Greater Edwards Aquifer Alliance

The Greater Edwards Aquifer Alliance (geaa) has been recognized as the voice for Edwards Aquifer protection in numerous national, regional and local publications and media. Since 2005, geaa has proven invaluable in educating policy makers, elected officials and the general public about measures needed to protect our water resources. Geaa has successfully developed and implemented a model of working locally through distinct groups, while sharing technical, legal and other resources, advocating for a regional vision and regional solutions to the threats to our water, wildlife, scenic lands and rural communities. Geaa works with students and faculty at central Texas' institutions of higher learning, with citizens and private businesses, and with scientists and other professionals committed to sustainable land and water use practices in the Edwards Aquifer region. Geaa publishes and distributes informational materials that beautifully illustrate the workings of our karst Aquifer and what needs to be done to make sure that the Edwards will be a clean and reliable source of water for future generations. We disseminate information about Aquifer protection at public events throughout the region- from tractor pulls to earth day events. Geaa maintains a website, communicates through e-mail with a vast network that reaches approximately 25,000 individuals, and regularly works with the press and media to highlight issues of concern and solutions to common problems. Geaa staff is regularly invited to speak at meetings and informational forums. Our goal is to present to no fewer than twenty organizations each year; we have exceeded this goal each year since 2004. Geaa staff solicits and recruits additional geaa individual members and member groups, working to build consensus behind measures to preserve our water supply and the Texas hill country. In this way, geaa educates thousands of people from all walks of life about what they can do to preserve the Edwards Aquifer. Key to protection of the Edwards Aquifer ecosystem is the cultivation of a population that is aware of these threats to their water supply, is prepared to advocate for specific measures to protect the Aquifer, and will contribute support for these efforts. We were honored to receive the 2006 envision central Texas community stewardship award for raising public awareness, and to be recognized for excellence by save barton springs association, lone star sierra club, and others. Our goals and objectives: "to produce and distribute educational materials that will assist public and private sector decision makers to take actions to protect and sustain the quality and quantity of Edwards Aquifer flows. "to expand and aid the coordination of existing public interest advocacy for sustainable water and land use practices in the Greater Edwards Aquifer region. "to catalyze much Greater investment by private non-profit and for-profit organizations, government agencies, and individuals in Edwards Aquifer watershed preservation and sustainable water and land-use practices. To achieve these goals, we have initiated the following projects: internship program: geaa has formal agreements to engage student interns from trinity university, Texas state university, st. mary's university, the university of Texas at san antonio, and our lady of the lake university in research projects. Students receive credit hours for their work and geaa staff and technical experts supervise their work and report back to faculty on student performance. The program provides students the opportunity to work closely with experts in their field of study and has leveraged hundreds of thousands of dollars in expertise and research time. Capacity building - geaa staff provides member organizations with legal, technical, public relations and publicity, fundraising and administrative advice and services, as well as with financial support for specific projects that further the implementation of the Edwards Aquifer protection plan. Geaa hosts a retreat each year to engage representatives of all member organizations in setting policy, initiating new programs, and allocating resources. Geaa also presents workshops featuring experts in the fields of public relations, organizing, fundraising and campaigning, as well as presentations by government and elected officials and community activists, for the benefit of geaa member groups and the public at large. The Greater Edwards aquifier Alliance technical assistance program:provides our member groups, governmental agencies and policy makers, and the public at large with technical expertise and access to information that addresses issues of regional and local concern as related to the preservation of the quality and quantity of the waters in the Edwards Aquifer, its contributing watersheds, and its indigenous plant and animal species. Citizens, news media, and increasingly, elected officials and public agencies rely on geaa staff to provide or direct them to technical expertise regarding the management and protection of the Edwards and trinity karst Aquifer formations. Public comment on adhoc issues- geaa receives requests for technical assistance on a regular basis on a wide variety of issues from individual landowners, regional municipalities, and governmental agencies soliciting public comment on programs and policies relating to the region's ground and surface water systems. The expertise of our technical staff is critical to expanding our capacity to promote adequate protection of our water resources and is essential to accomplishing our goals. We rely upon the largess of several experts who have volunteered their time and the benefit of their expertise as needed on specific projects. Because of the recognized excellence of our work, geaa is regularly called upon to research specific issues and projects, to comment on proposed projects, rules and programs, and to generate policy and regulatory recommendations and remedies. Geaa provides practical guidance to the development and construction industries, enhancing our ability to further our goal of Aquifer protection by furnishing expertise on proven methods and practices to developers referred to geaa by government agencies to advise on specific projects. Additionally, geaa will continue to work with municipalities within the Edwards region to promote the adoption of sustainable development techniques into the codes of municipalities and into state recommended best management practices. Under your feet campaign - much of the recent growth in bexar county has taken place over the recharge and contributing zones of the Edwards Aquifer, resulting in a trend of increased contamination of our water supplies and spring flows. Area homeowners must be educated about the geology of the Edwards Aquifer and how to live in this extremely environmentally sensitive area. A suite of presentations, on-line resources, social media, and print materials will teach them about actions they can take to protect our Aquifer, including how to handle and store hazardous materials, what common household practices pose a threat to the integrity of sewage systems, and how to plant and maintain landscaping in this unique region. Modeled on the successful "under your feet" campaigns in Kentucky and Florida, geaa is working with the creators of these programs to adapt them to the Edwards region. Community rains garden project - geaa is working with home owners' associations to create community rain gardens. Through this program geaa will neighborhoods to install low impact development (lid) projects such as swales, rain gardens, and specific plantings to enhance filtration of stormwater before it enters the Aquifer. Landscape architects with expertise in lid will be employed to design and help homeowners to properly install and maintain site specific lid enhancements. Through this program, we hope to educate homeowners on the Edwards Aquifer recharge zone how to identify and report non-compliant systems, to enhance the function of the systems in their neighborhoods, and to generally educate them on the importance of protecting the Edwards Aquifer. Geaa research on the impact of sub surface pollution on the Edwards Aquifer the agencies tasked with oversight of water quality of the edward Aquifer, most notably the tceq and the Edwards Aquifer authority (eaa) rely on the use of stormwater management as the chief strategy for protecting water quality of the Edwards Aquifer. Measures to address the quality of stormwater infiltrating the Edwards, however, provide no protection from the introduction of subsurface pollution of the Aquifer from human sewage, which becomes particularly problematic with increased high density residential development of the Edwards Aquifer recharge zone. The geaa technical team, with the help of student interns from trinity university, Texas state university, and our lady of the lake university, is currently researching the impact of on site