Funding from the current 1/8-cent sales tax is expected to carry the EAPP through FY 2022, and as such, the proposed alternative funding would begin in FY 2023 resulting in a seamless transition. Since the goals of the easement are to protect water quality and quantity, it is important that these lands be protected in perpetuity. | Texas Veterans Portal When this tax expires in the Spring of 2021, $325 million will have been collected since program inception in 2000 for Edwards Aquifer protection. A complete list of regulated activities for the contributing zone of the Edwards Aquifer, including exclusions, can be found in both 30 TAC 213.3(28) People often sell or donate conservation easements because they wish to protect their property from unwanted development while retaining ownership of the land. If NO, you dont need an Edwards Aquifer protection plan. However, the conservation easement is tied to the land and binds all present and future owners to its terms and restrictions. It does not include non-taxable goods such as most groceries, medicine or health services. Continue until you reach the end of the series of questions, answering each one. Statewide Links: Texas.gov Altogether, TNC has helped preserve more than 96,000 acres of land above or contributing to the Edwards Aquifer, protecting open space and water quality. Roughly 70 percent of San Antonios drinking water originates as recharge occurring west of Bexar County. Edwards Aquifer Protection Program secures 400 more acres, prepares to In 2005, voters again approved a 1/8-of-a-cent addition to the local sales tax, this time to collect $90 million for the purchase of sensitive properties located over the Edwards Aquifer. Privacy Policy, Brandywine-Christina Revolving Water Fund, Groundwater Thresholds for Ecosystems: A Guide for Practitioners. He saw the changes to the city once he relocated and used the population expansion as his motivation for the study. The EAPP protects the Edwards Aquifer through the acquisition of property rights including fee simple purchases, conservation easements, and donations of land over the sensitive zones of the Aquifer. Report, In October of 2020, TNC freshwater experts published a new document, Groundwater Thresholds for Ecosystems: A Guide for Practitioners, which quantifies groundwater thresholds to avoid adverse impacts to nature from groundwater use. A Scientific Evaluation Team (SET) consisting of aquifer experts convened to prioritize undeveloped properties based on their environmental characteristics in order to achieve maximum value for voter-approved dollars. A Stormwater Pollution Prevention Plan, also known as a SWPPP, SWP3, or SW3P, is a site-specific document that: Identifies potential sources of stormwater pollution at a construction site. For the City Council adopted Ordinance and the Programmatic and Financing Agreement for the EAPP, please view the following: Ordinance PDF For more detailed information on the EAPP and the alternative funding plan, please view the Alternative Funding Plan PDF. COVID-19 UPDATE:We have temporarily closed some of our preserves in Texas. Describes practices to reduce pollutants in stormwater discharges from a construction site. The second phase of the Edwards Aquifer Protection Initiative allocated an additional $90 million to protect the Edwards Aquifer. Rainfall enters the Edwards Aquifer through fractures, caves, sinkholes and other features and replenishes the Aquifer. The Edwards Aquifer Protection Program (EAPP) has been in place since May 2000, funded by a portion of a voter-approved 1/8-cent sales tax venue. The Edwards Aquifer provides San Antonio with an abundant and vital source of groundwater. Flow Protection Measures - Edwards Aquifer Authority Recently, the aquifer sales tax addition was allowed to expire in 2020, and the sales tax funding was shifted to support workforce development and rapid transit projects. Areas present in Kinney, Uvalde, Medina, Bexar, Comal, Hays, Williamson and Travis counties have special regulated zones. You may need several forms to develop an Edwards Aquifer protection plan. Edwards Aquifer Protection Program (EAPP) - The City of San Antonio Downloads folder for EAPP Forms, Instructions, Checklists. Will you be installing an underground storage tank? We welcome your suggestions for improving these applications. The city will continue funding the Edwards Aquifer Protection Program using its existing funding stream from its water utility, the City Council decided Thursday. View Map 145 This total acreage is made up of nearly 145 properties in Central Texasover half of which TNC has directly protected or assisted in protecting. I learned about the citys proposed bond for the recharge zone. These include the Moorish Aljafera Palace, the grand Museo de Zaragoza and the intricately decorated Casa Solans. 96,000 Designed by OnlineWebFonts and Powered by WordPress. Edwards Aquifer Protection Program (EAPP) - Alternative Funding Plan The Edwards Aquifer receives most of its water from the drainage basins located on the Edwards Plateau. TNC continues to acquire and manage land in sensitive areas, likeBarton Creek Habitat Preservein Austin, theFrank Klein Cibolo Bluffs Nature Preservejust outside of San Antonio, and Love Creek Preserve near Medinaall of which contribute to or recharge the aquifer. The SET model serves as a decision-making tool for the the program's Conservation Advisory Board (CAB) and Land Acquisition Team (LAT) to assist in identifying properties that may be considered for the conservation easement program. List of animal protection associations - Adda Ong Streaming of Spray the Word that will conclude with a discussion with San Antonio's Poet Laureate, Andrea "Vocab" Sanderson. Revenue from SAWS will likely fund the EAPP moving forward, albeit at potentially lower levels. Sensitive Features Encountered During Construction. Box 839966 ASR Springflow Protection Program - Edwards Aquifer Authority If NO, you dont need an Edwards Aquifer protection plan. The EAPP protects the Edwards Aquifer through the acquisition of property rights including fee simple purchases, conservation easements, and donations of land over the sensitive zones of the Aquifer. As an institution of access and excellence, UTSA embraces multicultural traditions and serves as a center for intellectual and creative resources as well as a catalyst for socioeconomic development and the commercialization of intellectual property - for Texas, the nation and the world. Roughly 70 percent of San Antonio's water originates as recharge from counties located west of Bexar County. Home Permits, Registrations, and Reporting Edwards Aquifer Protection Edwards Aquifer: Application and Review Edwards Aquifer: Application and Review Guidance on submitting an Edwards Aquifer protection plan application and an overview of the review process. An ever growing network of multi-use hike and bike trails. Edwards Aquifer Authority Agricultural Secondary Containment | TRAIL Statewide Archive Is your site partially on the contributing zone and recharge zone?If YES, the entire site must be treated as if it were on the recharge zone, and a water pollution abatement plan must be submitted. On August 13, 2020, the City Council approved an Ordinance which places a proposition on the November 3, 2020 ballot for workforce training and higher education, effectively redirecting currently funded sales tax programs including the EAPP. Municipal Plaza Building It is the policy of the CoSA to hold and enforce its conservation easements as written. Are you planning to conduct a regulated activity per 30 TAC 213.3(28)? Klesse College is excited to welcome back our KCEID students! | Texas Homeland Security The proposition passed with enthusiastic support and ultimately raised $45 million to purchase properties in Bexar County, where San Antonio lies. The model utilizes multiple datasets that reflect the most current information regarding items such as: permeability of the Edwards limestone below the surface; the streams and creeks flowing over the surface; the types of plants present; and the adjacency to existing preserved open spaces. If NO, Edwards Aquifer rules do not apply. Management Analyst Refer to the Recharge Zone portion of this page. In November 2010, voters approved the continuation of the 2005 sales tax (up to $90 million) for the Edwards Aquifer Protection Program. The Conservation Advisory Board (CAB) has been in place since 2000 and was created to provide input and advice on the EAPP. Study highlights how Edwards Aquifer protection has staved off water Time zone. Visit the Edwards Aquifer page for the latest property data. of The University of Texas at San Antonio. The EAPP protects the Edwards Aquifer through the acquisition of property rights including fee simple purchases, conservation easements, and donations of land over the sensitive zones of the Aquifer. The sales tax collected to support the Edwards Aquifer Protection venue in 2015 was set at $100 million with $10 million set-aside for water quality protection zones in urban areas of Bexar County. Two of those regionsthe recharge and contributing zonesreplenish the aquifer through rainwater, which seeps through fissures and sinkholes in the iconic limestone features that adorn central Texas. The CAB has reviewed the alternative funding plan for the EAPP. Box 839966 San Antonio, TX 78283-3966 Staff Grant Ellis Special Projects Manager Edwards Aquifer Protection Program Brandon Ross Special Projects Manager Linear Creekway Parks Program Recommended Purpose Accomplishments Recommended Program Renewals Council funds Edwards Aquifer protection program for 10 more years The proposition passed with enthusiastic support and ultimately raised $45 million in water funds to purchase properties within the aquifer's most sensitive area. Do you need an exception, extension, or modification to your plan? Gregg Eckhardt - Edwards Aquifer Website. Global sites represent either regional branches of The Nature Conservancy or local affiliates of The Nature Conservancy that are separate entities. Edwards Aquifer Protection Program - Land Conservation Assistance Network and 30 TAC 213.22(6). On August 26, 2020, the CAB approved a Resolution supporting the funding alternative to continue the Citys Edwards Aquifer Protection Program to include the functions of the Conservation Advisory Board. The Frank Klein Cibolo Bluffs Nature Preserve's protected acreage sits above the sensitive Recharge Zone. The EAA regulates the portion of the Balcones Fault Zone Edwards Aquifer - a jurisdictional area that provides . San Antonio, TX 78205, Mailing Address Typically, larger parcels of land are the most desirable because they provide a larger area of protection from development. | Thus, the CoSA is soundly investing in both the present and long-term protection of San Antonio's primary water source. Edwards Aquifer Protection Program secures 400 more acres, prepares to shift to a new funding source Megan Rodriguez , Staff writer June 1, 2023 Updated: June 2, 2023 4:54 p.m. 8 San Antonio. Center City Development & Operations Department. For help in Comal, Bexar, Medina, Uvalde, or Kinney County, call TCEQs San Antonio Regional Office at (210) 490-3096. 114 W. Commerce, 10th Floor Site Help | Disclaimer | Site Policies | Accessibility | Website Archive | Our Compact with Texans | TCEQ Homeland Security Donations are tax-deductible as allowed by law. The purpose of the Regional Water Conservation Program (RWCP) is to realize the conservation potential of the Edwards Aquifer. The sales tax is collected until the set amount for each project has been earned. Edwards Aquifer Protection Program Objectives: To protect the quality and quantity of the water recharging into the Edwards Aquifer through the protection of land over the sensitive Recharge and Contributing Zones of the aquifer. However, rapid growth and development over the recharge and contributing zones of the Aquifer adversely impact it by reducing the number of recharge features able to maintain San Antonio's primary water resource. The Edwards Aquifer is one of the most important water resources in Texas. Taxable merchandise includes items most residents buy every day such as clothing, fast food or electronics. The threats posed by urbanization will unfortunately also be amplified by climate change as precipitation becomes less abundant and temperatures rise across the region in the future. LMI examined the EAPP, which protects the aquifer through the use of real estate Five years later, San Antonians voted to not only continue the program, but to greatly expand it. North America, Drought stricken Texas Hill Country above the Edwards Aquifer. What happens after the conservation easement is in place? In 2000, voters approved the citys first publicly financed measure to protect the aquifer, creating the Edwards Aquifer Protection Program. Edwards Aquifer Protection | The Nature Conservancy Please enter a valid email address (formatted as name@company.com). Milady Nazir. | TRAIL Statewide Archive The UTSA researchers analyzed aquifer protective measures and land-use change trends across different portions of the Edwards Aquifer to better understand the degree to which protective measures influenced aquifer urbanization rates. Is your regulated activity exempt per 30 TAC 213.5(h)? In the San Antonio region, the Edwards limestone attains a thickness of approximately 450 to 500 feet. Determine if you need a plan and which type and find links to the necessary forms. San Antonio is one of the fastest growing cities in the country. Groundwater Thresholds for Ecosystems: A Guide for Practitioners, 2023 The Nature Conservancy Abandoned Well Program - Edwards Aquifer Authority For the City Council adopted Ordinance and the Programmatic and Financing Agreement for the EAPP, please view the following: Ordinance PDF This alternative funding plan was approved by City Council on September 17, 2020 and includes a commitment by the City of $100 million in funding for the EAPP over a period of up to ten years. In May 2000, voters first approved venue funds to support aquifer protection and parks expansion including the development of linear creekways. If NO, you don't need an Edwards Aquifer protection plan.. Is your regulated activity exempt per 30 TAC 213.5(h)? Since 2000, The Nature Conservancy has worked alongside the city officials in San Antonio and surrounding communities to ensure these water funds make the most impact. To review your email preferences, please visit nature.org/emailpreferences. Regions Yet there are specific troubling trends. What statutes create the legal basis for conservation easements in Texas? The City of San Antonio is proposing a new funding source for the Edwards Aquifer Protection Program. We will have activities, performances, food, music, and pinatas to break open! Funding from the current 1/8-cent sales tax is expected to carry the EAPP through FY 2022, and as such, the proposed alternative funding would begin in FY 2023 resulting in a seamless transition. The study demonstrates that Bexar County exhibited the greatest reduction in the rate of urbanization within the recharge zone, although the percentage of the zone developed remained the highest. Visit the Edwards Aquifer page for the latest property data. Yet growth also poses certain challenges for citizens to maintain a high quality of life such as an increased demand for services, the need to provide more recreational opportunities and greater use of vital resources, most notably: water. Terms of Use Conservation easements are flexible legal tools that allow both a landowner and a qualified holder of the easement, in this case the CoSA, to find common ground in their conservation objectives. Later, I took the intro to GIS course at UTSA and saw for myself how land use changed (in the region). Program Study and Analysis Services for the Edwards Aquifer Protection Edwards Aquifer Protection & Linear Creekway Parks Program, Providing the city an abundant source of groundwater, 2015 Sales Tax Propositions Guide (English), 2015 Sales Tax Propositions Guide (Spanish). It is the CoSA objective to maintain healthy landowner relations and to provide conservation-related services to participating landowners on an as-needed basis. | The current iteration of funding for the EAPP was most recently approved in 2015 at $100 million from the 1/8-cent sales tax venue. Downloads folder for Edwards Aquifer Applications Under Review. About the Program The majority of these funds (approximately $38 million) were used to acquire almost 6,500 acres of land. Farmers even stopped growing crops for a period of time.