Meeting explores new water laws

New laws passed by the Texas Legislature this year will produce water management changes in East Texas during the coming years, two officials of the Texas Water Development have told the East Texas Regional Water Planning Group.

Meeting in Nacogdoches on Wednesday, the Group heard Temple McKinnon and Carolyn Brittin report on the legislative changes.

A major change, they said, will produce more Through Senate Bill 3, the emphasis on water conservation.

Kelley Holcomb of Lufkin, chairman of the regional group, said one of the five water planning projects in East Texas will include a study to separate municipal water uses into residential, commercial, light industrial and institutional categories to improve water conservation planning. Legislature also defined 19 possible reservoir sites and 16 unique stream segments and approved the designation of Fastrill Reservoir on the Neches River and Marvin Nichols Reservoir on the Sulphur River.

The planning group's next meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, Sept. 12, at 10 a.m. in the Nacogdoches Recreation Center in Nacogdoches.