POINTS OF CONSENSUS
Adopted October 17, 2001
Consistently with its management plan and previous resolutions, the Board of Directors of the Barton Springs/Edwards Aquifer Conservation District ("the District") adopts the following points of consensus as principles for the conservation and management of the groundwater resources within the District boundaries and the administration of District Rules and programs:
1. The mission of the District is to conserve, protect, and enhance the groundwater resources of the Barton Springs segment of the Edwards Aquifer ("the Aquifer") and the other groundwater resources within the District boundaries and to prevent the waste of groundwater.
2. The District will work to increase the recharge of the Aquifer in an environmentally and fiscally sound manner. Recharge enhancement projects could result in increasing the amount of groundwater, while alleviating downstream flooding problems. The potential for recharge enhancement on all of the recharge creeks should be investigated. Projects on Onion Creek have been investigated in the past and demand further research. The District will work in cooperation with federal, state, and local governments to accomplish practical measures to enhance the Aquifer.
3. A very important mission of the District is to expand the scientific knowledge of the Barton Springs Edwards Aquifer. For that purpose, the District will actively seek funding for its research work from other public and private grant sources, in addition to the District's own resources.
4. The District will continue its education, conservation, and planning programs. Through these programs, the District seeks to inform the public about vital issues related to the Aquifer and their drinking water.
5. The records of the District, including those related to its research efforts, are all public records, with only those exceptions provided by the Texas Open Records Act. The District will make its records available to the public for review and copying. However, if data related to research efforts is incomplete or unanalyzed and might therefore be misleading, its incompleteness or unanalyzed character must be clearly indicated on the draft documents or reports.
6. The District has a duty as a public agency to serve all people in its jurisdiction and to treat all of them fairly and equitably. In administering its Rules and programs, the District will not impose on any person any requirements, conditions, fees, or costs and will not grant any privileges, rights, or benefits not also imposed on or granted to others in a like situation, unless required by law.
7. Without proper management, the Barton Springs segment of the Edwards Aquifer is susceptible to degradation. The District is committed to the development of creative, proactive, and positive management activities that can be implemented to protect and enhance this valuable resource. The District is looking to the future, to working with local government agencies, and the general public to find effective and implementable solutions to water availability and water quality problems facing the region.
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