Lower Colorado River Basin Coalition Announces Executive Committee

The Lower Colorado River Basin Coalition (LCRBC) has a new leadership team to assist in the development of water management strategies that protect the interests of the entire lower Colorado River basin.

Through this extended drought, as a result of serial Emergency Drought Orders sought by the Lower Colorado River Authority and approved by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, only severely limited levels of agricultural water and environmental flows have made it downstream of Longhorn Dam in Austin. The LCRBC formed to represent organizations, communities, and business interests throughout the Lower Colorado River Authority (LCRA) service area. The coalition’s mission is to advocate for a fair and balanced approach to river management for all parties under all conditions, including responsible planning for both drought and flood control, in order to achieve balance from the Hill Country to Matagorda Bay.

Recognizing the threat that agricultural water and environmental flow limitations might become common in the future, the coalition created a blue-ribbon leadership team to help save the Colorado River and Matagorda Bay.

Executive Committee members represent a diversity of interests that include the environment, economic development, recreation, commercial fishing, wildlife conservation, and agriculture. The current list of Executive Committee members appears below. The Executive Committee’s experience not only encompasses a broad range of professional and technical expertise, but also geographic interests throughout the extent of the LCRA service territory. This Colorado River brain trust brings decades of knowledge to the effort.

EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE
Judge Paul Pape Bastrop County Judge
Judge Nate McDonald, Matagorda County Judge
Mark Rose, Bluebonnet Electric Co-Op General Manager
Jennifer Walker, Sierra Club
Myron Hess, National Wildlife Federation
Iliana Pena, Audubon Texas
Mike Lanier, Red Bluff Hunting Club
Joey Park, Coastal Conservation Association
Haskell Simon, Colorado Water Issues Committee
Dick Ottis, Rice Belt Warehouse
Buddy Treybig, Buddy’s Oysters
Laurance Armour, Pierce Ranch