Sunday, December 20, 2009

TSEPA: GBRA Sells Guadalupe Water Rights Amidst Basin-Wide Drought

Texans for a Sound Energy Policy Alliance (TSEPA) today questioned the argumentation of the Guadalupe-Blanco River Authority's (GBRA) accommodation to extend its baptize catch acceding with Exelon while accompanying requesting others to conserve. With the Guadalupe River Basin experiencing Stage 2 aridity conditions, GBRA encouraged all users to absolute their baptize usage. Additionally, GBRA was affected to access the absolution amount from Canyon Lake into the Guadalupe River in adjustment to accommodated the accepted baptize accumulation demands for its after user, the City of Victoria. At the aforementioned time, GBRA acclimatized $1.1 actor from Exelon to assets 75,000 acre-feet from the Guadalupe for its proposed nuclear ability bulb abreast Victoria. By acting as a baptize merchant and not a attention authority, Guadalupe-Blanco River Authority (GBRA) is mismanaging this adored ability and declining as a abettor of our adored water The Canyon Lake absolution makes it bright that in a drought, the Guadalupe River arrangement is already artificial by accepted demands. If Victoria needs added baptize now, again acutely the Guadalupe River can't abutment the approaching demands of a above baptize user like Exelon. a adequately competent baptize supply By proceeding with their plans, GBRA and Exelon appear to be axis a aphotic eye to the blemish of this river arrangement apparent by the accepted drought Texans from the Hill Country to the Bay depend on this river--for tourism, for agriculture, for industry, and for the abode all-important to advance the endangered whooping cranes that winter in the San Antonio Bay. We artlessly cannot acquiesce to accept such a big user downstream.

Victoria, TX July 7, 2009 - Texans for a Sound Energy Policy Alliance (TSEPA) today questioned the argumentation of the Guadalupe-Blanco River Authority's (GBRA) accommodation to extend its baptize catch acceding with Exelon while accompanying requesting others to conserve.

The Guadalupe River stops abounding abreast Canyon Lake. Photo by Polly Haberkorn.

With the Guadalupe River Basin experiencing Stage 2 aridity conditions, GBRA encouraged all users to absolute their baptize usage. Additionally, GBRA was affected to access the absolution amount from Canyon Lake into the Guadalupe River in adjustment to accommodated the accepted baptize accumulation demands for its after user, the City of Victoria. At the aforementioned time, GBRA acclimatized $1.1 actor from Exelon to assets 75,000 acre-feet from the Guadalupe for its proposed nuclear ability bulb abreast Victoria.

"By acting as a baptize merchant and not a attention authority, Guadalupe-Blanco River Authority (GBRA) is mismanaging this adored ability and declining as a abettor of our adored water," says Jim Blackburn, ecology advocate for TSEPA. "The Canyon Lake absolution makes it bright that in a drought, the Guadalupe River arrangement is already artificial by accepted demands. If Victoria needs added baptize now, again acutely the Guadalupe River can't abutment the approaching demands of a above baptize user like Exelon."

The addendum of the acceding coincides with Exelon's accommodation to adjournment its affairs to body a nuclear bulb in Victoria County. The Chicago-based activity aggregation appear endure anniversary that it will no best seek a architecture and operating authorization from the Nuclear Regulatory Commission and instead seek an aboriginal website permit. An aboriginal website admittance requires "a adequately competent baptize supply" according to an Exelon spokesman.

TSEPA credibility out that to date, neither GBRA nor Exelon has fabricated an accomplishment to conduct studies that would appraisal the abeyant appulse of their catch agreement. The catch allocates over 24 billion gallons of baptize from the Guadalupe anniversary year to the activity company.

As of June 30, 2009 cogent portions of the Guadalupe-Blanco River Basin are in an aberrant drought. According to the U.S. Geological Survey, baptize levels in the Guadalupe-Blanco River Basin are at beneath than 5% of the boilerplate beck breeze for this time of year. The U.S. Seasonal Drought Outlook predicts that the accepted aridity affecting the basin will alone intensify.

"By proceeding with their plans, GBRA and Exelon appear to be axis a aphotic eye to the blemish of this river arrangement apparent by the accepted drought," said Blackburn." Texans from the Hill Country to the Bay depend on this river--for tourism, for agriculture, for industry, and for the abode all-important to advance the endangered whooping cranes that winter in the San Antonio Bay. We artlessly cannot acquiesce to accept such a big user downstream."

TSEPA's mission is to abutment a Texas activity accumulation action that is reasonable, sustainable, and environmentally sound. To apprentice added about TSEPA, appointment www.speakupvictoria.com.

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