[Music] it would make a huge difference folks
it would make a huge difference folks
it would make a huge difference folks we’re making the decisions would get out
we’re making the decisions would get out
we’re making the decisions would get out and see just how special Texas rivers
and see just how special Texas rivers
and see just how special Texas rivers are in Texas bays are I have to believe
are in Texas bays are I have to believe
are in Texas bays are I have to believe it would change the way they approach
it would change the way they approach
it would change the way they approach decisions really understand what’s at
decisions really understand what’s at
decisions really understand what’s at stake so I grew up in North Texas and
stake so I grew up in North Texas and
stake so I grew up in North Texas and town of Munster and the closest river
town of Munster and the closest river
town of Munster and the closest river was the Red River didn’t get out there a
was the Red River didn’t get out there a
was the Red River didn’t get out there a lot it was a pretty magical place and
lot it was a pretty magical place and
lot it was a pretty magical place and actually it was just kind of far enough
actually it was just kind of far enough
actually it was just kind of far enough away that it seemed kind of mysterious
away that it seemed kind of mysterious
away that it seemed kind of mysterious and this is different
and this is different
and this is different it’s wilder more scenic and the area
it’s wilder more scenic and the area
it’s wilder more scenic and the area around town the farmland was a lot more
around town the farmland was a lot more
around town the farmland was a lot more going on in terms of Wildlife
studied Wildlife and Fisheries Sciences
studied Wildlife and Fisheries Sciences as from an undergrad degree and I’m
as from an undergrad degree and I’m
as from an undergrad degree and I’m going to law school worked with a
going to law school worked with a
going to law school worked with a attorney who was doing a lot of fights
attorney who was doing a lot of fights
attorney who was doing a lot of fights against reservoirs that were really
against reservoirs that were really
against reservoirs that were really about trying to protect the rivers from
about trying to protect the rivers from
about trying to protect the rivers from unneeded projects it just made a lot of
unneeded projects it just made a lot of
unneeded projects it just made a lot of sense to me and it gave meaning to doing
sense to me and it gave meaning to doing
sense to me and it gave meaning to doing something to protect the natural world
something to protect the natural world
something to protect the natural world and pass it on to future generations
and pass it on to future generations
and pass it on to future generations kind of haven’t looked back
kind of haven’t looked back
kind of haven’t looked back [Music]
so 150 years ago Texas didn’t really
so 150 years ago Texas didn’t really have natural lakes we had rivers and we
have natural lakes we had rivers and we
have natural lakes we had rivers and we had limited water demands and people
had limited water demands and people
had limited water demands and people would divert water from the rivers and
would divert water from the rivers and
would divert water from the rivers and they needed as the population has grown
they needed as the population has grown
they needed as the population has grown and the water demands have grown the
and the water demands have grown the
and the water demands have grown the ability to just meet those needs by
ability to just meet those needs by
ability to just meet those needs by pumping out a river during dry years
pumping out a river during dry years
pumping out a river during dry years wasn’t adequate so we started building
wasn’t adequate so we started building
wasn’t adequate so we started building reservoirs putting dams on the rivers to
reservoirs putting dams on the rivers to
reservoirs putting dams on the rivers to catch flow so that during those dry
catch flow so that during those dry
catch flow so that during those dry periods you’d have a lot of water and
periods you’d have a lot of water and
periods you’d have a lot of water and storage that you could then pump out and
storage that you could then pump out and
storage that you could then pump out and apply to use and we have now built about
apply to use and we have now built about
apply to use and we have now built about 200 we’re called major reservoirs in
200 we’re called major reservoirs in
200 we’re called major reservoirs in Texas when we first issued water rights
Texas when we first issued water rights
Texas when we first issued water rights in the 1800s the 1900s and we didn’t
in the 1800s the 1900s and we didn’t
in the 1800s the 1900s and we didn’t really think much about what are the
really think much about what are the
really think much about what are the environmental implications of giving the
environmental implications of giving the
environmental implications of giving the right to take that much water out of and
right to take that much water out of and
right to take that much water out of and have literally you know issued rights to
have literally you know issued rights to
have literally you know issued rights to take out more water than there will be
take out more water than there will be
take out more water than there will be in the rivers during drier years if
in the rivers during drier years if
in the rivers during drier years if we’re not careful we’ll drive the rivers
we’re not careful we’ll drive the rivers
we’re not careful we’ll drive the rivers you know we’ll lose the the health of
you know we’ll lose the the health of
you know we’ll lose the the health of the river which will also affect what
the river which will also affect what
the river which will also affect what happens to our bays and estuaries on the
happens to our bays and estuaries on the
happens to our bays and estuaries on the Gulf Coast because they rely on those
Gulf Coast because they rely on those
Gulf Coast because they rely on those river flows to keep them healthy
river flows to keep them healthy
river flows to keep them healthy [Music]
[Music]
[Music] we have a water planning process in
we have a water planning process in
we have a water planning process in Texas where we project water needs about
Texas where we project water needs about
Texas where we project water needs about 50 years into the future project needs
50 years into the future project needs
50 years into the future project needs for municipal and industrial and
for municipal and industrial and
for municipal and industrial and irrigation for mining all those things
irrigation for mining all those things
irrigation for mining all those things but we don’t project what does the
but we don’t project what does the
but we don’t project what does the environment mean what’s the environment
environment mean what’s the environment
environment mean what’s the environment gonna be like in 50 years we plan to
gonna be like in 50 years we plan to
gonna be like in 50 years we plan to meet those all those other needs but not
meet those all those other needs but not
meet those all those other needs but not the need to have healthy rivers and
the need to have healthy rivers and
the need to have healthy rivers and healthy bays and you know that’s crazy I
healthy bays and you know that’s crazy I
healthy bays and you know that’s crazy I I can’t imagine that the people of Texas
I can’t imagine that the people of Texas
I can’t imagine that the people of Texas think it would be okay to just wipe out
think it would be okay to just wipe out
think it would be okay to just wipe out our rivers and our bays I you know I
our rivers and our bays I you know I
our rivers and our bays I you know I just I don’t think that’s how Texans
just I don’t think that’s how Texans
just I don’t think that’s how Texans approach things but it’s kind of below
approach things but it’s kind of below
approach things but it’s kind of below the radar we’re not thinking about it
the radar we’re not thinking about it
the radar we’re not thinking about it droughts are kind of a complicated
droughts are kind of a complicated
droughts are kind of a complicated phenomenon and their natural event we
phenomenon and their natural event we
phenomenon and their natural event we have droughts they’re gonna happen but
have droughts they’re gonna happen but
have droughts they’re gonna happen but what happens with water management is
what happens with water management is
what happens with water management is that as we’re capturing river flow we
that as we’re capturing river flow we
that as we’re capturing river flow we worsen those natural droughts we make
worsen those natural droughts we make
worsen those natural droughts we make the low flows lower we make the duration
the low flows lower we make the duration
the low flows lower we make the duration longer because we’re capturing water and
longer because we’re capturing water and
longer because we’re capturing water and reservoirs or we’re taking it out of the
reservoirs or we’re taking it out of the
reservoirs or we’re taking it out of the river we’re diverting it for human use
river we’re diverting it for human use
river we’re diverting it for human use and so it’s that combination of things
and so it’s that combination of things
and so it’s that combination of things that really drives the river very low
that really drives the river very low
that really drives the river very low and that’s a time when some organisms
and that’s a time when some organisms
and that’s a time when some organisms that can’t move freely you know they’re
that can’t move freely you know they’re
that can’t move freely you know they’re gonna they’re gonna dry out I’m gonna
gonna they’re gonna dry out I’m gonna
gonna they’re gonna dry out I’m gonna die in parts of the river are gonna dry
die in parts of the river are gonna dry
die in parts of the river are gonna dry out 2011 was incredibly intense drought
out 2011 was incredibly intense drought
out 2011 was incredibly intense drought very low rainfall kind of unrelenting
very low rainfall kind of unrelenting
very low rainfall kind of unrelenting heat reservoir elevations were down
heat reservoir elevations were down
heat reservoir elevations were down water was just evaporating really really
water was just evaporating really really
water was just evaporating really really quickly and we weren’t getting rainfall
quickly and we weren’t getting rainfall
quickly and we weren’t getting rainfall you had portions of the the Guadalupe
you had portions of the the Guadalupe
you had portions of the the Guadalupe there was no flow you know that’s
there was no flow you know that’s
there was no flow you know that’s extreme and for the bays really what
extreme and for the bays really what
extreme and for the bays really what happens is the salinity levels get high
happens is the salinity levels get high
happens is the salinity levels get high when you don’t have enough freshwater
when you don’t have enough freshwater
when you don’t have enough freshwater and then
and then
and then he starts building up and that’s really
he starts building up and that’s really
he starts building up and that’s really bad for a number of organisms I just
bad for a number of organisms I just
bad for a number of organisms I just can’t tolerate that it can just decimate
can’t tolerate that it can just decimate
can’t tolerate that it can just decimate the oyster population a certain amount
the oyster population a certain amount
the oyster population a certain amount of that and the system can recover but
of that and the system can recover but
of that and the system can recover but if you take it too far if we push it too
if you take it too far if we push it too
if you take it too far if we push it too far you may not and then you know we’ve
far you may not and then you know we’ve
far you may not and then you know we’ve lost the oyster fishery people tend to
lost the oyster fishery people tend to
lost the oyster fishery people tend to think about it during drought and then
think about it during drought and then
think about it during drought and then we forget when it rains we kind of start
we forget when it rains we kind of start
we forget when it rains we kind of start getting lazy and our habits start being
getting lazy and our habits start being
getting lazy and our habits start being wasteful about water use again we just
wasteful about water use again we just
wasteful about water use again we just can’t afford to do that we’ve got a
can’t afford to do that we’ve got a
can’t afford to do that we’ve got a limited amount of water we’ve got a
limited amount of water we’ve got a
limited amount of water we’ve got a rapidly growing population and if we’re
rapidly growing population and if we’re
rapidly growing population and if we’re gonna continue to have flowing rivers
gonna continue to have flowing rivers
gonna continue to have flowing rivers and healthy bays we have got to use
and healthy bays we have got to use
and healthy bays we have got to use water as efficiently as we can we still
water as efficiently as we can we still
water as efficiently as we can we still put way too much on long we have leaky
put way too much on long we have leaky
put way too much on long we have leaky pipes in our distribution systems just
pipes in our distribution systems just
pipes in our distribution systems just lots of things that we do where we use
lots of things that we do where we use
lots of things that we do where we use water in a really wasteful way and it’s
water in a really wasteful way and it’s
water in a really wasteful way and it’s just way too precious to treat it that
just way too precious to treat it that
just way too precious to treat it that way
way
way and on the state level we have to make
and on the state level we have to make
and on the state level we have to make River protection part of our water
River protection part of our water
River protection part of our water planning we plan for all these water
planning we plan for all these water
planning we plan for all these water needs we don’t plan for healthy rivers
needs we don’t plan for healthy rivers
needs we don’t plan for healthy rivers we don’t say well you know how much
we don’t say well you know how much
we don’t say well you know how much water is the river need to stay healthy
water is the river need to stay healthy
water is the river need to stay healthy and let’s plan to provide that water
and let’s plan to provide that water
and let’s plan to provide that water because if we don’t plan for it we’re
because if we don’t plan for it we’re
because if we don’t plan for it we’re not going to happen we’re gonna fail
not going to happen we’re gonna fail
not going to happen we’re gonna fail what’s really got to happen is that
what’s really got to happen is that
what’s really got to happen is that people have to speak up and they have to
people have to speak up and they have to
people have to speak up and they have to talk to their government officials and
talk to their government officials and
talk to their government officials and say you know what I care about this I
say you know what I care about this I
say you know what I care about this I want to see rivers taken care of there’s
want to see rivers taken care of there’s
want to see rivers taken care of there’s this tendency to you know to focus on
this tendency to you know to focus on
this tendency to you know to focus on economics which is incredibly important
economics which is incredibly important
economics which is incredibly important but in the process we tend to forget
but in the process we tend to forget
but in the process we tend to forget about how important the natural beauty
about how important the natural beauty
about how important the natural beauty and natural attractions of Texas are in
and natural attractions of Texas are in
and natural attractions of Texas are in that economic growth if we waste that I
that economic growth if we waste that I
that economic growth if we waste that I mean it’s going to cost us not just
mean it’s going to cost us not just
mean it’s going to cost us not just ecologically but it’s gonna cost us in
ecologically but it’s gonna cost us in
ecologically but it’s gonna cost us in terms of the economy
terms of the economy
terms of the economy I’m not just doing it for a job because
I’m not just doing it for a job because
I’m not just doing it for a job because I care
I care
I care I feel like there’s so much at stake so
I feel like there’s so much at stake so
I feel like there’s so much at stake so yeah it’s really hard and I have to
yeah it’s really hard and I have to
yeah it’s really hard and I have to remind myself everyone smile I mean this
remind myself everyone smile I mean this
remind myself everyone smile I mean this is the long battle I’m at the short one
is the long battle I’m at the short one
is the long battle I’m at the short one and there’s still a lot of good that can
and there’s still a lot of good that can
and there’s still a lot of good that can be done a lot that can be protected and
be done a lot that can be protected and
be done a lot that can be protected and some weather gets lost on the way it’s
some weather gets lost on the way it’s
some weather gets lost on the way it’s sad it’s not the end of the fight keep
sad it’s not the end of the fight keep
sad it’s not the end of the fight keep going too much at stake
going too much at stake
going too much at stake and quit
[Music]
[Music] you
”
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