Environmental Flows Protection Sample Clauses

Environmental Flows Protection. Threats addressed: Altered Hydrology, Water Quality, Degradation, Loss, and Fragmentation of Habitat, Barriers to Dispersal, Climate Change As discussed in Section 6.1, dewatering is not considered a threat within the timeframe of this agreement (TRA, 2017) because of the increased baseflows from the Covered Parties’ WWTPs and constant downstream water supply deliveries through the bed and banks of the Trinity River. Additionally, the artificially increased baseflows could help to minimize any climate change impacts. The Covered Parties will continue to support TCEQ’s environmental flow requirements and continue environmental flow research. Texas Senate Bill (SB) 2 (2001) tasked TPWD, TCEQ, and TWDB jointly to “establish and continuously maintain an instream flow data collection and evaluation program … [and] conduct studies and analyses to determine appropriate methodologies for determining flow conditions in the state rivers and streams necessary to support a sound ecological environment (TWDB, 2021).” SB3 (2007) is an ongoing process designed to study instream and bay inflow requirements that are needed to sustain a sound ecological environment, identify strategies to ensure this water is set aside for the environment, and balance the ecological and human needs for water (TWDB, 2021). While the SB2 report is still in progress for the Trinity River Basin, the initial SB3 process was completed in 2010 with environmental baseflow standards adopted by TCEQ in 2011 and codified into the state’s Water Availability Model (WAM). A water right for a new appropriation of water or an amendment to an existing water right that increases the amount of water authorized to be stored, taken, or diverted issued after adoption of these standards must satisfy these flow values before a permit is issued and contain specific limitations on how and when water may be diverted. No further water supply projects may diminish in-stream flows below those deemed necessary to maintain a sound ecological environment. Currently, the Covered Parties serve in one position on the Basin and Bay Stakeholder Committee (BBASC) and two positions on the Basin and Bay Expert Science Team (BBEST) and actively coordinate with the Texas Instream Flow Program28 (TIFP) on in-stream environmental flow validation studies. The Covered Parties commit to ensuring that models and modeling results are provided to the BBASC and BBEST to inform the Adaptive Management phases of SB3. The Covered Parties will c...