REGIONAL WATER SUPPLY PLANNING FOR THE DALLAS/FORT WORTH AREA

摘要

In the mid 1990s, the State of Texas endured a significant drought, with some areas entering a new drought of record. In 1997, the 75th Texas Legislature responded to the concerns regarding sufficient water supplies by passing Senate Bill One (SB1) to provide for statewide water planning. The Texas Water Development Board (TWDB) was charged with implementing the regional water planning process set forth by the Legislature. Texas was divided into 16 regions, each having a regional water planning group (RWPG) responsible for developing their Regional Water Plan. The TWDB then combined the 16 regional water plans into one State Water Plan. The regional water planning process involves analysis of population and demand projections, determination of currently available water supplies, comparison of current supply to projected demands, development of potentially feasible water management strategies, and recommendation of strategies to meet anticipated shortages (TWDB 2002b). Public input is a key component of the regional water planning process. The first regional water plans were completed in January 2001. The State Water Plan was adopted in 2002. SB1 requires the plans to be updated every five years. Work is currently underway on the second round of planning. The RWPGs submitted their final plans to the TWDB in January 2006. The Region C Water Plan covers all or part of 16 counties in north central Texas, including the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex.