Transcript Highlights:

• As you can see from the graph, right now irrigation has the largest water demand category, but it's projected
• In 2060, municipal demand is going to overtake irrigation.
• This amounts to 40% of the entire 50-year projection.
• use and irrigation needs.
• The question was about the projection for manufacturing demands.

Bills: SB7

Keywords: water infrastructure, financial assistance, Texas Water Development Board, water supply, environmental sustainability, 1185, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• , uh, public projects.
• , uh, public projects.
• <00:10:00.000> irrigated<00:10:00.520> ground<00:10:00.920> and irrigated irrigated
• ground and irrigated irrigated ground and non-irrigated<00:10:01.840> ground.
• And I'll What I non-irrigated ground.

Keywords: Meeting Start 00:00 Attendance Roll Call 00:30 HB 571 Discussion 01:29 HB 571 Roll Call Vote 04:02 HB 542 Discussion 06:01 HB 542 Roll Call Vote 10:21 HB 142 Discussion 13:30 HB 142 Roll Call Vote 22:47 HB 212 Discussion 24:00 HB 212 Roll Call Vote 25:40 HB 658 Discussion 27:01 HB 658 Roll Call Vote 32:02, 958, all

Transcript Highlights:

• ongoing projects, and future projects.
• of projects are replacement projects?
• projects.
• Project.
• We had a lot of surface water irrigation projects back there.

Keywords: 908, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Madam Chair, so is this an increase from prior allocations for the projects?
• A lot of those projects are in construction now.
• We're going to be putting out projects.
• and managing these projects from a grant perspective.
• If you are growing, for example, an annual crop— That requires irrigation and you are not able to irrigate

Transcript Highlights:

• On the right we are showing irrigation On the right we are showing irrigation permits.<00:05:14.720
• modeling that pumping those irrigation modeling that pumping those irrigation wells<00:35:44.800
• economies are dependent upon a project economies are dependent upon a project or<00:57:26.480>
• little bit of detail on the project little bit of detail on the project overview,<01:30:15.600><
• <01:37:21.679> done And the ability to get projects done, and the ability to get projects

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• Uh, SB 7 expands funding eligibility for water reuse, permitted reservoir projects, conveyance projects
• Appreciate the openness to expand the list of eligible projects.
• you don't do all those things right, projects will cost more.
• It moves through the irrigation district. So, you know.
• land for projects, whether it's a reservoir or other type of project.

Bills: SB 7

Keywords: water infrastructure, financial assistance, Texas Water Development Board, water supply, environmental sustainability

Transcript Highlights:

• Any project within an irrigation or conservancy district requires the district's approval.
• Um, another potential could be that if the project land is upstream of another person's irrigated land
• Um, another potential could be that if the project land is upstream of another person's irrigated land
• Uh, just approved additional projects a couple of months ago to carry on through the 2026-2027 irrigation
• So irrigation 2026 irrigation season.

Keywords: 916, all

Transcript Highlights:

• , what are ongoing projects and future projects.
• , what are ongoing projects and future projects.
• of projects are replacement projects?
• Project.
• We had a lot of surface water irrigation projects back there.

Summary: The Water Topics Overview Committee met with a quorum and received updates from the Department of Water Resources and the State Water Commission, followed by presentations from Deloitte on two legislative studies required by House Bill 1020. Director Reese Haas reviewed major project and budget updates, including the Northwest Area Water Supply and Southwest Pipeline projects, Resources Trust Fund balances, carryover spending, project prioritization, bid conditions, regional water system coverage, and department process improvements. Members also discussed how the commission prioritizes projects, maintenance expectations, and the impact of limited municipal water supply funding. No formal committee action was taken during the DWR update; the commission’s municipal funding decisions were described as pending its April 8 meeting. Deloitte then presented the cost-share policy study, which found that under current policy and forecasted revenues, North Dakota faces an estimated $1.3 billion shortfall over 14 years, with a near-term gap of about $1.8 billion through 2031. The firm outlined seven recommended options, including tighter definitions and a 25% cost share for eligible replacement projects, caps and financing strategies for the Mouse River and Red River Valley projects, aligning cost share with commission priority guidance, delaying lower-priority projects, using available lines of credit, and adjusting reimbursement timing for revolving loan funds. Committee members questioned inflation assumptions, affordability, user fees, and the use of legacy fund earnings for bonding, but no decisions were made. In the governance and finance study, Deloitte said final recommendations are still being refined, with a final report due May 29. The study examined the Southwest Pipeline, NAWS, and Red River Valley systems using governance and finance criteria such as decision authority, transparency, affordability, risk, and access to funding. For Southwest, Deloitte outlined options ranging from improved state-authority coordination to transferring ownership to the Southwest Water Authority; for NAWS, options focused on strengthening the authority’s role and potentially transitioning operations and maintenance; and for Red River, options ranged from enhanced facilitation to formal state oversight or state ownership. Members asked follow-up questions about ownership transfer, capital repayment streams, and why NAWS was not considered for transfer, and Deloitte said NAWS’s limited organizational maturity made that option less viable in the near term.

Transcript Highlights:

• The proposed project is part of a larger package of projects. MnDOT and St.
• The county is seeking $8 million for the project. Funding for a $22.6 million project.
• that project.
• You can see our project prices.
• This is a project...

Bills: HF2418, HF1666, HF232, HF344, HF402, HF431, HF468, HF547, HF583, HF1476, HF1711, HF2787, HF2788, HF3207

Keywords: capital investment, political subdivisions, state assistance, funding, project grants, child care, Slayton, state bonds, economic development, extended time revenue, school funding, state aid, career and technical education, CTE, STEM, secondary credit, after-school programs, summer school, learning year program, extended day

Transcript Highlights:

• This project asset preservation project.
• The proposed project is part of a larger package of projects. MnDOT and St.
• that project.
• > which to that project. our project which which to that project. our project which which is<00:40
• This does not apply to things like major projects around wastewater projects and around sewage projects

Bills: HF2418, HF1666, HF232, HF344, HF402, HF431, HF468, HF547, HF583, HF1476, HF1711, HF2787, HF2788, HF3207

Keywords: capital investment, political subdivisions, state assistance, funding, project grants, child care, Slayton, state bonds, economic development, extended time revenue, school funding, state aid, career and technical education, CTE, STEM, secondary credit, after-school programs, summer school, learning year program, extended day

Transcript Highlights:

• And, but we're still robbing the Irrigation Works Construction Fund.
• And, but we're still robbing the Irrigation Works Construction Fund.
• There's a lot of different projects related to it.
• projects.
• I'm the president of Elephant Butte Irrigation District.

Keywords: 996, all

Transcript Highlights:

• And so what I'm concerned about is we have such ...we have great irrigation and historical irrigation
• Why should somebody that has... as the potential to irrigate their land.
• Right now, you can buy drought insurance, and you can insure your irrigated crop.
• Yes, the irrigation districts are distinct.
• In my irrigation district, so much of that is going to depend on water.

Transcript Highlights:

• This is the NMFA Water Project Fund Projects, and a brief summary of it is the annual Water Project Fund
• It authorizes the NMFA to make grants and loans for water projects from the Water Project Fund.
• The projects cover... oh gosh, now I can't remember how many projects it was.
• The projects cover... oh gosh, now I can't remember how many projects it was. Hold on here, Ms.
• It lists all the projects that get funded. It lists the projects that were authorized.

Keywords: 996, all

Transcript Highlights:

• And backflow prevention again licensed irrigators fire.
• I represent Texas Irrigation Association and Dallas Irrigation Association, and we are against this bill
• Swar, uh, with the Texas Irrigation Association.
• I'm actually a, a licensed irrigator. I'm not a, uh, BPAT.
• In this Committee, it seems like this area is primed for an ASR project.

Bills: HB 5208, SB 863, SB 1243, SB 1624, SB 1965, SB 2660, SB 2702, SB 2885

Keywords: water filtration, public drinking water, health and safety, well maintenance, water quality, Edwards Aquifer, water conservation, reclaimed water, aquifer storage, environmental protection, public utility agency, dissolution, local government, regulatory framework, municipal authority, Texas Water Bank, Texas Water Trust, water rights, water banking, instream flow

Transcript Highlights:

• What about for farming irrigation?
• What about for farming irrigation?
• What about for farming irrigation?
• What about for farming irrigation?
• What are your projections?

Keywords: 910, house, all

Summary: The committee heard testimony on several agriculture, water, invasive species, and land-use bills. HB 299 and HB 1220, both relating to invasive species, drew broad support from the Hawaii Invasive Species Council, DLNR, the Department of Agriculture, C-GAPS, Sierra Club, Hawaii Farm Bureau, Hawaii Farmers Union, and others. Testifiers said HISC funding fills gaps between agency mandates, supports research and technology, and helps respond to both terrestrial and marine invasive threats. On HB 1220, C-GAPS described a marine anemone infestation in Kāneʻohe linked to aquarium release and said control and restoration would be difficult without the bill’s funding. A committee member asked for tracking information on the species, and the Division of Aquatic Resources said it maintains monitoring data and annual reports. No opposition was noted on either measure. HB 506, relating to conservation enforcement, also received support from DLNR and Malama Pu‘u Ma. Committee discussion focused on the bill’s scope and how the funding would be used. Members asked about a prior boat purchase mentioned in opposition testimony and about whether mainland vendors were being used; the department said it did not buy that boat and that procurement follows the normal state process, with total bid price including delivery, taxes, and other fees. The department explained that the bill’s funding is primarily for marine enforcement work in nearshore fisheries, including herbivore protection around O‘ahu. HB 915, relating to water use, had mixed testimony. DLNR supported alternative water sources and amendments to the water code, while the Department of Agriculture opposed the bill as drafted, saying its irrigation program is designed for non-potable agricultural use and is not structured for residential or mixed-use development. The Department of Health said it needed more information on its reuse guidelines and noted concern about removing the recycled water manager requirement, which it said helps ensure safe operation and maintenance of reuse systems. Members questioned the bill’s preemption language and whether county or state rules would be displaced, and Agriculture suggested county water agencies might be better suited for some of the proposed uses. HB 502, concerning land use, drew support from the Attorney General’s office, the Land Use Commission, Hawaii Realtors, Hawaii Farm Bureau, and Hawaii Farmers Union, with the Department of Agriculture standing on its written testimony. The Attorney General warned that allowing important agricultural lands to be redistricted through a declaratory ruling process could conflict with the state constitution and recommended excluding IAL from the bill. The Land Use Commission said it has an inventory of IAL lands and did not believe the bill would affect them, and it agreed to the suggested protection. Supporters said the bill could help move lands with limited agricultural value into the rural district, reduce pressure on productive farmland, and better align land use with actual farming potential. HB 929, relating to the agricultural land conveyance tax, received comments from the Department of Taxation and opposition from Hawaii Farm Bureau and Hawaii Realtors; Farm Bureau said it supports preserving agricultural land but was concerned about unintended consequences and questioned whether speculative flipping of ag land is a current problem.

Transcript Highlights:

• You can apply that same logic to a million-dollar waterline project, to a $5 million waterline project
• And that is a problem that makes these projects affordable, any water related project affordable.
• the SRF programs. projects. projects.
• acre feet per acre of an irrigated crop. acre feet per acre of an irrigated crop.
• centers are not short-term projects. centers are not short-term projects.

Keywords: 916, all

Transcript Highlights:

• And when you're saying the primary source is federal funding for capital projects, do you have any projection
• portion of the Rio Grande project.
• It belongs to irrigators basically, and that we can capture it.
• There are also irrigation conservation programs.
• Plan projects us having 25% less water by 2070, which is a lot.

Transcript Highlights:

• Opting to use it to irrigate their own crops. This makes the outlook going forward very bleak.
• These projects require significant investment.
• This project reclaims water from our drainage ditch system and treats it to potable levels.
• This project can supply water to nearly a quarter of a million people once it is fully complete.
• Hopefully this session by May you'll have an avenue to address funding for some of your projects.

Bills: SCR13, SB1248

Keywords: water rights, treaty compliance, Rio Grande, agriculture, drought, international water, Texas water supply, Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, TPWD, harvest reports, wildlife harvest data, public information act, open records, confidentiality, hunter privacy, angler data, game animals, game birds, fur-bearing animals, nongame animals

Transcript Highlights:

• This slide shows the statewide projected irrigation demand based on the 2022 state water plan.
• So, the question you may ask is, are the reductions in irrigation demand projections over time due to
• Irrigation projections are driven by regional water planning groups, probably more than any other factor
• Water use types vary, and irrigation projections differ by county and region; thus, there isn't a single
• Irrigation conservation is projected to save 1.2 million acre-feet by 2070.

Keywords: 1185, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• We have around 26 or 27 water districts and irrigation districts.
• But we have around 26, 27 water districts and irrigation districts.
• Water district will cooperate, which is most of the water districts and irrigation district.
• Currently we have a very large project attempting to get even more groundwater.
• , uh, transport projects that pump water out of the ground Gonzales area and into the cities.

Bills: HB2018, HB1633, HB1689, SB612, SB3058

Keywords: agricultural conservation, land preservation, environmental protection, wildlife habitat, Texas Farm and Ranch, groundwater conservation district, Texas Water Code, water permit, permit amendment, groundwater permit, water rights, aquifer, well registration, exempt wells, beneficial use, water conservation, groundwater quality, well plugging, Hill Country Priority Groundwater Management Area, surface water resources

Summary: The Senate Water, Agriculture, Rural Affairs Committee heard several bills focused on groundwater management, water infrastructure, and agricultural land conservation. SB 612 would limit certain water districts in Hidalgo, Cameron, and Willacy counties from charging developers pipeline construction fees above actual, documented costs; the committee substitute removed a developer challenge mechanism to preserve district discretion over construction standards. HB 1633 would require groundwater conservation districts to consider registered exempt wells when reviewing or amending permits, and testimony from landowners, district representatives, and advocacy groups largely supported the bill as a way to protect domestic and livestock wells from drawdown caused by large export projects. HB 1689 would clarify that export fee revenues may be used for well operability, alternative water supplies, and aquifer monitoring, including through interlocal cooperation, and HB 3058 would give the Post Oak Savannah Groundwater Conservation District authority to use export fees for county road improvements and environmental programs tied to well inspection and groundwater management. HB 2018 would clarify that the Texas Farm and Ranchland Conservation Program is intended to purchase conservation easements only on working agricultural lands, with support from cattle raisers and Farm Bureau representatives. The committee also considered HB 29, which would require large water systems to validate water loss audits and submit mitigation plans; a committee substitute removed the water-loss threshold and adjusted the timeline for more detailed validation. Public testimony on the bills was generally supportive, with several witnesses describing declining well levels, road damage from export projects, and the need to preserve agricultural land and local water supplies. The committee adopted committee substitutes and voted favorably on HB 29, HB 1689, HB 2018, SB 612, and SB 3058, recommending several of them for the local and uncontested calendar; HB 1633 was left pending awaiting a committee substitute.