COLLEGE STATION — A Texas A&M University study shows more Southwest Texans than previously assumed support the once unthinkable notion of buying and selling of water rights in the Edwards Aquifer.
Such a marketing system for water rights could help resolve difficult environmental and business issues in the 13-county area that depends on the aquifer for most of its water, but it could also help pave the way for solutions to water problems statewide, according to Dr. Ronald Kaiser, a researcher with the Texas Agricultural Experiment Station.
“Texans are used to absolute rights in use of groundwater, and they have the reputation of refusing to give up any rights whatsoever. But this study shows more willingness among water-rights holders to sell or lease their rights,” said Kaiser, who is also a professor of recreation, park and tourism sciences at Texas A&M.
“If users in the Edwards Aquifer region can make this kind of water-marketing system work, we may see changes in groundwater management across Texas.”
The Edwards Aquifer has historically provided water to a crescent-shaped section of south central Texas from Bracketville on the west to San Antonio in the center to San Marcos and Austin on the east.
The ability of the aquifer to supply increasing agricultural, domestic, municipal and industrial water for a time seemed limitless, Kaiser said. Today, however, it is at the center of legal and political controversy as multiple interests vie for its limited waters and the specter of drought pervades the area
In response to the political and legal sparring over the aquifer’s water, the Texas legislature authorized the Edwards Aquifer Authority to start regulating the amount of water that can be withdrawn from the aquifer. This authorization is the subject of a lawsuit currently before the Texas Supreme Court.
If the rights of the authority are upheld, landowners would no longer be free to pump as much water as they would like but would be restricted to pumping only an authorized or permitted amount.
Kaiser is also an attorney and specialist in legal issues related to water. He supervised the survey conducted by Laura Phillips, a May master’s degree recipient, of 105 major Edwards water users.
Phillips found 29 percent of irrigators surveyed in Bexar, Comal and Hayes counties favored selling or leasing of water rights to other users in the aquifer. An equal percentage was opposed, while 42 percent were neutral or did not respond
The group of irrigators included those reporting use of 18 million gallons or more annually. The survey did not include Medina and Uvalde counties — two primary use areas and the main aquifer recharge zone — where users could not comment on water issues because of potential legal ramifications, Phillips said
Phillips found that most likely water transfers will involve the movement of water from irrigated agriculture to urban and industrial uses.
Of those irrigators indicating they would sell or lease rights, about one third said they would be willing to market between 30 and 75 percent of their water appropriation, while another half said they would be willing to market up to 100 percent of their water.
Municipalities and industries also were generally interested in purchasing water, but are not interested in selling water rights to other users, Phillips said. Among municipalities, 43 percent favored the concept of transfers and 24 percent opposed it. Industries favored it by 33 percent to 25 percent opposed. Remaining respondents in both groups were neutral or did not respond.
Among the most pressing concerns for respondents, Phillips said, was the fear that transfer of water rights could harm rural communities by effectively transferring economic power to other municipalities or businesses. One-third of respondents who said they were unwilling to sell water expressed that opinion.
In addition, potential environmental impacts were considered “somewhat important” for all groups in the survey, with no statistically significant differences between groups and a lower level of concern in general about the environment than on community economic impacts.
“This is not surprising, because economic impacts can be very direct, while environmental and social repercussions may not manifest themselves immediately after transfers occur,” Phillips said.
“Clearly, not everyone is continuing to see water as a perpetually renewable resource. They are beginning to understand that it is limited.”