Title
Receive report from Scott Storment, EAHCP Program Manager, on Joint Base San Antonio’s use of the Edwards Aquifer and the impact on the EAHCP.
Body
RECOMMENDED MOTION:
None. This item is for informational purposes only.
SUMMARY:
The purpose of this item is for the Implementing Committee to receive a report from Scott Storment, EAHCP Program Manager, on Joint Base San Antonio’s (JBSA) exempt pumping status from EAA permitting and the impact on EAHCP modeling assumptions and incidental take of the covered species. A biological opinion, Biological Opinion for Joint Base San Antonio Edwards Aquifer Use, issued on August 5, 2013 for JBSA includes a reduction schedule of groundwater withdrawal during each critical period stage and addresses JBSA’s accountability for any take associated activities from federal facilities. Although the 2013 biological opinion references a full baseline of federal Edwards Aquifer withdrawal rate of 12,012 acre-feet/yr of groundwater, it does not require the EAHCP to model to the full baseline. To account for the periodic federally exempt withdrawals by JBSA in groundwater modeling, the EAHCP Phase II MODFLOW determinations includes 6,000 ac-ft/yr as the input assumption. This assumption was based on years of observed withdrawal data from JBSA and references from the EAHCP (Appendix K).
This report is being presented to the Implementing Committee in response to requests made to address the federally exempt pumping status as it relates to the EAHCP.