River Systems Institute hosts Flows for the Future water conference

Date of release: 10/07/05

SAN MARCOS—The River Systems Institute will convene Flows for the Future: 2005 Environmental Flows Conference on the campus of Texas State University-San Marcos Oct. 31-Nov. 2.

As part of the Institute’s water conference series, this conference will integrate scientific research and technology, management strategies, and policy development to address the need for frameworks of cooperation, knowledge and technology transfer, and management and policy to address environmental flow issues.

Texas freshwater resources have been over-allocated and will continue to be appropriated to meet the growing demands of water needs in Texas. With the diversion of these freshwater resources over the next decade, the loss in adequate freshwater flows will compromise the integrity of Texas springs, rivers, coastal bays, and estuaries.

A variety of efforts have been carried out by many organizations to find a balance in meeting Texas water needs and protecting these systems through study programs, legislative proposals, permit applications, and water resource planning. However, frameworks for determining flow needs, planning applications for meeting future water needs, and ensuring adequate flows to Texas rivers, bays, and estuaries are still lacking.

The conference agenda consists of three days of plenary sessions, panel discussion, and continuing education courses and is designed to meet the interests of the water resources community, policy makers, water resource managers, government officials, stakeholders, and interest groups. Plenary talks will be presented by leaders in the fields of water science and policy and will include representatives from the Texas state legislature. Co-sponsorship and agenda development have been provided through collaborative efforts of a number of governmental and non-profit agencies and education and research institutions including Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, Guadalupe-Blanco River Authority, and the San Antonio River Authority.

For a complete agenda and registration information visit http://www.rivers.txstate.edu or contact the River Systems Institute at (512) 245-9200 or via email at flowsconference@grandenet.com.