Bill Text: TX SB1496 | 2019-2020 | 86th Legislature | Introduced
Bill Title: Relating to a pilot project conducted by the Texas Water Development Board regarding the real-time monitoring of the inundation and water quality of certain portions of the Rio Grande.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2019-03-14 - Referred to Water & Rural Affairs [SB1496 Detail]
Download: Texas-2019-SB1496-Introduced.html
| 86R13957 SLB-D | ||
| By: Zaffirini | S.B. No. 1496 | |
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| relating to a pilot project conducted by the Texas Water | ||
| Development Board regarding the real-time monitoring of the | ||
| inundation and water quality of certain portions of the Rio Grande. | ||
| BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: | ||
| SECTION 1. Title 2, Water Code, is amended by adding | ||
| Subtitle G to read as follows: | ||
| SUBTITLE G. PILOT PROJECT | ||
| CHAPTER 39. RIO GRANDE MONITORING PILOT PROJECT | ||
| Sec. 39.0101. PURPOSE. It is the policy of this state and | ||
| the purpose of this chapter to: | ||
| (1) implement a pilot project on the Rio Grande to | ||
| better provide for the public's interests and needs regarding that | ||
| river; | ||
| (2) demonstrate new tools in water quality monitoring | ||
| and early flood warning that will be transferable to other areas of | ||
| this state; and | ||
| (3) provide more efficient and effective | ||
| administration of the conservation of this state's natural | ||
| resources and protection of the public and the environment. | ||
| Sec. 39.0102. DEFINITIONS. In this chapter: | ||
| (1) "Board" means the Texas Water Development Board. | ||
| (2) "Commission" means the Texas Commission on | ||
| Environmental Quality. | ||
| (3) "Pilot project" means the Rio Grande monitoring | ||
| pilot project. | ||
| Sec. 39.0103. RIO GRANDE MONITORING PILOT PROJECT. (a) The | ||
| board and the commission jointly shall conduct a river monitoring | ||
| pilot project on the Rio Grande between Columbia and Falcon Lake as | ||
| described by this section. | ||
| (b) The pilot project must include improvements to or | ||
| installation of monitoring sites at the following locations: | ||
| (1) Colombia Solidarity Bridge; | ||
| (2) World Trade International Bridge; | ||
| (3) Juarez-Lincoln International Bridge; | ||
| (4) US Geological Survey Site 084592000; and | ||
| (5) a site in San Ygnacio upstream from Falcon Lake. | ||
| (c) The board shall: | ||
| (1) enhance the stream gaging network that monitors | ||
| stream flow in the Rio Grande; and | ||
| (2) develop a flood inundation modeling system for the | ||
| Rio Grande. | ||
| (d) The commission shall establish a continuous, real-time | ||
| water quality observation network for the segment of the Rio Grande | ||
| described by Subsection (b), including a program of periodic water | ||
| sampling to determine the levels of: | ||
| (1) turbidity; | ||
| (2) acidity; | ||
| (3) temperature; | ||
| (4) dissolved oxygen; | ||
| (5) nitrates; and | ||
| (6) total dissolved solids. | ||
| (e) The commission and the board may post information | ||
| obtained in the pilot project on the commission's or board's | ||
| Internet website. | ||
| (f) The board may contract or cooperate with any person | ||
| necessary to complete the pilot project, including the United | ||
| States Geological Survey Texas Water Science Center. | ||
| Sec. 39.0104. PILOT PROJECT REPORT. Not later than | ||
| September 1, 2024, the board shall deliver a report to the governor, | ||
| lieutenant governor, speaker of the house of representatives, and | ||
| standing committees of the senate and house of representatives | ||
| having jurisdiction over matters related to water development. The | ||
| report must include a summary of the methods used and the results | ||
| obtained for each element of the pilot project. | ||
| SECTION 2. This Act takes effect September 1, 2019. | ||
