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The San Bernard River headwaters is a small spring located on private property just south of the town of New Ulm, Texas (29°52' N, 96°29' W). It flows 120 miles to the southeast where it empties into the Gulf of Mexico. It is one of the few rivers in Texas that empties directly into the Gulf, rather than into a coastal bay system.
The El Rio de San Bernardo was named by the Spanish,then anglicized as the San Bernard River.
The San Bernard River is brackish water, a combination of saltwater and freshwater. “The mixing of saltwater and freshwater creates the conditions, the salinity gradients, essential to the life cycles of red drum, flounder, croaker and the myriad of other fish and invertebrates found in what has been recognized widely as the most productive of all marine habitats,” says Dr. Larry McKinney, former director of Coastal Fisheries for TPWD and now director of the Harte Institute for Gulf of Mexico Studies at Texas A&M University, Corpus Christi.
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Fish in the San Bernard
Speckled trout
Flounder
Redfish
Blue Catfish
Oysters
Crab
Others
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Left Bank? or Right Bank?
- The right bank of a river is the right side of the river when one is facing to the mouth of the river. The right bank of a river when going downstream, is properly termed as right bank descending.
- The left bank of a river is the left side of the river when one is facing to the mouth of the river. The left bank of a river when going downstream, is properly termed as left bank descending.
Boat Ramps
Churchill Bridge aka Sportsman’s Span Bridge on Fm 2611
Pier, all-weather parking, double concrete ramp, public, no charge.
Highway 35 behind Hanson Park
Off Hwy 35 between West Columbia and Old Ocean.
Temporarily closed, due to construction on Hwy.35
McNeill Bridge at FM 521 Bridge
All-weather parking, lighted, double concrete ramp, public, no charge
End of FM 2918 to Intracoastal & Gulf
All-weather parking, lighted, double concrete ramp, public, no charge
Key Names and Numbers for the San Bernard River in Brazoria
USGS Watershed: San Bernard Coastal
Hydrologic Cataloging Unit (HCU): #12090401
Coastal Basin Designation: Brazos Colorado Coastal Basin #13
Segment: 1301, SB River Tidal
Basin Group: Group D
Water Quality Monitoring Station ID: 12146
DNR Station: Churchill - San Bernard CBI ID: 050 CHURCH
NOAA Chart: 11322
USGS Quad: Freeport, TX
Key Major Aquifers: Evangeline aka Gulf Coast Aquifer
Key Minor Aquifer: Brazos River Alluvium Aquifer
TWB (Texas Water Development Board): Houston Field Office
Regional Water Planning Group: Group H
Groundwater Conservation District: GCD #69
FEMA Region (Flood Insurance & Asst): Region VI, Denton, Texas
Contact Information for State & Federal Agencies
TPWD Texas Parks and Wildlife Dept.
Call TPWD for violations of trash on the river banks.
TGLO Texas General Land Office
| The Texas General Land Office is the management agency for state lands and mineral rights totaling 20.4 million acres. This includes the Gulf Coast beaches and bays and other "submerged" lands extending 10.3 miles out from the shoreline.
This group leases your space for a pier and boat dock. It is also involved in beach re-nourishment projects which might be interested in the sand at the mouth of the San Bernard. It would be involved in the event of a chemical spill into the river. This group issues determines whether you can remove the silt or saltgrass at your pier. http://www.glo.state.tx.us/
Phone Numbers:
Executive Office Toll Free: 1-800-998-4GLO (4456). Direct: 512-463-5001
LaPorte Field Office Phone: 281-470-1191
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TWDB Texas Water Development Board
The Texas Water Development Board (TWDB) was created in 1957.
BCSO Brazoria County Sheriff's Office
| County Sheriff: Charles Wagner. The Sheriff's Office patrols the river from time to time. Also the Brazoria County Sheriff Department - Environmental Health now has enforcement powers on the San Bernard River for such things as trash dumping, sewage runoff and sewage dumping into the River and Pollution issues
Central & West: (979) 849-2441
South: (979)-265-9310
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USACE U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
They tend the dredging of the river.
We are in the Galveston District.
Brazos River Floodgates Status Report
EPA U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
| Responsible for administering the Clean Water Act. Exercises authority through the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) which oversees discharges from both point sources, such as from business and industry, sewage treatment plants, and non-point sources such as urban runoff. EPA delegates to the states to certify that permitted actions are consistent with the Clean Water Act. Supports environmental enhancement programs and projects
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FEMA Federal Emergency Management Agency
| Provides flood insurance to jurisdictions that meet the criteria for participation in their program. The program was initiated to encourage better flood plain management and reduce damaged in flood-prone areas
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NMFS National Marine Fisheries Service
| The National Marine Fisheries Services operates under the U.S. Department of Commerce. Mission includes the conservation and management of living marine resources. Activities focus on the coastal zone and estuaries.
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USFWS U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
| The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service operates under the U.S. Department of the Interior. Responsible for the conservation, protection, and enhancement of fish and wildlife and their habitats. Major responsibilities are for migratory birds, candidate species, endangered species, some marine mammals, and freshwater and anadromous fish. Provides technical assistance to agencies for wildlife management, funding for wetlands acquisition, acquisition of areas for protection of migratory birds.
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USNRCS U.S. Natural Resources Conservation Service
GICA Gulf Intracoastal Canal Association Assn
"Building, promoting, protecting the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway since 1905"
TW Texas Watch Academic
| They do the water quality sampling and help with data like what’s needed for the USACE studies.
Texas Watch is a network of trained volunteers and supportive partners working together to gather information about the natural resources of Texas and to ensure the information is available to all Texans. Established in 1991, Texas Watch is administered through a cooperative partnership between Texas State University, the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ), and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Currently, over 400 Texas Watch volunteers collect water quality data on lakes, rivers, streams, wetlands, bays bayous, and estuaries in Texas.
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Tx. D.O.T. Texas Dept. of Transportation
Texas Rivers Protection Association
| The members of the Texas Rivers Protection Association are concerned about the quality of our remaining natural rivers. It will sponsor river cleanups, Work for the passage of state legislation beneficial to natural rivers, strive for increased appreciation and respect for the diverse natural waterways of Texas.
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Galveston Bay Estuary Program
| The Galveston Bay Estuary Program—a non-regulatory program administered by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ)—is committed to preserving Galveston Bay for generations to come. Established in 1989, we are one in a network of twenty-eight U.S.National Estuary Programs (NEPs) guiding the conservation and restoration of Texas’ largest estuary.
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Brazoria County Shoreline Restoration Task Force
| The purpose of the Brazoria County Shoreline Restoration Task Force is to cooperatively and effectively evaluate shoreline erosion problems in Brazoria County, Identify and investigate feasible alternatives to restore the shoreline, and maximize State assistance to the region for shoreline restoration projects under the CEPRA, CIAP and other applicable and appropriate State programs.
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Brazoria County Parks Department
The Brazoria County Parks department is continually working to maintain the county’s 21 boat ramps in the best possible condition and looking for funding opportunities to upgrade ramps in need of major repairs. Citizens play an important role in protecting this resource. Please report any problems to (979) 864-1541.
East Matagorda Bay Foundation
| East Matagorda Bay Foundation exist to preserve and protect East Matagorda Bay and its estuarine system for future generations.
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Government Representatives
Brazoria County
Brazoria County Commissioner Precinct #1
(D) Commissioner Donald "Dude" Payne
1432 Highland Park, Clute, Texas 77531
Mail Address: P.O. Box 998, Clute, Texas 77531
979.265.3953 979.265.5409 – fax
Brazoria County Commissioner Precinct #4
(D) Commissioner Mary Ruth Rodenbaugh
1001 N. Market St., Brazoria, TX 77422
Phone: 979.798.2158 Fax: 979.798.4032
Brazoria County J.P. Precinct #1
Milan Miller & Justin Thompson 979.233.4700 979.297.4650
Brazoria County J.P. Precinct #2
Sharon Fox & Sherry Kersch 979.798.7777 & 979.345.3013, respectively
Brazoria County Constable Precinct #1
Robin Rape 979.233.4188
Brazoria County Constable Precinct #4
Fred Kanter 979.345.2115
State
Texas House of Representatives District #25
(R) Representative Dennis Bonnen
Austin Office: P.O. Box 2910, Austin, Texas 78711
Phone: (512) 463-0564 Fax: (512) 463-8414
District Office: 122 E. Myrtle, Angleton, TX 77515
Phone: (979) 848-1770 Fax: (979) 849-3169
Committee Assignments: Elections / Land & Resource Management (Chair)
Texas Senate District #17
(R) Senator Joan Huffman
Austin Office: P.O. Box 12068, Capitol Station, Austin, Texas 78711
(512) 463-0117 (800) 445-2635 (512) 463-0639 Fax
Committee Assignments: Committee of the Whole Senate / Government Organization / Health & Human Services / Transportation & Homeland Security / Veteran Affairs & Military Installations /
S/C on Base Realignment and Closure
Governor of Texas
(R) Governor Rick Perry
Office of the Governor: P.O. Box 12428, Austin, Texas 78711-2428
Phone: (800) 252-9600 Fax: (512) 463-1849
Speaker of the Texas House
(R) Speaker Joe Straus
Austin Office: Room CAP 2W.13
P.O. Box 2910, Austin, TX 78768
(512) 463-0686 (512) 463-1064 Fax (512) 463-1064 Fax
District Office: 7373 Broadway, Suite 202-A, San Antonio, TX 78209
(210) 828-4411 (512) 463-1064 Fax
Federal
U.S. President
(D) President Barrack Obama
The White House, 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20500
Phone: 202-456-1111 Fax: 202-456-2461
U.S. Senate
(R) Senator John Cornyn
Washington DC, 517 Hart Senate Office Bldg., Washington, DC 20510
Tel: 202-224-2934 Fax: 202-228-2856
Houston Office: 5300 Memorial Drive, Suite 980, Houston, Texas 77007
Tel: 713-572-3337 Fax: 713-572-3777
Committee Assignments: Armed Services Committee / Judiciary Committee / Budget Committee
Small Business and Entrepreneurship Committee / Joint Economic Committee
U.S. Senate
(R) Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison
Washington DC Office: 284 Russell Senate Office Building, Washington, DC 20510-4304
202-224-5922 202-224-0776 (FAX)
Houston Office: 1919 Smith Street, Suite 800 ,Houston, Texas 77002
713-653-3456 713-209-3459 (FAX)
Committee Assignments: Committee on Commerce Science, and Transportation / Committee on Appropriations / Committee on Rules and Administration / Committee on Veterans Affairs
U.S. House of Representatives 22nd District of Texas
Congressman Pete Olson
Washington DC Office: 514 Cannon HOB, Washington, D.C. 20515
Phone: (202) 225-5951 Fax: (202) 225-5241
Sugar Land Office: 1650 Highway 6, Suite 150, Sugar land, TX 77478
Clear lake Office: 17225 El Camino Real, Suite 447, Houston, TX 77058
U.S. House of Representatives 14th District of Texas
(R) Congressman Ron Paul
Washington, DC: 203 Cannon House Office Building, Washington, DC 20515
(202) 225-2831
Lake Jackson, Texas: 122 West Way, Suite 301, Lake Jackson, TX 77566
(979) 285-0231 (979) 285-0271 (Fax)
Committee Assignments: Committee on International Relations / Committee on Financial Services
Joint Economic Committee
http://www.house.gov/paul/
Flooding
Flood Crest History
27.50' Flood Record (October 17-22, 1998, when 22" of rain fell in 2 days)
23.90' Oct 23,1998
23.60' Sep 11,1998
21.80' Nov 19,1998
20.10' Dec 20, 1995
20.08' Apr 13, 1997
Stages for San Bernard River near Sweeny:
Action Stage: 12.0 ft
Minor Flood Stage:16.0 ft
Moderate Flood Stage: 17.0 ft.
Major Flood Stage: 18.0 ft
National Flood Insurance Program - Official site
American Red Cross – Are you ready for a flood?
Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)
Boling Reservoir Information
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House Bill 1437, passed by the Texas Legislature in 1999, authorizes LCRA to transfer up to 25,000 acre-feet of water per year to Williamson County under certain conditions. The bill requires an additional charge to be added to the base water rate to pay the costs of mitigating any adverse effects of the transfer of water to Williamson County from the lower Colorado River watershed. This water transfer also should result in "no net loss" of water to the Colorado River watershed.
Water resources developed or conserved to mitigate the water transfer may be acquired from inside or outside of the Colorado River watershed and shall be used to benefit the water services areas of the LCRA's irrigation operations.
The LCRA has contracted with The University of Texas LBJ School of Public Affairs to recommend a definition of the term "no net loss," and assist in the development of a water replacement strategy, and a surcharge rate for the transfer of water from the lower Colorado River basin to Williamson County. LBJ School's recommendations will be based on public comments and advice provided through two sets of public meetings. The LCRA's Board of Directors will ultimately decide on the definition of no net loss, the appropriate mitigation strategy and final water surcharge rate.
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A Proposed Reservoir on the San Bernard River
| Discussions are ongoing around Boling for construction of a reservoir on the San Bernard River. It would be used to replace the water currently transferred to Williamson County. It would also make water available for irrigation (by pipeline) in that area.
The reservoir would have a surface area of 5,000 acres and capture 50,000 acre-feet of water per year. It would cost approximately $90 million to construct, and would take 7 to 10 years from now to implement.
Everything is at a standstill now until they have a comprehensive environmental impact study so that they can apply for a permit for storage and diversion of "waters of the state"
Major impacts, expected to show up in the study, are associated modification of downstream flows which may affect bay and estuary inflow in the San Bernard basin.
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How will this impact us in Brazoria-Sweeny area?
| That remains to be learned but our river community needs to be diligently watching progress on discussions of this reservoir. Water is a commodity that is more precious every day. Does water that is rightly headed to Brazoria County need to be going to be diverted to meet demands of San Antonio and Williamson County? |
Managing Interbasin Water Transfers to Achieve No Net Loss
Water Replacement Strategies San Bernard Reservoir
Provide water supply from a San Bernard River reservoir.
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How? This water replacement strategy is based on the construction of a new reservoir on the San Bernard River near Boling to replace the water transferred to Williamson County. The reservoir would capture stream flow and make it available for irrigation. A pump station and pipeline would transport the water from the reservoir to the irrigation districts.
How Much? The San Bernard reservoir is expected to yield about 30,000 acre-feet of water when all senior water rights are honored. It would capture about 50,000 acre-feet per year and have a surface area of 5,000 acres.
Is it Scaleable? Generally, the reservoir and water transfer facilities would need to be built at the full capacity of the system. Some elements may initially be sized for a smaller capacity. For example, pipelines to some irrigation areas could initially be constructed with others added at a later time
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Comparability Criteria
| Costs? If the cost were comparable to one to two off-channel reservoirs, as envisioned in the Regional Water Supply Plan, and pumping and pipeline costs are added , the initial cost would be approximately $90 million. Annual costs to operate pumping and pipeline systems needed to transport the water to the irrigation districts are estimated at $50 per acre-foot. Detailed studies of this strategy have not been performed and the costs are difficult to estimate without that information. These estimates should be viewed as very preliminary.
Benefits? Significant deep water habitat would be developed, and the wetlands in the rice areas would be sustained by the availability of water.
Sustainability? This alternative is sustainable, assuming that upstream erosion and sediment accumulation in the reservoir do not significantly reduce its long-term storage capacity.
Reliability? The reliability of this reservoir is based on firm yield principles, which take into account the drought of record. Therefore, the expected firm yield would be reliable.
Risk? Obtaining the necessary permits may be difficult. Land for the reservoir must be purchased or condemned. During implementation the pump station will need to be managed in connection with the other irrigation system facilities, making system management more complex.
Permit Requirements? A permit for storage and diversion of “waters of the state” is required. This is sometimes difficult to obtain if the other surface water permit holders in the basin oppose the permit, or if there is significant environmental or recreational opposition. Section 404 and Section 10 permits from the Corps of Engineers are also required. These permits require a variety of environmental issues to be addressed, including: wetland impacts, habitat impacts, water requirements, and other environmental issues. Pipeline rights-of-way must be obtained.
Implementation Time? Minimum time to implement could be 7 to 10 years. Planning, environmental studies, and permitting alone could require 5 or more years. Design would require about 1 year, and construction would require about 1 year.
Water Quality? About the same as the existing supply. Some of the supply would be coming from a different surface water source that would have slightly different quality than the current supply.
Timing of availability? (by month) Same as the existing supply.
Location of the “developed” water? A reservoir on the San Bernard River, near Boling
Impacts? The major impacts are associated with inundation of the reservoir area and modification of downstream flows, which may affect bay and estuary inflow in the San Bernard basin.
Irrigators The implementation of a water importation strategy would bring in new water. Thus, the transfer of water to Williamson County would not affect the irrigators’ annual yield.
Recreators Since new water is brought in through water importation strategies, the transfer of water to Williamson County would not affect the Lake levels. Thus, persons who use the Lakes for recreation purposes would continue their practices without any harm.
Downstream water right holders Since new water is brought in through water importation strategies, the transfer of water to Williamson County would not affect the availability of water to the water right holders downstream of the Lakes.
Williamson County water users Surcharge rate would reflect the cost associated with this specific strategy.
Environment/Biota As a matter of law and policy, the LCRA will meet subsistence and critical flows to support the strength and diversity of aquatic life in river, estuary and bay. “LCRA has committed an average of 15,950 acre-feet per year out of the Combined Firm Yield of the Highland Lakes to meet the instream flow maintenance and bays and estuaries flow needs. Additionally, an estimated 40,060 acre-feet per year of interruptible stored water will be supplied during the critical drought for both purposes.”
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