HBA-BSM H.C.R. 237 77(R)    BILL ANALYSIS


Office of House Bill AnalysisH.C.R. 237
By: Counts
Natural Resources
4/17/2001
Introduced



BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE 

Under state law, the legislature is authorized to designate a site of
unique value for the construction of a reservoir.  A site on the Double
Mountain Fork of the Brazos River in southern Stonewall County merits such
a designation by virtue of the storage and conservation advantages that a
dam and reservoir at this location would afford.  The construction and
development of such a project and the associated impoundment, diversion,
and use of the unappropriated flows of the Brazos River are in the public
interest and would constitute a beneficial use of the water.  

 Conditions warrant a Texas Water Development Board waiver of the
requirement that the project meet needs in a manner consistent with the
state and regional water plans.  The cost of acquisition of the site for
the project exceeds the current financing capabilities of the area
involved, and the optimum regional development of the project cannot be
reasonably financed by local interests without state participation. It is
therefore the intent of the legislature that the project receive priority
for existing and uncommitted bond authorization in the state participation
account of the Texas Water Development Fund II.   The legislature finds it
reasonable to expect that the state in using that account to acquire up to
50 percent of the undivided interest in the project in partnership with
local or regional interests will recover its investment in the project.  

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

It is the opinion of the Office of House Bill Analysis that this bill does
not expressly delegate any additional rulemaking authority to a state
officer, department, agency, or institution. 

ANALYSIS

House Concurrent Resolution 237 designates the Double Mountain Fork of the
Brazos River in Southern Stonewall County as a site of unique value for the
construction of a reservoir.