The Region H Water Planning Group (RHWPG) will hold three public hearings on the draft 2011 Region H Water Plan (RHWP). The Sierra Club needs your help at these hearings to protect your water, rivers, lakes, wetlands, wildlife habitat, and Galveston Bay.

The draft 2011 RHWP has been prepared for the Houston area (Harris, Galveston, Brazoria, Fort Bend, Waller, Austin, Chambers, Liberty, Montgomery, San Jacinto, Polk, Trinity, Walker, Madison, and Leon Counties) and proposes water supplies for residential, municipal, commercial, industrial, agricultural, recreational, wildlife, river, and bay/estuary needs for the next 50 years (2060). You can find the RHWP at:

http://regionhwater/downloads/planningdocs.html

If you like to drink water; canoe or kayak rivers; boat lakes; bird in wetlands and forests; watch wildlife; swim; photograph; if Galveston Bay is your nirvana; or if you just like to look, feel, and hear the sounds of water then you need to attend and be heard at these public hearings!!!

The three public hearings will be held Tuesday, March 30, 2010, at 6:30 pm, at the Houston-Galveston Area Council, 3555 Timmons, Second Floor, Room A, in Houston; Thursday, April 1, 2010, at 6:30 pm, at the Truman Kimbro Center, 111 West Trinity, Madisonville; and Wednesday, April 7, at 10 am, at the Lone Star Convention and Expo Center, 9055 FM 1484, Conroe.

Come to these public hearings; tell/bring your family/friends/neighbors/co-workers; speak at these public hearings; listen to those who speak at these public hearings; and submit written comments by September 16, 2010 to: Mr. Mark Evans, Trinity County Judge, c/o Reed Eichelberger, P.E., General Manager, San Jacinto River Authority (SJRA), P.O. Box 329, Conroe Texas 77305-0329 and Mr. J. Kevin Ward, Executive Administrator, Texas Water Development Board, P.O. Box 13231, Austin, Texas 78711-3231.

In your comments stress the following:

1) Support freshwater flows for optimal year-round habitat and protection for rivers/streams and Galveston Bay/other bays/estuaries to ensure that fish, wildlife, riparian woodlands (streamside vegetation), bottomland hardwood forested wetlands, and other sensitive areas are healthy.

2) Support strong water conservation requirements for residential, municipal, commercial, industrial, and agricultural uses.

3) Support reuse of water return flows with guarantees that rivers/streams and bays/estuaries are not harmed by reuse.

4) Support the addition of new ecologically unique stream segments in Sam Houston National Forest including Caney Creek, Little Lake Creek, Winters Bayou, and the East and West Forks of the San Jacinto River.

5) Support a survey of Houstonians to determine what they, their children, and grandchildren want between now and 2060 regarding Quality of Life, environmental health, and population growth. The survey should make clear how the doubling of population to over 11 million in Houston will impact these desires. The RHWP should reflect these desires and not simply build water projects to meet a projected population of over 11 million people.

6) Support the RHWPG decision to exclude two proposed dams (Little Lake Creek Dam also know as Sam Houston Dam and Lake Creek Dam also known as Lone Star Dam) that would be constructed in the western part of Montgomery County. Little Lake Creek Dam would flood wildlife habitat in Sam Houston National Forest, Little Lake Creek Wilderness Area, the Lone Star Hiking Trail, and federally endangered Red-cockaded Woodpecker forest habitat. Tell the RHWPG that you oppose these two dams and do not support bringing them before the RHWPG again.

7) Support removal from the RHWP of the Millican Dam water management strategy and the Sabine to Region H Transfer (Sabine/Neches Rivers) alternate water management strategy because they would have unacceptable environmental impacts on fish, wildlife, riparian woodlands (streamside vegetation), bottomland hardwood forested wetlands, the Brazos River, West Fork of the San Jacinto River, Neches or Sabine Rivers; Sam Houston National Forest or Big Thicket National Preserve; and Galveston Bay or Sabine Lake.

8) Support removal of the recommendations to capitalize more funds to support development of water supply projects.

For more information contact Brandt Mannchen at 713-664-5962 or brandtshnfbt@juno.com.

March 2010

Last updated:  04/06/2010.   Content © 1999-2010 by the Sierra Club.