Causes: Environment, Natural Resources Conservation & Protection, Water, Water Resources, Wetlands Conservation & Management

Mission: The greater edwards aquifer alliance (geaa) is a non-profit organization whose mission is to promote effective broad based grassroots advocacy for aquifer protection throughout the twenty-one county edwards region, uniting fifty-one member organizations in support of a comprehensive plan to protect the edwards and trinity aquifer watersheds.

Programs: Capacity building - geaa staff provides member organizations with legal, technical, public relations and publicity, fundraising and administrative advice and services, as well as with financial support for specific projects that further the implementation of the edwards aquifer protection plan. Geaa hosts a retreat each year to engage representatives of all member organizations in setting policy, initiating new programs, and allocating resources. Geaa also presents workshops featuring experts in the fields of public relations, organizing, fundraising and campaigning, as well as presentations by government and elected officials and community activists, for the benefit of geaa member groups and the public at large. The geaa technical research program provides our member groups, and the public at large, with technical expertise and access to information that addresses issues of regional and local concern as related to the preservation of the quality and quantity of the waters in the edwards aquifer, its contributing watersheds, and its indigenous plant and animal species. Sound science is necessary to advance policy recommendations, specifically those recommendations for protecting water quality and biodiversity and maintaining spring flow. Citizens, news media, and increasingly, public agencies, rely on geaa staff to provide or direct them to technical expertise regarding the management and protection of the edwards and trinity formations. Geaa is regularly called upon to research specific issues and projects, to comment on proposed rules and programs, and to generate policy and regulatory recommendations and remedies. Geaa technical staff works with regulatory agencies and local governments to promote measures proven to provide adequate protection of our water resources. Key science areas include biology, environmental engineering, hydrology, and hydrogeology. Geaas efforts to date have produced solid results. A perusal of the document section on our website reveals the scope and merit of technical research generated by geaa on topics of importance to protection of the edwards aquifer. Our recommendations to the edwards aquifer authority (eaa) on proposed rules for hazardous materials were incorporated in their entirety into the draft presented by eaa staff for public comment and approved by the eaa board in march 2008. Geaa comments submitted to u. S. Fish and wildlife service concerning the proposed habitat conservation plan for the comal springs invertebrates were praised by top experts and widely circulated among those working in this field. The geaa technical team conducts research and publishes reports on various issues of specific concern to proper management of the edwards aquifer. Our white paper on permanent bmps, published in 2010, resulted in focusing regulatory reform to protect the edwards from contamination from urban storm water runoff. Our studies on the impact of sewage on the edwards aquifer have resulted in a wider examination and discussion on the issues of installing centralized sewage infrastructure within the edwards aquifer recharge zone geaa's technical guidance manual for the use of low impact development on the edwards aquifer recharge zone has been presented at the international conference on low impact development and distributed to policy makers and the public. Our technical staff has become recognized as a resource for many of the rural municipalities within our region. Workshops, dissemination of technical materials, and hands-on guidance in securing funding for water infrastructure upgrades ensure that all hill country communities have access to the tools they need to plan for anticipated growth without sacrificing quality of life or our natural resources. We work with rural landowners, pairing them with expert hydrologists, volunteers and interns to map well locations as the basis of modeling that will enable us to better understand the interface of the edwards and trinity aquifer systems. Public comment and ad hoc issues - geaa receives requests for technical assistance on a regular basis on a wide variety of issues from individual landowners, regional municipalities, and governmental agencies soliciting public comment on programs and policies relating to the regions ground and surface water systems. The expertise of our technical staff is critical to expanding our capacity to promote adequate protection of our water resources and is essential to accomplishing our goals. We rely upon the largess of several experts who have volunteered their time and the benefit of their expertise as needed on specific projects. Because of the recognized excellence of our work, geaa is regularly called upon to research specific issues and projects, to comment on proposed projects, rules and programs, and to generate policy and regulatory recommendations and remedies. Geaa provides practical guidance to the development and construction industries, enhancing our ability to further our goal of aquifer protection by furnishing expertise on proven methods and practices to developers referred to geaa by government agencies to advise on specific projects. Additionally, geaa will continue to work with municipalities within the edwards region to promote the adoption of sustainable development techniques into the codes of municipalities and into state recommended best management practices. Capacity building - geaa staff provides member organizations with legal, technical, public relations and publicity, fundraising and administrative advice and services, as well as with financial support for specific projects that further the implementation of the edwards aquifer protection plan. Geaa hosts a retreat each year to engage representatives of all member organizations in setting policy, initiating new programs, and allocating resources. Geaa also presents workshops featuring experts in the fields of public relations, organizing, fundraising and campaigning, as well as presentations by government and elected officials and community activists, for the benefit of geaa member groups and the public at large. Our technical staff has become recognized as a resource for many of the rural municipalities within our region. Workshops, dissemination of technical materials, and hands-on guidance in securing funding for water infrastructure upgrades ensure that all hill country communities have access to the tools they need to plan for anticipated growth without sacrificing quality of life or our natural resources. During the coming year, geaa will be presenting a series of workshops on land use and legal issues and practices pertinent to the edwards aquifer to area planning and zoning commissioners. One of the most common misconceptions that the general public holds is that the edwards aquifer, like most other aquifers, filters water entering its reservoir through layers of sand and gravel. The edwards, however, is a karst aquifer. The karst limestone structure of the edwards aquifer allows for only minimal filtration of water entering the aquifer, making it vulnerable to contamination from urban runoff "nonpoint source" pollution. To educate the public, geaa has designed a comprehensive curriculum of accurate, up-to-date scientific information on cave formation and the chemistry, geology, and biology of karst aquifers. Teachers in-service programs serve middle school and high school science teachers of san antonios seventeen independent school districts. Free workshops on karst geology and the edwards aquifer include demonstrations of lab exercises, presentations by experts in the field of karst geology and a guided tour of a karst recharge cave. Teachers receive texas essential knowledge and skills (teks) and texas assessment of knowledge and skills (taks) appropriate curricula, maps and audiovisual presentations for use in the class room, lab exercises, lectures and hands- on demonstrations about all aspects of karst aquifers, including human impact on the edwards aquifer. One hundred eighty teachers each year earn continuing education credit by participating in this program. Our animated dvd/cd rom "inner view of the edwards aquifer", produced in partnership with klrn tv, has been widely distributed to area teachers. The dvd/cd rom presents lessons for five class sessions accompanied by lab exercises that illustrate the lessons covered in each segment. This package, which covers teks requirements for grades fifth through eighth, enhances the teachers' ability to present the material and provides a local perspective to state required texts. "inner view of the edwards aquifer"is available to teachers participating in the workshops; via klrn tv educational video stream; and on geaa and school districts' websites. Student field trips - geaa has added a new outdoor education initiative to bring four groups of 30 middle school students, accompanied by their teachers, on a hike at government canyon state natural area to learn first-hand how th