New Report Outlines Potential Threats to South Llano River

Thanks
to plentiful springs in Edwards County, the South Llano River flows
clean, clear and constantly. But potential threats to the long-term
viability of this natural resource highlight the lack of a united local
voice in its protection, according to a new report.

The
"Land of the Living Waters" report released today by Environmental
Defense Fund's South Llano River Project characterizes the South Llano
River water resources, their importance to the local community, and the
Central Texas Region as a whole. The report identified several
potential threats to the resource, including decreased spring flow due
to increased groundwater pumping, lack of sufficient hydrologic data,
and fragmentation of large ranches into many smaller "ranchettes" that
each manage the resource differently.

"The
spring-fed flows of the South Llano River are legendary," said Tyson
Broad, author of the report and a Llano resident. "They support plant
and animal communities found no where else, fuel a thriving outdoor
tourism industry, and provide critical water supplies to local and
down-river communities. Our goal with this report is to highlight
potential threats to the river to facilitate discussions on steps the
community can take to ensure that the South Llano River remains healthy
into the future."

"In
our research, we found that the residents of the South Llano River
basin, as well as the community at large, are interested in natural
resource issues," Broad said. "Yet, these same stakeholders lack a
cohesive voice in groundwater and surface water management arenas to
protect spring flows and associated flows of the river."

"This report serves as a sound starting point for beginning discussions," said Laura Marbury,
Texas Water Projects Director from Environmental Defense Fund. "The
protection of a resource like this is going to take everyone's
participation and it's important to get everyone on the same page."

The
South Llano River Project will hold a free public workshop on November
15 at Texas Tech University's Llano River Field Station in Junction,
Texas to collaborate and discuss the development of a course of action
to protect the South Llano River.

For a copy of the report or more information on the November workshop, please visit www.texaswatermatters.org/southllanoriver.htm.