Texas Administrative Code › Title 30 - ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY › Part 1 - TEXAS COMMISSION ON ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY › Chapter 298 - ENVIRONMENTAL FLOW STANDARDS FOR SURFACE WATER › Subchapter D - COLORADO AND LAVACA RIVERS, AND MATAGORDA AND LAVACA BAYS › Section 298.305 - Definitions

Current through Reg. 49, No. 28; July 12, 2024
The following words or phrases have the following meanings
					 in this subchapter unless the context clearly indicates otherwise:
(1) Annual average inflow--the long-term
				  average annual volume of freshwater inflows at the most downstream point in the
				  Colorado River Basin.
(2) Annual
				  strategy frequency--the frequencies at which specific levels of freshwater
				  inflows occur and which are used for the sole purpose of providing additional
				  freshwater inflows to Matagorda and Lavaca Bays through voluntary
				  strategies.
(3) Average
				  condition--for all measurement points, the hydrologic condition that would
				  occur approximately 50% of the time.
(4) Dry condition--for all measurement points
				  except those measurement points on the Colorado River below Lake Travis, the
				  hydrologic condition that would occur approximately 20% of the time and
				  represents periods when conditions are dry but not severe. For all measurement
				  points on the Colorado River below Lake Travis, the hydrologic condition that
				  would occur approximately 45% of the time and that is intended to represent
				  periods when conditions are drier than average conditions but not
				  severe.
(5) Fall--for the
				  measurement points on the Colorado River and its tributaries above Lake Travis,
				  the period of time September through October, inclusive, and for all other
				  measurement points, the period of time September through November,
				  inclusive.
(6) Fall inflow
				  quantity--during any individual calendar year, the maximum freshwater inflow
				  quantity, at the most downstream point in the Lavaca River Basin and at the
				  most downstream point on Garcitas Creek in the Lavaca-Guadalupe Coastal Basin,
				  occurring during any period of three consecutive months beginning in the months
				  of August, September, or October.
(7) Fall season quantity--the maximum
				  freshwater inflow quantity, at the most downstream point in the Colorado River
				  Basin, occurring during any three consecutive months during the period from
				  August through December, inclusive.
(8) Intervening inflow quantity--the quantity
				  of freshwater inflows, at the most downstream point in the Lavaca River Basin
				  and at the most downstream point on Garcitas Creek in the Lavaca-Guadalupe
				  Coastal Basin, occurring during the remaining six months of the calendar year,
				  that were not included in the Fall Inflow or Spring Inflow for that calendar
				  year.
(9) Intervening season
				  quantity--the quantity of freshwater inflows, at the most downstream point in
				  the Colorado River Basin, occurring during the six months of the calendar year
				  that are not counted towards the fall season quantity or the spring season
				  quantity for that year.
(10) Inflow
				  regime level--one of the annual freshwater inflow patterns, at the most
				  downstream point in the Colorado River Basin for Matagorda Bay, that includes a
				  spring season quantity, a fall season quantity, and an intervening season
				  quantity as described in Figure: 30 TAC §
										298.330(a)(2)
				  of this title (relating to Environmental Flow Standards), or at the most
				  downstream point in the Lavaca River Basin and the most downstream point on
				  Garcitas Creek in the Lavaca-Guadalupe Coastal Basin for Lavaca Bay, that
				  includes a spring inflow quantity, a fall inflow quantity, and an intervening
				  inflow quantity as described in Figure 30: TAC §
										298.330(c)
				  of this title.
(11) Long-Term
				  annual strategy quantity--the annual average volume of freshwater inflows,
				  which is used for the sole purpose of providing additional freshwater inflows
				  to Matagorda Bay through voluntary strategies.
(12) Modeled annual frequency--the frequency
				  at which specific levels of freshwater inflows occur in the commission's water
				  availability models for the Colorado and Lavaca river basins and the
				  Colorado-Lavaca and Lavaca-Guadalupe coastal basins at the time the first water
				  right application subject to this subchapter is processed.
(13) Monthly threshold inflow--the total
				  volume of freshwater inflows, at the most downstream point in the Colorado
				  River Basin, in any calendar month.
(14) Severe condition--for all measurement
				  points, the hydrologic condition that would occur approximately 5% of the time
				  and that is intended to represent the driest periods.
(15) Spring--the period of time March through
				  June, inclusive.
(16) Spring inflow
				  quantity--during any individual calendar year, the maximum freshwater inflow
				  quantity, at the most downstream point in the Lavaca River Basin and at the
				  most downstream point on Garcitas Creek in the Lavaca-Guadalupe Coastal Basin,
				  occurring during any period of three consecutive months beginning in the months
				  of February, March, April, or May.
(17) Spring season quantity--during any
				  individual calendar year, the maximum freshwater inflow quantity, at the most
				  downstream point in the Colorado River Basin, occurring during any three
				  consecutive months during the period from January through July,
				  inclusive.
(18) Sound ecological
				  environment--characterized by flow regimes that support existing biological
				  communities in rivers, riparian, bay, and estuary habitats.
(19) Summer--the period of time July through
				  August, inclusive.
(20) Wet
				  condition--for all measurement points except those measurement points on the
				  Colorado River below Lake Travis, the hydrologic condition that would occur
				  approximately 25% of the time and that is intended to represent the wettest
				  conditions.
(21) Winter--for the
				  measurement points on the Colorado River above Lake Travis, the period of time
				  November through February, inclusive, and for all other measurement points, the
				  period of time December through February, inclusive.