The Edwards Aquifer: The Past, Present, and Future of a Vital Water Resource
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The Edwards aquifer system is one of the great karstic aquifer systems of the world. It supplies water for more than 2 million people and for agricultural, municipal, industrial, and recreational uses. The Edwards (Balcones Fault Zone) Aquifer in the San Antonio, Texas, area was the first to be designated a sole source aquifer by the Environmental Protection Agency in 1975. The Edwards Aquifer also hosts unique groundwater, cave, and spring ecosystems. This 27-chapter memoir reviews the current state of knowledge, current and emerging challenges to wise use of the aquifer system, and some of the technologies that must be adopted to address these challenges.
The Edwards Aquifer Habitat Conservation Plan: Its planning and implementation Available to Purchase
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Published:September 10, 2019
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CiteCitation
Shaun Payne, Nathan Pence, Chad Furl, 2019. "The Edwards Aquifer Habitat Conservation Plan: Its planning and implementation", The Edwards Aquifer: The Past, Present, and Future of a Vital Water Resource, John M. Sharp, Jr., Ronald T. Green, Geary M. Schindel
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ABSTRACT
The Edwards Aquifer Habitat Conservation Plan (EAHCP) protects the federally listed species in the Comal and San Marcos Springs. The plan was developed through the Edwards Aquifer Recovery Implementation Program, a consensus-based process involving a diverse body of stakeholders including industries, agricultural users, municipalities, water purveyors, river authorities, environmental organizations, four state agencies, and downstream interests. Since 2013, the partners of the EAHCP have implemented a multifaceted program mainly focused on spring-flow protection and habitat improvements to ensure the persistence of the covered species and to create more certainty in the region’s water supplies.
- algae
- aquifers
- Barton Springs
- biota
- Chordata
- Colorado River basin
- conservation
- decision-making
- degradation
- discharge
- ecosystems
- Edwards Aquifer
- endangered species
- fish
- ground water
- habitat
- microorganisms
- planning
- protection
- springs
- Texas
- United States
- Vertebrata
- water resources
- Comal Springs
- San Marcos Springs