Title
Consider EAA staff recommendation to approve an Interlocal Cooperation Contract with The University of Texas at Austin, in an amount not to exceed $165,299.43, for a study of long-term climate variability.
Body
STAFF RECOMMENDED MOTION:
Move the Research & Technology Committee recommend the board adopt a resolution and order of the Edwards Aquifer Authority Board of Directors approving Contract No. 26-007-AMS between the EAA and the University of Texas at Austin, in an amount not to exceed $165,299.43, upon signature by both parties, through December 31, 2027.
SUMMARY:
The purpose of this agenda item is for the Research & Technology Committee to consider an EAA staff recommendation to approve a contract between the EAA and The University of Texas at Austin for a study of long-term climate variability and its influence on Edwards Aquifer recharge through tree-ring streamflow reconstruction. This project uses tree-ring science to better understand long-term climate variability and its impact on recharge to the Edwards Aquifer, a critical water source for over two million people in Central Texas.
Key Objectives
· Reconstruct multi-century records of climate and streamflow using bald cypress tree-ring data.
· Improve understanding of how drought, temperature, and precipitation patterns affect aquifer recharge.
· Evaluate how shifting climate conditions across the region influence water availability.
Study Design
· Develop a west-east transect of tree-ring data across the Edwards Aquifer region to capture differences in rainfall and hydrologic response.
· Focus on major recharge rivers, including the Frio, Medina, Cibolo, and Blanco.
· Expand existing datasets and fill geographic gaps, particularly in the western portion of the aquifer region.
Project Tasks
· Field Sampling: Collect bald cypress core samples from multiple riparian sites across the region.
· Chronology Development: Process and analyze tree-ring samples to build accurate, site-specific...
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