR. ELLIFF: After Mr. Zandonatti, Ray Pilsner. 14 JAMES ZANDONATTI: I'm James Zandonatti. I'm a 15 citizen of Victoria County. I sort of got caught up in 16 that Coleto Lake a few years back but my idea, just 17 questions I want to ask. Since 85 percent of the world 18 is covered with water I'm against a -- using agricultural 19 land for impounding water. Go out in the dessert maybe 20 or somewhere. Along our barrier islands we have millions 21 of acres of saltwater bays. Has any study ever been made 22 to convert a few of them bays into sweet water? I know 23 you're going to hear about the shrimp industry, you're 24 got to breed the shrimp and you've got the what about a 25 hurricane. Well, if you have maybe three bays along 500 13 1 miles of coast, one may wash out but the levees are so 2 small that they probably could be rebuilt in a few 3 months. Well, anyway, I just wondered if any study was 4 ever made and that's about all I have to say. Thank you. 5 MR. ELLIFF: After Mr. Pilsner, Georgia Lee 6 Swickheimer. 7 RAY PILSNER: My name is Ray Pilsner. I'm a 8 Victoria County resident, live out at Goliad Highway in a 9 rural subdivision and I have a question for the board. 10 I'd appreciate if you'd answer it so we could hear it. 11 Who represents the individual county people in 12 subdivisions on this group? I don't see -- I see public. 13 I see county, but I don't see that as someone 14 representing interest of those people in rural 15 subdivisions and with small acreage. Who represents us? 16 That's a -- that's a good answer. My -- my concerns -- 17 my concerns are for the shallow wells that I have in my 18 subdivision, shallow wells from 60 to 200 feet. I'm 19 concerned about the drilling of wells deeper just as a 20 man from Wilson County stated about the contamination and 21 drying up of these wells. The depletion would be 22 horrendous. I don't believe that the City of Victoria 23 can stand the influx of people into the City if some 24 means weren't made to ensure that the county residents 25 can't keep the water that they have. It's just too 14 1 important. Someone might have to help me here but 2 there's what, 75,000 people in the County of Victoria? 3 60,000 roughly in the City which means that there's 4 15,000 of us somewhere out in the county who are paying 5 for our water wells or individual companies that furnish 6 water to places like Bloomington, Placedo and Coleto 7 Creek. I don't guess then that anyone knows how many 8 water wells there are out in the county or counties that 9 are represented here tonight and that in itself speaks 10 for a real lack of interest for about 12 to 15 percent of 11 the people because that I think except for Bexar County I 12 believe that the average of -- will be about that for the 13 various counties that live outside the cities. Weather 14 modification bothers me because I think it's one of those 15 situations where you rob Peter to pay Paul. I really 16 believe that people that have the most money will do the 17 most seeding of clouds and those that need the rainfall 18 -- and thank God for that one inch we got last night -- 19 those of us that need the rainfall will see it go 20 elsewhere. Are there any plans for interchange of water 21 or there should be plans for the interchange of water 22 between the various groups or even as far east as the 23 Mississippi. I just see that there's locations in -- 24 that there may be water available. And last and one that 25 I've heard over and over again, why is San Antonio not 15 1 revitalizing the Apple White Reservoir Project? Thank 2 you. 3 MR. ELLIFF: After Mrs. Swickheimer -- 4 EVELYN BONAVITA: I want to tell you once again 5 that we are not answering questions tonight. They will 6 be answered, they will be addressed in the final plan, 7 and that applies to all questions. 8 MR. ELLIFF: After Mrs. Swickheimer the next 9 speaker will be Gaylon Click. 10 GEORGIA LEE SWICKHEIMER: My name is Georgia 11 Lee Swickheimer. I'm from Goliad County. After reading 12 all the options proposed for Regional L which initially 13 included a dam being built on the San Antonio River 14 piping the water back upstream to San Antonio for 15 reprocessing and then dumping it back into the San 16 Antonio River to repeat the process again and again. 17 Seems like being on a treadmill and getting nowhere much 18 less solving San Antonio's problem to the extent of 19 having enough water to do with what they want to do. It 20 just moves the burden to other counties which will be 21 running short of water as the urban rural areas are being 22 developed by people wanting to get out of the over- 23 crowded cities. In the long run the solution proposed is 24 piping water all over the region is a construction 25 company's dream come true. I can see the contractors all 16 1 lined up waiting to submit a bid to get on part of this 2 gravy train. San Antonio River tried building an Apple 3 White reservoir and the people of San Antonio voted it 4 down after digging a hole and filling it up at a cost of 5 about $20,000. Who gained from this but construction 6 people and those behind the deals. Look at all the money 7 they spent on this venture to no avail just to waste the 8 taxpayers' money. Also the buying up of irrigation 9 rights which families have had since they bought the land 10 or inherited it is just another division of landowners' 11 rights. The large amounts of vegetables that are grown 12 in the winter garden area would be devastated. Every 13 time you go into the store to buy produce, what do you 14 see but grown somewhere else but in the United States of 15 America under no telling what kind of pesticide 16 regulations which are supposed to be inspected at Port of 17 Entries but with the shortage of inspectors to cover the 18 waterfront how much slips through to damage our health. 19 This is just another ploy to increase foreign products 20 and produce being made in the USA in the long run putting 21 more people out of work. San Antonio keeps on growing 22 and there seems to be no end to what is survival of the 23 recharge zone of the Edwards Aquifer. In order to 24 preserve the aquifer there has to be plans for green zone 25 so that water may be re-percolated down through the 17 1 ground and recharging out -- charging water -- changing 2 water streams to accommodate building projects just 3 because it's more runoff and no recharge. A look has to 4 be taken as to the overall plan to redevelop in it's own 5 Bexar County. To just keep on pouring more concrete on 6 the surface just limits the cause and the possibility of 7 recharging the aquifer. There is probably as much 8 resistance to building recharge dams over the recharge 9 over the aquifer as there is to building dams or all 10 originally piping water back to San Antonio. But the 11 solution to San Antonio's water problem is recharge of 12 the Edwards Aquifer. Taking water from one aquifer is 13 just borrow water from one aquifer to another and it's 14 not a good solution to San Antonio's water shortage. The 15 land over the Aquifer is more porous which is intended 16 for the exact purpose of recharge. I will turn in the 17 rest of my comments since I have more to read. 18 MR. ELLIFF: Mrs. Swickheimer. After Mr. Click 19 Judge Marvin Quinney. 20 GAYLON CLICK: Good evening. I'm Gaylon Click 21 with the Wilson County Water Action Project. Looking 22 forward, this Regional L 50 Year Water Plan is to be 23 reviewed every five years and the fact that there's so 24 many options used will be revisited and new options will 25 be evaluated. We recommend that field work be done very 18 1 early in the process on each option that is being 2 seriously considered. And a lot of the information used 3 in the complete plan was based on old information and 4 situations change very rapidly, especially in counties 5 near a major population center. We further recommend 6 that local people be included in all the phases of these 7 studies. The local people if properly selected based on 8 their experience and knowledge of the area will be best 9 able to determine the effects of the options on the 10 economy, schools, citizens, ecology and so forth of the 11 area. They could also recognize questionable data. Use 12 of these field studies should avoid surprises later in 13 the process such as finding out there are a number of oil 14 and gas deposits on increase or finding that there are 15 environmental problems that are not addressed in the 16 environment -- earlier environmental impact studies. 17 Facts obtained from these field studies will help insure 18 a direct resolution from the evaluation of the option. I 19 leave -- I close with a volatile message. We are very 20 thankful that you did not include a major reservoir in 21 Wilson County. Thank you. 22 MR. ELLIFF: After Judge Quinney, Diana Savage. 23 JUDGE MARVIN QUINNEY: I'm Marvin Quinney, the 24 County Judge of Wilson County. I'm not going to address 25 specifics tonight, but on behalf of the citizens of 19 1 Wilson County I want to thank all of you for the months 2 of hard work and time you've spent. I'd also like to 3 thank the citizens groups, not only from Wilson County 4 but all the citizens groups. I think anyone will agree 5 that also the open meetings and the input from the 6 citizens group we are all much better informed at this 7 time. I believe with your leadership and your desire to 8 work to -- for every citizen in the region to have a 9 solution that is fair and equitable to all and will be 10 found to answer our water needs well past the 2050. Our 11 specifics and everything that's been spelled out in the 12 county government under the resolutions and 13 proclamations, of course we stand by that. We're also 14 very willing to work with the region to come up with a 15 plan and then I think y'all have done a great job and 16 you're well on your way and we appreciate it and thank 17 you. 18 MR. ELLIFF: Thank you, Judge. After Mrs. 19 Savage, Mayor Tony Malik. Good evening. I'm Diane 20 Savage with the Wilson County Water Action Project. We 21 are pleased and proud that Wilson County has been such an 22 active force in the public participation process. There 23 are quite of few of us here this evening and you have met 24 several of our elected officials. Judge Quinney, Mayor 25 Malik, Commissioner Olenick are just a few of them that 20 1 have stood by us and we certainly appreciate their strong 2 support. We are all pleased that the Initial Regional 3 Water Plan does not include any new large reservoirs. 4 However, we will be ecstatic as would I imagine a large 5 portion of this audience if these tremendously unpopular, 6 expensive, inefficient environmentally unacceptable 7 options were just removed from water planning 8 consideration all together. X them out. Forever. 9 Forever. Let people have their lives back without the 10 threat of losing it all to a reservoir. We are all 11 pleased as well with the outstanding work being done by 12 our Evergreen Underground Water Conservation District. 13 The Evergreen is working to protect and conserve our 14 ground water resources so that water will be available in 15 Wilson County to meet our needs now and in the future so 16 the rural areas as well as San Antonio can experience 17 some economic growth and prosperity. We are pleased to 18 note that Region L is at least considering a policy 19 position that addresses the issue of planning growth to 20 match natural resources. It's a start. We are also 21 pleased to see that not only conservation but also reuse 22 is an element of the Water Plan. In the rural areas we 23 consider these practices to be standard and we hope that 24 the San Antonio media can get me on a discussion of lawn 25 sprinklers because conservation and reuse must become 21 1 part of everyone's life throughout the region. As we 2 close in on the Region L Plan which will be incorporated 3 into a state water plan we urge Region L to begin study 4 and implementation of the common sense options like brush 5 management, small recharge structures, rainwater 6 harvesting, et cetera, in order to provide some near-term 7 relief so that we can continue to work towards the long 8 term solutions. I know you all will be able to get over 9 this, but I do want to say thanks to all the members of 10 the planning group for your hard work on this plan. 11 Thank you. 12 MR. ELLIFF: After Mayor Malik, E.H. Schmiedlin. 13 MAYOR TONY MALIK: Good evening. I'm Tony 14 Malik, the Mayor of Stockdale, Wilson County. Public 15 awareness and public acceptance are vital elements to the 16 success of any regional water plan. The residents of 17 Wilson County became actively involved in the planning 18 process organizing and attending planning meetings. We 19 signed petitions. The governing bodies passed 20 resolutions. We contacted our representatives in the 21 legislature and on the planning board. We contacted 22 engineers and geologists who were familiar with the 23 properties of the regional aquifer. We educated 24 ourselves and prepared for the fight of our lives. It 25 was a very taxing and time-consuming undertaking. Many 22 1 said the plan was as good as sealed, we were wasting our 2 time, but this board did listen. We now have before us a 3 plan we feel we can live with. It maintains availability 4 of water in Wilson County for future growth and economic 5 development. We realize that conservation and reuse are 6 key elements to the success of this plan. We trust that 7 everyone will participate. As this plan moves on to the 8 Water Development Board and the legislature we would ask 9 that the lawmakers look at the local government code and 10 give county governments the power to regulate growth and 11 to manage their resources to maintain balance. Many 12 rural areas north of San Antonio are experiencing 13 uncontrolled development that threatens the very things 14 people went to those regions for. Water is in short 15 supply. The scenic beauty and serenity is threatened. 16 If any state plan is going to be a success local 17 governments need to have the ability to impact planning 18 and develop growth strategies and limitations. We also 19 request that the unwanted reservoirs be permanently 20 removed from the plans so that we can get on with our 21 lives. As long as these reservoirs remain in the 22 background marketability of property is threatened. The 23 economic development in those areas is stipend. Who 24 wants to invest in land that will possibly be flooded in 25 a few years. On behalf of the City of Stockdale I wish 23 1 to thank Chairperson Evelyn Bonavita and all the members 2 of the South Texas Planning Board. I'm sure keeping 3 peace and order over such a large diverse group of 4 planners and concerned public was quite a feat. Most of 5 the concerns that were voiced were heard and we now have 6 a workable comprehensive plan. I'm sure that without our 7 input your job would have been so much simpler. 8 MR. ELLIFF: The next speaker in the seat will 9 be Carl Johnson. 10 CARL JOHNSON: I'll pass. 11 E.H. SCHMIEDLIN: My name is Smitty Schmiedlin. 12 I have property in DeWitt, Aransas and Goliad County. 13 I'm here tonight representing the Texas Historical 14 Division in regards to archaeology. Even though the new 15 reservoirs seem not to be part of the current solution we 16 all know that eventually this will yet become the issue. 17 I'd like to take just a few moments to review what's 18 happened to archeological sites in the past when 19 reservoirs were built. Most archeological investigations 20 on proposed reservoirs occur after lands to be impacted 21 have been purchased, then professional archaeologists 22 rush to save information about human activity in that 23 area. The record of human activity in Texas is contained 24 in the prehistoric and historic archeological sites and 25 structures representing thousands of years of human 24 1 occupation. Prehistory is known only through 2 archaeology. Archaeology sites hold the key to 3 understanding cultural events and processes over the last 4 12,000 years. Unfortunately in the past there's never 5 been enough time to totally complete the investigations. 6 Professionals rely on local informants and collectors as 7 well as ground surveys to assist them in locating major 8 archeological sites. Only a small number of the known 9 sites are actually excavated and these excavations often 10 take place as the water's rising. The archeological 11 community did not have the manpower and was not ready 12 when Canyon, Palmetto, Coleto, Choke Canyon were built. 13 Thousands of sites were never recorded and were lost. 14 This will not be the case when and if another reservoir 15 is planned. The archeological community now has a 16 database of trained volunteers thanks to the Texas 17 Historical Commissions Stewardship Network. These 18 volunteers are now ready to assist the professionals in 19 ground surveys when the need arises. With the use of 20 handheld global positioning systems and computers these 21 volunteers were able to record and report the majority of 22 the sites in any given area. It is known that many of 23 the sites in the immediate area are deeply buried and 24 will be extremely costly to mitigate. Putting the 25 efforts of local individuals most of the cemeteries in 25 1 surrounding counties are now documented and will require 2 relocation. In addition, the Spanish Colonial sites 3 exist and others will be found that require major 4 expenditures to mitigate. Using cost figures from 5 previous reservoir archaeology when planning a new 6 reservoir will be unrealistic. Remember, archeological 7 sites are a nonrenewable resource and be assured the 8 archeological community will be out in force to protect 9 and preserve the information they contain. Thank you. 10 MR. ELLIFF: The next speaker is William Weiss 11 followed by Nathan East. 12 WILLIAM WEISS: I am William Weiss. I live in 13 Victoria. I am a citizen, a retired citizen, that is, 14 and the key to the whole situation was what this young 15 lady said at the very beginning of the situation; 16 fairness, 100 percent fairness. It appears that the San 17 Antonio area is going to get about 80 or approximately 18 that percentage of water and it will be coming much of 19 that from this area. We will be expected to pay our 20 taxes for the same, so we are going to be paying taxes to 21 send our water to another area. As a senior citizen on a 22 fixed income I do not feel and I believe there are many 23 other retired people in this area I do not believe that 24 we can afford this particular thing. I believe that 25 everyone has a chance to have all the water they need, at 26 1 least for drinking. I can't say for golf courses because 2 that will effect about 50 to 100 homes worth. But I do 3 not feel it appropriate to take water from this area and 4 move it to another area and then tax us to send it there. 5 That is all. Thank you. 6 AUDIENCE MEMBER: Amen. 7 MR. ELLIFF: After Mr. East, Pauline Janak. 8 NATHAN EAST: Good evening. My name is Nathan 9 East. I represent the San Antonio River Basin Alliance 10 on the dam site for the Goliad reservoir. We bought this 11 place about two years ago. My wife and I found this 12 beautiful hill overlooking the San Antonio River and then 13 last year about a year-and-a-half ago I learned that that 14 pretty hill was where they wanted to put the dam. She 15 wants to build a house. We'd also lose some 200 acres. 16 We bought this land for a home, recreation and ranching 17 and also because of its tremendous wildlife potential, 18 the beautiful trees along the river, the big pecans and 19 all the other trees that don't exist in the prairie 20 country where I grew up. We bought it over two years 21 ago. My prior family history lies under Lake Corpus 22 Christi. Fortunately my great great aunt wrote a book 23 Sixty Years in Nueces Valley. She tells what happened 24 underneath that lake. But I'd like to see that that's 25 stopped because Corpus Christi didn't get the answer to 27 1 their water problems with a large reservoir. I know all 2 about Corpus Christi's water problems. I have been very 3 active in the community there. Corpus Christi found that 4 Lake Corpus Christi since silted up. They did the same 5 mistake again. They went and built a very expensive 6 Choke Canyon reservoir which is never full. Finally they 7 realized they just needed to get away from these little 8 desert creeks which we call rivers in San Antonio, 9 wouldn't be a river if it wasn't in Texas. They went to 10 Lake Texana. Corpus Christi finally is piping water from 11 a source where they can depend upon it. I believe that 12 we also need to remember that when a drought comes the 13 lakes are always dry. Corpus Christi has always found 14 this is a problem. Every time there's a water crisis 15 Lake Corpus Christi and Choke Canyon of course dry up; 16 the evaporation rate increases. I'd like for us just to 17 think about how much water would have evaporated over 18 28,000 acres of water in the last three weeks when the 19 temperature was 110 all day long. You probably would 20 have lost more than several of your projects. At Baylor 21 University one of my professors told me thirty years ago, 22 he said, the Texas people are going to have to learn to 23 quit damming up rivers and creeks for water. The secret 24 to our water, to understand our underground water 25 resource is to use them. We need to look at that. We 28 1 need -- and I would like to thank this process because 2 when it first started I thought, I can't believe this. 3 I've walked up there and walked right into a big -- big 4 problem and that dam's probably going to happen and of 5 course a few people said, well, there's nothing you can 6 do about it. Well, I do think that the board was very 7 fair and I think there's a lot of creative solutions have 8 been reached and I'm very pleased to look at this water 9 plan because I think it tries to treat everyone fairly. 10 And I'd like to be able to get this dam completely behind 11 me so I can build a house. Thank you. 12 MR. ELLIFF: The next speaker will be L.D. 13 Wasicek. 14 PAULINE JANAK: I thank you for serious 15 consideration of the desalination process that I know I 16 was one of many, many people that brought this up 17 approximately twenty months ago. Nothing is mentioned at 18 this time of any proposals of reservoir. But I want it 19 on record we do not want it now or brought up at any time 20 in the future. On the board earlier we saw a list on 21 positive focused group comments about the plan and it had 22 very large words, "No new large reservoirs." We also 23 want that put, "Don't want any little ones either." 24 Thank you. 25 MR. ELLIFF: That was Pauline Janak. Am I 29 1 pronouncing that right? Great. The next speaker after 2 Mr. Wasicek is Patricia Franklin. 3 L.D. WASICEK: My name is L.D. Wasicek. I'm a 4 resident of Victoria and Bill Weiss stole all my 5 comments, but the only thing I can see is San Antonio is 6 benefiting from us looking after our water. But do you 7 know that worldwide that 97 percent of our water in the 8 world is saltwater. Only 2.8 percent is fresh water. 9 Why can't San Antone build a pipeline to the saltwater 10 and use it instead of our water? 11 MR. ELLIFF: After Mrs. Franklin the next 12 speaker will be Robert Browning. My name is Patricia 13 Franklin. I'm a resident of Victoria. Why does almost 14 all the water have to go to Bexar County? Here's this 15 county with ample water resources that now wants to add 16 water supplies from no less than nine other counties, two 17 of which aren't even in our water district. Maybe they 18 need to slow down or freeze their growth. They're 19 running out of water. Is Bexar County going to pay all 20 of the infrastructure costs for the projects that are 21 providing water to them and are we going to have to pay 22 for anything other than our own water projects? Corpus 23 Christi -- just as an aside, Corpus Christi's water 24 problems could probably be solved with a desalination 25 plant also like Santa Barbara did except that they 30 1 shouldn't locate it over a false structure. The human 2 recharging of various aquifers came to be very tricky. 3 Any damage that's done to the structures can't be 4 reversed and the prevention of contamination is critical. 5 Enforceable ordinances. Pardon me, but that sounds like 6 the gestapo. We'll come into your house, we will take 7 out your perfectly good working toilets. We will install 8 toilets that don't flush because we don't quite have the 9 technology yet, and that would stop up your pipes because 10 there's not enough water to push it through and leave you 11 with Roto-Rooter bills up the whazoo. I didn't think 12 that was going to be funny. I think I'll buy a 13 franchise. It ought to make me a millionaire. And just 14 who is coming to my house? Can I call my local plumber 15 or are y'all going to have these brigades that come 16 around and bang on the doors and say, "We're coming in, 17 you know, we're taking it out." And what kind -- this is 18 a major point for me. What kind of recycling plan do you 19 have in place to dispose of all of these toilets? 20 There's got to be something. There's got to be some way 21 that you can reuse them because there will be mountains 22 and there's got to be -- if you're really going to do 23 this, if you are going to force us to do this and I 24 really object to it because if the toilet's working then 25 there's absolutely no reason to have to trade it out 31 1 until after it breaks or gets busted or something goes 2 arrear with it. Thank you very much. 3 MR. ELLIFF: After Mr. Browning, Judy Bowdie. 4 Judy's passing. Excuse me, Kenneth Schustereit. Thank 5 you. 6 ROBERT BROWNING: I realize that water is 7 probably only the second emotion to oil these days. It 8 gets a lot of attention. I certainly have witnessed 9 firsthand the emotion and the -- all the losses 10 associated with the reservoir. I live just a couple of 11 miles from Lake Texana which is for the most part muddy 12 most of the time. It silts up too, but there is an awful 13 lot of loss there. But I have more of philosophical 14 comments here rather than a specific project. I think 15 just like this lady just before said, in your zeal to 16 provide the lifeline of Texans in all our communities 17 there's two things particularly that interest me. One is 18 protecting and being respectful of the people that do 19 live out in the country who chose to live out in the 20 country and also fund and pump and have to take all the 21 precautions to make the water safe. Leave those people 22 alone. We also ask that you don't forget that this is 23 America when you start talking on your gestapo light 24 proposal to come into people's homes. We don't do that 25 in this country and don't forget that. 32 1 AUDIENCE MEMBER: Yes. 2 MR. ELLIFF: After Mr. Schustereit, Joseph 3 Sarlls. 4 KEN SCHUSTEREIT: Well, three things on this 5 Regional Water Plan I'm concerned about. Number one is 6 the river. Right now the Guadalupe River is one of the 7 poorest managed worst run river in the United States. 8 It's silted up. It's full of log jams and it has dams in 9 the wrong places that cause unseasonal flooding and it 10 destroys people's property rights, Mr. West. When I was 11 about this tall I remember G.G. Gayle in San Antonio 12 saying $99 down and $99 a month just five minutes north 13 of Loop 410. Talking that land. Six months ago I heard 14 him on Great Country 68 doing the same thing. The reason 15 they haven't dammed up any of those valleys north of San 16 Antonio where they could store deep water is because it's 17 all prime development property, and the developers run 18 San Antonio. 19 AUDIENCE MEMBER: Amen. 20 KEN SCHUSTEREIT: They had to go to the west 21 side of San Antonio and dig a big muddy hole when they 22 had all this property up there they could have dammed up. 23 But no, that's prime development property and the 24 developers own San Antonio. Just recently we were told 25 by our County Judge that the idea of us having to suffer 33 1 because of Houston's ozone problem was goofy. So why is 2 this same county judge telling us that we have to suffer 3 for San Antonio's water problems? They won't control 4 their growth because the developers own San Antonio. 5 Pipeline land. We started talking about reservoirs and 6 how much land that's going to take and condemn. If we 7 started having a bunch of these production wells around 8 town around the county, what about all the pipelines? 9 Land condemned pumping stations. It's going to be a 10 mess, but lawyers are going to get rich, the big land 11 owners are going to get rich, the average working people 12 and the poor are going to get the shaft, and I'm tired of 13 it. I'm tired of the -- of the local paper not giving 14 enough time and space to the opposition, and if you folks 15 want my toilet I'm going to tell you like the folks in 16 Gonzales, come on and take it. When you drive up my road 17 and tell me that I've got to put a meter on my water well 18 so that I can water my pecans, (knocks) let me tell you 19 my friend, you're going to do it over my dead body. 20 MR. ELLIFF: After Mr. Sarlls, Katherine 21 Gleason. And if you wish to speak, that's the last card 22 we've had turned in. So if you wish to speak please make 23 sure you've turned in a card. Katherine Gleason after 24 Mr. Sarlls. 25 JOSEPH SARLLS: Hello, ladies and gentlemen. I 34 1 appreciate y'all taking your time to come down and visit 2 today. My name is Joe Sarlls. I'm a Victoria County 3 resident, born and raised here, spent my whole life here, 4 most of the time out in the county. My dad would get me 5 out of bed on a Saturday morning and tell me, "Joe, the 6 water well is out. Let's get up and fix it." Forty 7 years ago my uncle told me I was going to see water 8 shortages in my lifetime. Well, I live 100 foot above 9 sea level and I said, "Doesn't makes sense to me." Well, 10 he wasn't talking about me. He was talking about the 11 people in San Antonio and Dallas and Austin. And I 12 understand that we are all going to have to help divide 13 that water, but I've only got one water well. I'm 14 concerned about the toilets. I'm concerned about a meter 15 on my water well. Just one guy out here in the public 16 trying to keep public, take care of myself and see to it 17 that my kids and their grand kids can live in Victoria 18 County and have all the water that they need to do the 19 things that they need. I don't want to have to pay a lot 20 of money for that water. I looked at your plan and 21 Victoria County doesn't have any needs on it. We will 22 have eventually and we're going to all pay for this. I 23 appreciate all the efforts y'all are putting into this. 24 Just be sure you don't forget us. Thank you. 25 MR. ELLIFF: Mrs. Gleason? 35 1 KATHERINE GLEASON: I really don't know about 2 the Plan. I'd just like to mention as a person who came 3 from the East Texas area, the Port Arthur area that never 4 worries about having any water and I do not even like to 5 water my yard here because I feel like I'm stealing water 6 from the aquifer and our house has some cracks in it 7 probably somewhere. But I really think y'all should be 8 scared about the water shortage. I see it all over. In 9 the thirty years I've lived in Victoria it gets scarier 10 and scarier and I don't know that some people need to 11 retire to this area, you know. They better move east. I 12 think y'all really better get a plan that would work, get 13 people to conserve in every way they can and don't have 14 rose gardens when you live in a desert and don't have 15 carpet grass that has to be watered one inch every three 16 days. But we really need to live with our environment 17 and use our environment to the best way we can, and I 18 believe we could all have plenty if we'll just use it the 19 right way and not hoard it, you know, for somebody else. 20 That's all I'd like to say. 21 MR. ELLIFF: Thank you. Are there any 22 additional individuals who would like to speak? That 23 concludes the public comment. 24 EVELYN BONAVITA: Thank you, Scott. 25 ---END COMMENTS--- 36 1 THE STATE OF TEXAS ] 2 COUNTY OF CALHOUN ] 3 4 I, MARNIE R. BILLINGS, Certified Shorthand Reporter 5 in and for the State of Texas do hereby certify that the 6 above and foregoing to the best of my ability contains a 7 true and correct transcription of all portions of the 8 proceedings requested in writing by Moorhouse & 9 Associates to be included in this Reporter's Record, all 10 of which occurred and were reported by me. 11 WITNESS MY OFFICIAL HAND this the _______ day of 12 ____________, 2000. 13 14 15 Marnie R. Billings, Texas CSR #4640 16 Expiration Date: 12/31/01 P. O. Box 1436 17 Port Lavaca, Texas 77979 361-552-7270 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25