* This transcript was created by voice-to-text technology. The transcript has not been edited for errors or omissions, it is for reference only and is not the official minutes of the meeting.
          [CALL TO ORDER]
          [00:00:04]
          1:00 PM LET'S GET STARTED ON THE, UH, REGULAR MEETING OF THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION. 
          UH, JULY 17TH, 2024 AT THE PERMITTING AND DEVELOPMENT CENTER EVENT CENTER. 
          ROOM 1 4 0 5 AT 6 3 1 0. 
          WIL HAMINA DELCO DRIVE, AUSTIN, TEXAS 7 8 7 5 2. 
          SO LET'S START WITH A ROLL CALL. 
          UH, LET'S START WITH REMOTE COMMISSIONERS. 
          COMMISSIONER SHERA HERE. 
          COMMISSIONER KRUEGER HERE. 
          VICE CHAIR COFER. 
          HERE. 
          SECRETARY BRISTOL. 
          I, UM, I'M HERE. 
          , UH, COMMISSIONER SULLIVAN HERE. 
          AND BEDFORD'S HERE. 
          OKAY. 
          UH, AND BRIMER ISS HERE. 
          AH, WE DON'T SEE YOU YET ON THE SCREEN. 
          BRIMER. 
          UM, GEE, I DON'T KNOW WHAT TO TELL YOU. 
          , UH, MY CAMERA SAYS IT'S ON. 
          OH, YEAH. 
          OH, NO. 
          YEAH. 
          YOUR BOX IS ALL BLACKED OUT, BUT WE JUST SAW YOUR, WE CAN HEAR YOUR VOICE. 
          WELL, LET ME SEE IF I CAN SIGN OUT AND SIGN BACK IN. 
          OKAY. 
          UH, COMMISSIONER BRIMER, YOU MIGHT WANT TO TRY TURNING YOUR CAMERA OFF AND ON AGAIN. 
          THAT MIGHT FIX THE PROBLEM. 
          SURE. 
          LET'S SEE IF WE CAN WORK THAT OUT. 
          I KNOW ALSO THAT SOME LAPTOPS HAVE A LITTLE SLIDER AT THE TOP THAT CAN BLACK OUT YOUR CAMERA. 
          YOU MIGHT SEE IF YOU HAVE THAT TURNED ON. 
          ARE YOU STILL THERE? PRIMER? I AM STILL HERE. 
          I'M GONNA, I'M GONNA LOG OUT AND LOG BACK IN. 
          OKAY. 
          UM, OKAY. 
          SO, UH, YOU GUYS GET, UH, GET YOUR THING GOING THERE AND I'M GONNA TRY TO GET BACK IN. 
          OKAY. 
          YEAH. 
          WE HAVE OFFICIAL QUORUM NOW, SO I'LL GO AHEAD AND KEEP GOING. 
          SEE, SEE IN A FEW BRIMER. 
          YEP. 
          OKAY. 
          UM, 
          [PUBLIC COMMUNICATION: GENERAL]
SO, UH, FIRST UP WE HAVE GENERAL, UH, PUBLIC COMMUNICATION. 
          WE HAVE ONE, UH, SANTIAGO. 
          THANK YOU. 
          SANTIAGO. 
          HELLO. 
          HELLO. 
          HELLO. 
          IS THE MICROPHONE WORKING AT THE PODIUM? IS THAT ON? I CAN JUST YELL. 
          THAT'S ON TESTING. 
          THIS ONE WORKS. 
          I THINK THIS ONE'S ON AS WELL. 
          IT'S, THANK YOU ON BECAUSE I CAN HEAR, UM, AND CLICK IS WORKING. 
          ALL RIGHT. 
          I HAVE ABOUT 35 SLIDES THAT I'M GONNA GO THROUGH REAL QUICKLY. 
          UM, UH, AND I'VE EMAILED ALL OF THESE SLIDES, EVERYONE AS WELL, WITH SOME NOTES, UH, ABOUT WHAT THE TEXT THAT'S ON EACH ONE. 
          UM, I'M NOT SURE WHERE I'M SUPPOSED TO BE POINTING THIS CLICKER. 
          UM, SO A LOT OF DIFFERENT THINGS THAT I'VE SPOKEN TO THIS COMMISSION ABOUT, UH, UM, ARE PRIMARILY WITH REGARD TO THE BRIDGE AND, UM, THE OUTFALL ON THE COLORADO RIVER. 
          UM, I'M GONNA TRY TO MOVE TO SLIDE EIGHT AS QUICKLY AS I CAN. 
          UM, SO THIS IS FROM THE MOBILITY COMMISSION, UH, PRESENTATION THAT SHOWS SOME COMPLE COMPLEXITY WITH REGARDS TO THE CONSULTANTS THAT ARE GONNA BE SELECTED. 
          UM, IN THE NOTES I HAVE, UH, UH, A LINK TO THE CONSULTANT OUTTA DALLAS THAT'S BEEN SELECTED. 
          UM, AND THEN IF I'M GONNA KEEP GOING TO SLIDE 17, UH, HERE'S SOME, UH, INFORMATION FROM THE EIS. 
          SOME DOCU ARE SOME AERIALS FROM AUSTIN HISTORY CENTERS, SOME, UH, NEWS ARTICLES FROM THE AMERICAN STATESMEN. 
          UH, THERE'S BEEN SOME, UH, INCORRECT HISTORICAL, 
          [00:05:01]
UM, DOCUMENTATION WITH REGARDS TO, UM, IN PARTICULAR THE AUSTIN BEAUTIFICATION COMMITTEE AND WHEN IT BEGAN, UM, AND CAPITAL AGGREGATE. 
          AND HERE'S A, THAT'S A REALLY GREAT SLIDE TO STOP AT. 
          UM, THIS IS A HUNDRED YEAR FLOODPLAIN. 
          UM, THAT'S OUTLINING, IN PARTICULAR THIS SITE THAT I'M CONCERNED WITH, WHICH IS THE SECTION SIX F CONVERSION, UH, TEMPORARY NON-CONFORMING USE WITHIN EDWARD RENDO AND SENIOR PARK, UM, URBAN FORESTRY AND PARKS LAND. 
          UH, AND THE CITY ARBORISTS ARE ALL UNCERTAIN ON WHOSE JURISDICTION IT IS. 
          UM, I BELIEVE IT'S UNDER WATERSHED PROTECTIONS, UH, AND THE REMOVALS, SOME TREES. 
          I BELIEVE THE NEXT SLIDE, EIGHT OR ONE MORE. 
          EDWARD RENDON IGNOR PARK. 
          THIS IS, UH, FROM PRESENTATION JULY 1ST FROM TXDOT THAT SHOWS THE SELECTED TREES THAT ARE BEING REMOVED. 
          UM, TREE 6 0 7 3 IS OF SIGNIFICANCE, A HERITAGE TREE. 
          AND, UH, ALL OF THESE PECAN TREES ARE WHAT I'M OF THE OPINION PART OF THE HISTORICAL, UH, UH, PECAN GROVE FROM 1964, UM, WHICH THE HISTORICAL LANDMARK COMMISSION HAS ALREADY APPROVED AS BEING, UH, RECOGNIZED FOR PRESERVATION. 
          UM, SO IN THAT PRESENTATION, UH, I WANNA JUMP ON THIS REAL QUICK. 
          SO, LIKE, UH, I COULD AMEND THIS TO THE AGENDA ITEMS IN TERMS OF, UH, DIAMETER BREAST HEIGHT. 
          RESTRUCTURING THE MITIGATION FEE TO BE, UH, CROSS-SECTIONAL AREA RATHER THAN DIAMETER WOULD GIVE YOU GUYS A LOT MORE MITIGATION FEE. 
          AND I'LL TALK TO YOU GUYS ABOUT OUTFALL ANOTHER TIME. 
          THANK YOU. 
          THANK YOU, SANTIAGO. 
          AND, UH, YOU SENT THE PRESENTATION TO STAFF, CORRECT? UH, YES. 
          OKAY. 
          SO WE SHOULD BE ABLE TO GET A HOLD OF THAT. 
          THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR COMING OUT. 
          DO WE HAVE ANY MORE, OR IS THAT THE LAST ONE? OKAY. 
          UM, AND NEXT STEP. 
          WE HAVE 
          [APPROVAL OF MINUTES]
APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES. 
          HAVE ALL THE COMMISSIONERS HAD A CHANCE TO LOOK AT THE MINUTES? OKAY. 
          I'LL MOVE APPROVAL. 
          MOVE APPROVAL. 
          MOTION BY SULLIVAN. 
          SECONDED BY BEDFORD . 
          ALL THOSE IN FAVOR? RAISE YOUR HANDS. 
          WE HAVE SHERA, BRIMER, KRUEGER FER BEDFORD. 
          BRISTOL SULLIVAN. 
          MOTION PASSES. 
          THANKS GUYS. 
          UH, OKAY. 
          NEXT UP WE HAVE STAFF 
          [2. Update on Austin’s reservoirs monitoring and management efforts — Brent Bellinger,  Conservation Program Supervisor, Watershed Protection Department]
BRIEFINGS, AN UPDATE ON AUSTIN, UH, RESERVOIR RESERVOIRS MONITORING AND MANAGEMENT EFFORTS. 
          UH, WHILE THE PRESENTATIONS, UH, COMING UP, I'LL SAY, GOOD EVENING. 
          THANKS FOR HAVING ME BACK. 
          IT'S ALWAYS A PLEASURE, UH, TO PRESENT TO THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION. 
          KEEP Y'ALL UPDATED ON THE DIFFERENT SCIENCE THAT WE HAVE GOING ON, UM, WITH THE WATERSHED PROTECTION DEPARTMENT. 
          UM, IT'S ALWAYS FUN, UH, FUN EXPERIENCE. 
          SO, UM, WHO DO I SAY FOR NEXT, FOR CLICKING THROUGH? OKAY. 
          THANK YOU. 
          UM, SO, UH, FOR THE, UH, PRESENTATION TONIGHT, UM, I'M GOING TO FOCUS ON AQUATIC VEGETATION THAT'LL COME IN A LITTLE BIT. 
          'CAUSE THAT IS KIND OF THE HOT BUTTON TOPIC. 
          UH, THERE'S BEEN, UM, A LOT OF KIND OF CHATTER. 
          UM, IT'S A LOT MORE NOTICEABLE. 
          ANYONE GOING OVER, UH, THE BRIDGES OVER. 
          LADY BIRD LAKE HAS OBVIOUSLY NOTICED THE VEGETATION OVER THE PAST COUPLE OF YEARS. 
          AND FOR LAKE AUSTIN, UM, AFTER A DECADE OF, UH, ABSENCE, UH, THE VEGETATION IS COMING BACK. 
          AND FOR A LOT OF THE HOMEOWNERS THAT ARE NEW TO THE AUSTIN REGION, THIS IS SOMETHING THAT THEY'RE NOT USED TO SEEING. 
          AND SO WE'RE KIND OF CURIOUS WHAT'S GOING OUT ON, OUT IN THE RESERVOIRS. 
          UM, WE HAVE, UH, A LOT OF ONGOING PROJECTS. 
          UH, OF COURSE, THE ROUTINE MONITORING THAT WE DO. 
          UM, THIS HAS BEEN GOING ON FOR 14 YEARS, WHERE WE COLLECT WATER QUALITY INVERTEBRATES, SEDIMENTS, VEGETATION DATA, WATER QUALITY DATA, UM, AND WE CREATE A SCORE. 
          UH, THIS IS COMPARABLE TO THE ENVIRONMENTAL INTEGRITY INDEX, WHICH IS APPLIED TO THE CREEKS THROUGHOUT AUSTIN. 
          UH, SO THIS IS THE RESERVOIR EQUIVALENT, UH, THAT'S ONGOING. 
          UH, OBVIOUSLY THE, UH, TOXIC CYANOBACTERIA MONITORING PRO, UM, PROJECT. 
          UH, AND, UM, KIND OF GOING ALONG WITH THAT, DOING THE LANTHANUM MODIFIED BENTONITE, UM, APPLICATIONS AT A COUPLE LOCATIONS IN LADY BIRD LAKE. 
          SPECIFICALLY. 
          UH, OVER THE PAST YEAR SINCE MY LAST UPDATE, UH, WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO WRAP UP THE DATA COLLECTION, UM, OF A LOT OF PROJECTS, WHICH IS ALWAYS A GREAT THING. 
          UH, AS WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO ANALYZE DATA, OR WE'RE IN THE PROCESS OF ANALYZING THE DATA, UH, WE'VE DONE SOME WRITING REPORTS, PUBLICATIONS PRESENTING, UM, AT CONFERENCES. 
          UH, AND THAT'S INCLUDED WITH, UH, PARTNERS AT US GEOLOGICAL SURVEY. 
          UH, WE FOCUS ON SPRING SITES, UH, ON THE EAST SIDE AND ON THE WEST SIDE OF AUSTIN TO LOOK TO SEE, UH, IF THERE'S SIMILARITIES OR DIFFERENCES, UH, IN KIND OF STREAM CREEK WATER QUALITY AT THE OUTLETS OF, UH, SPRINGS. 
          UH, THE 
          [00:10:01]
EAST SIDE SPRINGS ARE OBVIOUSLY VERY DIFFERENT FROM THE WEST SIDE EDWARDS AQUIFER SPRINGS. 
          AND WE WANTED TO SEE IF THERE'S RELATIONSHIPS WITH THE PRESENCE OR ABSENCE OF CYANOBACTERIA AND TOXIGENIC CYANOBACTERIA. 
          UH, IN COLLABORATION WITH THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS, UH, WE'VE BEEN MAPPING SEDIMENT BED FORMS. UH, IT'S REALLY JUST KIND OF A FANCY WAY OF SAYING, UH, REALLY HIGH RESOLUTION IMAGING OF SEDIMENT MOVEMENT AND DEPOSITION PROCESSES IN THE RESERVOIRS. 
          UM, THESE ARE OBVIOUSLY CONSTANT LEVEL RESERVOIRS. 
          THE THING THAT DOESN'T REMAIN CONSTANT IS THE VOLUME OF THE RESERVOIRS. 
          UM, OBVIOUSLY WE SEE LAKE TRAVIS IS 40% FULL, BUT WHEN, YOU KNOW, COMPARED TO WHEN LAKE AUSTIN WAS FIRST CREATED, OR WHEN LADY BIRD LAKE WAS FIRST CREATED, LAKE AUSTIN PROBABLY BEING MORE IMPORTANT, BEING OUR DRINKING WATER RESERVOIR. 
          HOW MUCH HAS KIND OF FILLED IN? HOW QUICKLY ARE THINGS FILLING IN? UM, AND SO WE'RE, WE'RE DOING SOME IMAGING MAPPING AND SOME EXTRAPOLATION OF KINDA WHAT THOSE SEDIMENT SEDIMENTATION DYNAMICS LOOK LIKE. 
          AND THIS IS IN, UH, CONJUNCTION WITH LOOKING AT MICROPLASTICS, UH, IN SURFACE SEDIMENTS, UH, AND ALSO IN, UH, SEDIMENT CORES. 
          SO, AS THE CITY HAS DEVELOPED OVER TIME, UH, DO WE SEE AN INCREASE OR CHANGE IN THE MICROPLASTICS THAT ARE PRESENT, UH, IN THE SEDIMENTS? UH, PRETTY COOL TO SEE. 
          UH, THERE WAS A, UH, POSTER SYMPOSIUM AT THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS, UH, IN THE SPRING SEMESTER. 
          SOME UNDERGRADUATES THAT WERE WORKING ON THIS PROJECT PRESENTED SOME PRELIMINARY FINDINGS. 
          UH, AND TO THE GENTLEMAN THAT JUST PRESENTED, UH, ONE OF THE MOST COMMON MICROPLASTICS THAT'S IN THE SURFACE, SEDIMENTS OF THE RESERVOIRS IS TIRE TREAD. 
          SHOCKING WITH ALL THE ROADS WE HAVE THROUGH AUSTIN. 
          BUILD THE LIGHT RAIL NETWORK. 
          THERE'S MY SHAMELESS PLUG FOR THE NIGHT. 
          UM, SO THAT'S, UH, WE'RE WRAPPING THAT UP, UH, FINISHING UP THAT DATA. 
          ZEBRA MUSSELS, UH, THIS NON-NATIVE SPECIES, UH, MOVING ACROSS THE CONTINENT IN ECOSYSTEM ENGINEER. 
          I'VE TALKED ABOUT IT IN THE PAST. 
          SOME OF THE WATER QUALITY CHANGES THAT HAVE BEEN ASSOCIATED WITH THIS. 
          UH, THIS IS A PUBLICATION, UH, THAT IS ABOUT TO BE SUBMITTED HOPEFULLY IN THE NEXT WEEK. 
          UH, IF I CAN GET COMMENTS BACK FROM MY, UH, CO-AUTHOR ON THAT, UH, A LONGSTANDING PROJECT AGAIN, WE'LL, WE'LL KIND OF START TO TEASE IN WITH AQUATIC VEGETATION, UH, HERBIVORE EXCLOSURE PENS, UH, WITH THE STOCKING OF THE GRASS, CARBON LAKE AUSTIN, UH, IT BECAME KIND OF IMPERATIVE TO NOT JUST LET THEM, UH, GO WILLY-NILLY AND DO THE THING, BUT WE WANTED TO TRY TO REESTABLISH NATIVE VEGETATION IN THE RESERVOIRS, UH, TO KIND OF FILL BACK IN THAT GAP AS THE, UH, GRASS CAR POPULATIONS WENT THROUGH NATURAL ATTRITION. 
          UH, THE THEORY IS THAT THE NATIVE POPULATIONS THAT WE'D PROTECTED FROM HERBIVORES, UH, WOULD SPREAD, UM, AND RECOLONIZE THE RESERVOIRS, AND THEY ALSO ACTED AS AIA OVER TIME. 
          UM, SO THAT PROJECT IS ACTUALLY COMING TO A CLOSE, UH, WITH OUR PARTNERS AT THE UNIVERSITY OF NORTH TEXAS, UM, AND THE ARMY CORPS OF ENGINEERS. 
          AND FINALLY, A PROJECT, UH, THAT'S BEEN KIND OF UNDER THE RADAR, BUT WILL BE A VERY MUCH, I THINK, INTEREST, UH, TO THE DSD COMMUNITY, TO THE COMMISSION IS, UH, AS YOU KNOW, UH, HOMEOWNERS ALONG LAKE AUSTIN, WHEN THEY WANNA BUILD A DOCK, IF THEY WANT TO BUILD, UH, DO A SHORELINE HARDENING, THEY WANNA PUT IN A BEACH, YOU HAVE TO DO, UH, REPLANTINGS OF VEGETATION. 
          AND THERE'S, YOU KNOW, A, A COMPENSATION, UM, THAT GOES ALONG WITH THAT, DEPENDING ON THE SIZE OF THE PROJECT, IF THERE'S A WETLAND IN PLACE THAT'S PROTECTING THESE CRITICAL ENVIRONMENTAL FEATURES. 
          AND SO THE CODE VERY CLEARLY OUTLINES WHAT NEEDS TO BE PLANTED, UH, AND PROTECTED AT THESE SITES. 
          UH, BUT WHAT HASN'T BEEN DONE IS A SYSTEMATIC RE-REVIEW OF WHAT DO THESE SITES LOOK LIKE AFTER, UH, IT'S BEEN STAMPED, CLOSED, AND EVALUATED. 
          AND SO, UH, WITH, UH, SOME OF MY COLLEAGUES, PREVIOUS REVIEWERS AND OTHERS, UM, UP HERE AT THE DAIS, UH, WE WENT OUT AND, AND EVALUATED, UH, THESE SITES, UM, ALONG LAKE AUSTIN. 
          SPOILER ALERT, IT DOESN'T LOOK GOOD. 
          UM, BUT THAT'LL BE SOMETHING FOR MY NEXT, UH, EV COMMISSION UPDATE. 
          I'M REALLY EXCITED TO PRESENT, UM, ABOUT NEXT. 
          UH, SO TO GO BACK TO THE AUSTIN LAKES INDEX, THIS IS, YOU KNOW, UH, THIS GOES INTO THE STATE OF OUR ENVIRONMENT REPORT, UM, WHERE WE TAKE ALL THESE DIFFERENT METRICS, THESE BIOTIC AND ABIOTIC, UH, METRICS THAT WE COLLECT. 
          UH, WE GIVE THEM A SCORE, UM, AND REPORT THAT OUT. 
          AND IF YOU LOOK, THAT TOP RIGHT GRAPH, UH, SHOWS THE TRENDS SINCE THE INCEPTION OF THE AUSTIN LAKES INDEX, UH, MONITORING. 
          AND IN GENERAL, THINGS ARE KIND OF MAINTAINING THAT, UH, FAIR TO JUST ABOUT GOOD, UH, UH, CONDITIONS. 
          UM, YOU KNOW, THIS IS, AS WE, YOU KNOW, GET VEGETATION, AND IT'S MORE NATIVES, THAT'S GOOD, THAT TENDS TO SUPPORT MORE BUGS AND MORE DIVERSITY. 
          THAT'S GOOD. 
          PLANTS HELP WITH WATER QUALITY. 
          THIS IS A LOT OF TEASERS, SOCRATICALLY LEADING YOU TO THE REST OF THE TALK. 
          UM, BUT SO THAT'S A LOT OF THE THINGS THAT WE'RE SEEING IN OUR RESERVOIRS THAT'S AFFECTING THOSE SCORES. 
          OF COURSE, DROUGHT CONDITIONS, UH, HAVE, 
          [00:15:01]
UH, AN EFFECT WHERE IT CAN ACTUALLY PROMOTE PHYTOPLANKTON GROWTH. 
          IT CAN PROMOTE CYANOBACTERIA GROWTH. 
          UM, SO THAT'S THE THING. 
          WHEN WE GET THESE LARGE PUNCTUATED FLOOD EVENTS, UH, IF WE HAPPEN TO CAPTURE THAT, THAT'S A LARGE SEDIMENT NUTRIENT INPUT. 
          AND SO THAT REFLECTS POORLY IN THE SCORES. 
          SO THERE'S A LOT OF THINGS THAT ARE KIND OF, UH, IN THIS TUG OF WAR, UM, OUT IN THE RESERVOIRS, UM, THAT'S, YOU KNOW, PACKAGED UP INTO THIS LITTLE, THIS SINGLE POINT FOR EACH RESERVOIR THAT SAYS, HEY, HEY, WE HAVE A SCORE OF 60. 
          BUT THERE'S A LOT THAT GOES INTO IT. 
          THAT BAR GRAPH, UH, FOR YOU TO, UH, DIGEST LATER OVER A A COLD BEVERAGE IS, YOU CAN LOOK AT HOW EACH OF THOSE THINGS VARY. 
          UM, AND WE HAVE AVAILABLE GOING BACK THROUGH THE YEARS, AND YOU CAN KIND OF LOOK AT HOW EACH OF THOSE HAVE BOUNCED AROUND OVER TIME. 
          UM, AGAIN, REVISITING, UH, SOME OF THE ONGOING MONITORING EFFORTS, UH, THE TOXIC CYANOBACTERIA, OBVIOUSLY, THIS IS ONE THAT'S, UH, TOP OF PEOPLE'S MINDS. 
          UM, THERE WAS JUST A DOG THAT UNFORTUNATELY PASSED AWAY ON LATE TRAVIS. 
          THE RESULTS OF THE WATER AND ALLERGY SAMPLING THAT THEY DID, IT CAME BACK NEGATIVE FOR TOXINS. 
          SO THERE'S STILL KIND OF A QUESTION MARK, UM, AS TO WHAT OCCURRED THERE. 
          BUT THIS IS SOMETHING THAT WE'RE OBVIOUSLY STILL CONCERNED WITH. 
          WE'RE IN YEAR FIVE OF OUR MAP MONITORING, UM, OUT IN THE RESERVOIRS. 
          AND EVERYBODY'S LOOKING FOR THAT ALL SAFE WORD, UH, FROM THE CITY OF AUSTIN THAT THEY CAN JUST LET THEIR DOGS RUN FREE AND HAPPY AND CLEAR. 
          UNFORTUNATELY, I CANNOT GIVE THAT SAFE WORD TO THE PUBLIC OF AUSTIN AT THIS TIME. 
          IT'S JUST, IT WAXES AND WANES. 
          IT COMES AND GOES. 
          AND THAT'S THE WAY THAT GOES. 
          UM, WE ARE IN YEAR FOUR OF THE LAND OF THE MODIFIED BENTONITE TREATMENTS, UH, OUT IN LADY BIRD LAKE, TWO SITES. 
          UH, AGAIN, THIS IS MEANT TO TARGET THE SEDIMENT PHOSPHORUS. 
          WE BELIEVE THAT PHOSPHORUS IS THE PRIMARY DRIVER, UH, OF THE PROLIFERATIONS OF THE MATS THAT ARE GROWING, UM, ATTACHED TO THE SUBSTRATE ATTACHED TO ROCKS. 
          UH, THEY'RE HARVESTING NUTRIENTS FROM THE WATER AND FROM THE SEDIMENTS. 
          SO WE'RE TRYING TO TAKE AWAY ONE OF THESE SEDIMENT POOLS. 
          WE'RE SEEING GOOD RESULTS IN TERMS OF OUR, UH, PHOSPHORUS KIND OF FRACTIONATION, UH, TO GET TECHNICAL. 
          UH, BUT BASICALLY WHAT IS AVAILABLE FOR THE SIN OF BACTERIA AND WHAT'S KIND OF, UH, IN THE LOCKBOX AND BURIED, UM, FOR ALL TIME. 
          UH, WE'RE SEEING SOME NICE SHIFTS THERE. 
          SO THAT'S A GOOD THING. 
          AND WE'LL CONTINUE TO COLLECT THAT DATA, UM, AFTER THE PROJECT STOPS NEXT YEAR. 
          UM, AND WE'LL LOOK TO SEE HOW THE SYSTEM RESPONDS WHEN THOSE, UH, TREATMENTS, UH, CEASE OUT THERE. 
          UH, ZEBRA MUSCLES, OH, NOPE, UH, SORRY, THAT WAS TOO MUCH HAND MOVEMENT. 
          UH, ZEBRA MUSCLES. 
          WE WRAPPED UP AGAIN, WE WRAPPED UP OUR MONITORING OUT THERE. 
          UH, THEY'VE UNDERGONE A PRETTY DRAMATIC BOOM AND BUST CYCLE. 
          UH, THIS IS SOMETHING THAT'S VERY TYPICAL, UH, FOR NON-NATIVE SPECIES. 
          THEY COME IN, THEY GO GANGBUSTERS, AND THEY TEND TO, UH, OVERCONSUME THE ENVIRONMENT LIKE PEOPLE. 
          UM, AND THEN WHAT HAPPENS IS YOU GET A POPULATION CRASH, AND THEN THEY EVENTUALLY KIND OF FIND AN EQUILIBRIUM WITH THE CARRYING CAPACITY OF THAT ECOSYSTEM. 
          UM, SO WE'VE KIND OF SEEN THAT IN DIFFERENT PARTS OF THE RESERVOIRS. 
          UH, YOU KNOW, GOING FROM 10,000, UH, ZEBRA MUSSELS IN A THREE BY THREE BOX TO, YOU KNOW, LESS THAN 10 IN A 10 BY 10 BOX. 
          REALLY DRAMATIC, UM, EFFECTS. 
          AND THIS IS SOMETHING THAT, 'CAUSE I DIDN'T HAVE CONFIDENCE IN MY OWN SCIENCE, TALKING TO DIVERS, TALKING TO CONCESSIONERS, AND JUST OTHER RECREATIONAL USERS OF THE RESERVOIRS HAVE NOTICED, UH, MUCH LESS LIVING, ZEBRA MUS KIND OF, UH, UH, UH, BIOMASS OUT THERE ATTACHED TO DIFFERENT SURFACES. 
          UM, THERE'S A LOT OF DIFFERENT THINGS, AND AGAIN, I CAN, I'M HAPPY TO TALK MORE ABOUT THIS PUBLICATION SHOULD BE UPCOMING. 
          BUT WHAT WE'RE GONNA DO NOW IS WE'RE GONNA TALK PLANTS. 
          SO AQUATIC VEGETATION, WOO. 
          UH, WE HAVE BASICALLY THREE DIFFERENT TYPES. 
          YOU'LL SEE ACRONYMS FOR SCIENTISTS, LOVE THEIR ACRONYMS, SUBMERGED VEGETATION. 
          SAV EMERGENT VEGETATION, EAV, AND FLOATING, FAV, UH, YOUR SUBMERGED. 
          THAT'S WHAT MOST PEOPLE SEE, WHAT THEY CONSIDER THEIR WEEDS, THE EMERGENT, THESE ARE YOUR REEDS, WR UH, AND THEN OF CLO AND THEN FLOATING. 
          THIS COULD BE THE WATER LETTUCE THAT YOU SEE OUT IN LADY BIRD LAKE, THE REALLY BRIGHT GREEN STUFF THAT'S RIGHT NEAR SHORE, UH, AROUND SHOAL CREEK. 
          UH, THAT'S ALSO A NON-NATIVE SPECIES, VERY AGGRESSIVE, LOVES NUTRIENT RICH WATER. 
          UM, BUT LILY PADS, YOU KNOW, ALSO KIND OF FIT IN THAT CATEGORY. 
          UM, SO THAT'S KINDA THE VEGETATION, THE ACRONYMS THAT YOU'LL SEE BANDIED ABOUT. 
          WE'RE GONNA FOCUS, UH, TONIGHT ON THE SUBMERGED AQUATIC VEGETATION PRIMARILY. 
          UH, AGAIN, I'VE KIND OF ALLUDED TO THE IMPORTANCE OF AQUATIC VEGETATION. 
          UH, REALLY THEY'RE AT THE CENTER OF A LOT OF THINGS. 
          UH, WHEN WE LOOK AT LAKE ECOLOGY, UH, IF, IF IT'S IN TERMS OF FROM FISH, WHAT SUPPORTS BIG FISH, ALL THE WAY DOWN TO, UH, YOUR MICROBIAL, UH, COMMUNITY, IT'S CAPTURING SEDIMENTS. 
          SO AS YOU HAVE SEDIMENTS MOVING INTO YOUR LAKE, INSTEAD OF STAYING SUB SUSPENDED, 
          [00:20:01]
UH, AND THINGS LOOKING TURBID AND, AND, AND KIND OF NASTY, THE PLANTS WILL HELP SETTLE THAT OUT. 
          AND THEY'LL HELP CLARIFY THAT WATER. 
          UH, THEY'RE COMPETING, UM, WITH THE PHYTOPLANKTON FOR NUTRIENTS. 
          UH, IN GENERAL, WHAT YOU HAVE IS ALTERNATIVE STABLE STATES. 
          UH, YOU HAVE A CLEAR WATER, SAV STATE, OR YOU HAVE THIS TURBID PHYTOPLANKTON STATE. 
          UM, AND IT GENERALLY HAPPENS WHEN YOU HAVE TOO MANY NUTRIENTS IN THE SYSTEM. 
          AS YOU GET THAT SHIFT, YOU START TO SHADE OUT THE PLANTS, THEY CAN'T GROW AS WELL. 
          UH, AND THEN YOU GET THE TOXIC ALGAE BLOOMS IN THE WATER COLUMN, DIFFERENT FROM WHAT WE HAVE GOING ON. 
          LADYBIRD LAKE, KEEP OUT SOMEWHERE. 
          UM, SO THERE'S JUST A LOT OF THINGS THAT ARE GOING ON WITH THE PLANTS, WHY THEY'RE BENEFICIAL, WHY WE WANNA HAVE PLANTS OUT THERE, UH, DESPITE SOME OF THE GRUMBLINGS, UM, YOU MIGHT HEAR. 
          BUT IT'S ALL ABOUT A BALANCE. 
          AND THAT'S KIND OF THE IMPORTANT THING, UM, IN OUR STUDY IS, AND WHAT WE FOUND IS THAT TOO MUCH OF A GOOD THING IS BAD AND TOO LITTLE, UM, OF A GOOD THING IS, IS ALSO BAD. 
          AND I'M GONNA GIVE, UH, A CASE STUDY HERE, UM, SPECIFICALLY WITH, UH, WITH THE BASS, BUT WE'RE ALSO ANALYZING MACRO INVERTEBRATES. 
          THE BUGS, UH, IN THAT BOTTOM, UH, CENTER PICTURE, UH, THAT'S A BIG DRAGONFLY. 
          UH, DRAGONFLIES ARE OBVIOUSLY GOOD. 
          ONCE THEY HATCH, THEY'RE EATING THINGS. 
          THEY'RE IN THE WATER, THEY'RE EATING THINGS. 
          THEY EAT NUISANCE BUGS, UH, FANTASTIC, UH, ORGANISM. 
          BUT THERE'S A LOT OF AQUATIC INSECTS THAT ARE GREAT INDICATORS OF HABITAT QUALITY AND WATER QUALITY. 
          IF YOU DON'T HAVE SUFFICIENT OXYGEN, UM, IF YOU HAVE THE WRONG KIND OF SEDIMENT, IF THINGS ARE REALLY TURD, THERE'S JUST CERTAIN BUGS THAT CAN'T SURVIVE IN THAT ENVIRONMENT. 
          UM, THEY DROP OUT. 
          AND THEN YOU KNOW THAT THERE'S SOMETHING WRONG THERE THAT CANARY IN THE COAL MINE AT THE BOTTOM END, AT THE TOP END, THE THEME PEOPLE LOVE IS CATCHING AND HOLDING BIG BASS LAKE AUSTIN, UM, AS YOU PROBABLY KNOW OR HEARD, UH, WAS RANKED, UH, BACK AROUND 2011, UH, AS A TOP 10, UH, BASS FISHERY IN THE COUNTRY, UH, FOR A COUPLE OF YEARS. 
          AND THAT'S THANKS TO, UH, THE ABUNDANCE OF AQUATIC VEGETATION. 
          UM, I PROVIDED Y'ALL WITH, UH, A MANUSCRIPT THAT JUST CAME OUT, UH, THAT, THAT LOOKED AT THESE DYNAMICS. 
          NEXT SLIDE. 
          UM, AGAIN, THE RESERVOIRS, THESE ARE CREATED EMPOWERMENTS. 
          UH, THESE WERE CREATED FOR FLOOD CONTROL, UH, FOR WATER RETENTION, FOR DRINKING WATER FOR HYDROELECTRIC GENERATION. 
          THE BENEFITS, THOUGH, IS THAT YOU CAN HAVE BIG, BEAUTIFUL HOMES ALONG THAT WATERFRONT. 
          YOU CAN PROVIDE BOATING, WAKE SURFING, FISHING, ALL OF THESE DIFFERENT AMENITIES THAT ARE OUT THERE. 
          UH, PEOPLE HAVE COME TO ENJOY AND, UM, AND APPRECIATE AND WANT, UM, AS PART OF THE AUSTIN EXPERIENCE. 
          AND SO WHEN YOU HAVE, UH, AQUATIC VEGETATION GROWING OUT THERE, UH, YOU CAN GET SOME, UH, YOU KNOW, KIND OF CONFLICTING PERSPECTIVES IF YOU WANT. 
          UM, YOU KNOW, THERE'S, FOR THOSE THAT ARE RECREATIONAL USERS, THEY REALLY DON'T WANT MUCH VEGETATION. 
          UH, THEY WANT VERY LITTLE, OR THEY WANT THE OPEN CHANNELS FOR THE BASS FISHERMEN. 
          THEY WANT TO GET IN THERE. 
          THEY WANT TO FISH THESE EDGES. 
          THEY WANT TO DO SURFACE BAITS. 
          THEY LOVE THIS DENSE VEGETATION. 
          UM, NOW IN GENERAL, WHEN YOU HAVE NATIVE PLANTS, UH, THAT KIND OF, UH, GIVE AND TAKE, UH, TENDS TO GO AWAY. 
          IT'S WITH THE NON-NATIVE PLANTS, THE HYDRILLA, UM, EURASIAN WATER MILL FOIL, THESE TYPES OF PLANTS, BECAUSE OF THE WAY THAT THEY GROW, THEY CREATE MORE OF A NUISANCE IN THE WATER, UH, AND TEND TO CREATE MORE PROBLEMS, UH, THAN THEY'RE WORTH. 
          UH, SO FOR EXAMPLE, YOU KNOW, UH, YOU HAVE SOMEBODY, YOU KNOW, IT CAN BE DIFFICULT TO SWIM THROUGH THIS REALLY DENSE VEGETATION. 
          THIS IS TOP TO BOTTOM OF THE WATER COLUMN. 
          UM, AND, UM, YOU KNOW, THERE WAS A REPORT AFTER A LARGE FLOOD EVENT, UH, MOVING A LOT OF THIS HYDRILLA DOWN RIVER. 
          IT CAUSED A FEW HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS WORTH OF DAMAGE TO THE, TO MILLER DAM. 
          THAT'S A REALLY BAD THING. 
          UM, YOU KNOW, WE CAN'T HAVE THESE PRIMARY FUNCTIONS OF THE RESERVOIRS BEING NEGATIVELY IMPACTED BY THESE PLANTS. 
          NEXT SLIDE. 
          AND SO THAT'S WHY WITH A LOT OF GIVE AND TAKE A LOT OF DISCUSSIONS, A COUPLE OF LAWSUITS, THE DECISION WAS MADE BACK IN 2002 TO STOCK THE TRIPLE GRASS CARP, STERILE GRASS CARP, NOT REPRODUCING. 
          UH, DESPITE THE RUMORS AND, AND OTHER HEARSAY, UM, THEY'RE OUT THERE, THEIR ATTRITION RATE MODERATE. 
          UM, THAT BIG ONE DOWN THERE WAS PROBABLY 12 YEARS OLD, WAS ONE OF THE ORIGINALS, UH, THAT WE HAD CAUGHT. 
          UH, THE INTERESTING THING WITH THE GRASS CAR THOUGH, IS THAT THEY TEND TO BE THE MOST VORACIOUS CONSUMERS AT THE SMALL SIZE. 
          AS THEY GET BIGGER, THEY JUST KIND OF, UH, LIVE OFF OF THEIR RESERVES, LIKE A 401K. 
          UM, AND THEIR STOMACHS ARE GENERALLY EMPTY. 
          UH, I OPENED UP A COUPLE DOZEN OF 'EM, AND NO, NOTHING IN 'EM. 
          SMALL ONES, SMALLER ONES, THEY STILL HAVE SOME PLANT MATERIAL. 
          UM, SO, YOU KNOW, SO YOU'RE LOOKING AT THIS MAP. 
          THIS IS FROM, UH, A TYPICAL VE VEGETATION SURVEY BY TPWD, AND IT'S ESSENTIALLY SOLID HYDRILLA, YOU KNOW, FOR, UH, A GOOD SEVEN TO 10 MILES 
          [00:25:01]
OF THE RIVER. 
          UM, AND SO DECISION WAS MADE, LET'S STOCK THE GRASS CAR BASED ON THE SURFACE AREA COVERAGE OF THE PLANTS. 
          UM, OH, HIT IT ONE MORE TIME. 
          NOPE, GO BACK. 
          UH, THERE'S SUPPOSED TO BE A BAR GRAPH UNDER THERE, NOT SURE, UH, WHY THAT'S, UH, MISSING, UH, BUT WE'LL, WE'LL GET TO THAT. 
          UM, I, I GUESS ON THE NEXT SLIDE. 
          UH, BUT BASICALLY WHAT THAT GRAPH WITH THOSE POINTS ARE SHOWING THOUGH, IS, UH, THE STOCKING OF THE TRIPLET GRASS CARP. 
          UH, SO THIS IS INCREMENTAL. 
          THIS IS, UH, UH, A CUMULATIVE STOCKING. 
          THAT'S NOT HOW MANY GRASS CARPETS STOCKED AT ANY GIVEN POINT. 
          AND SO, AT THE END OF THE DAY, BETWEEN 2002 AND 2013, THERE WERE OVER 55,000 GRASS CARPET THAT WERE PUT INTO THE RESERVOIR. 
          NOW, AGAIN, THE ATTRITION RATE IS SOMETHING LIKE, UH, YOU KNOW, 10 TO 20% BASED ON A LITERATURE. 
          THESE THINGS ARE ONLY SUPPOSED TO LIVE EIGHT-ISH YEARS. 
          AND SO THOSE STOCKING RATES WERE BASED ON HOW MUCH HYDRO WAS OUT THERE FOR SOME OF THE YEARS. 
          THINGS WERE GOING WELL. 
          IT WAS KEEPING THE HYDRILLA KNOCKED DOWN. 
          THERE WAS STILL PLENTY OF MILL FOIL. 
          FISHERMEN WERE HAPPY. 
          BOATERS WERE HAPPY WITH THE DROUGHT, WITH THE DOWNSIDE OF THE DROUGHT IN 2009, CHANGED UP THE HYDROLOGY, AND IT REALLY ALLOWED, UH, THE HYDRILLA TO GO GANGBUSTERS, AND THE GRASS CAR COULDN'T KEEP UP. 
          SO THAT'S WHY, UM, THE, YOU SEE LARGER JUMPS, UH, IN THAT CUMULATIVE STOCKING RATE. 
          NEXT SLIDE. 
          UM, WHAT HAPPENED THEN? UH, AND SO THAT BAR GRAPH THAT YOU SEE ON THERE, IGNORE THE POINTS FOR NOW. 
          THAT'S THE VEGETATION, UH, THAT'S THE PERCENTAGE OF THE RESERVOIR AREA. 
          SO AT ITS PEAK IN 2012, 40% OF THE RESERVOIR WAS VEGETATION. 
          THAT'S A LOT. 
          UM, I MEAN, AND THAT'S, YOU KNOW, BANK TO BANK, UH, VEGETATION, BASICALLY FROM LOW WATER CROSSING DOWN TO THE 360 BRIDGE. 
          UH, PRETTY AMAZING. 
          YOU GET THE CRASH THEN OF VEGETATION, THIS COMBINATION OF EFFECTS OF THE ABUNDANCE OF TRIPLET GRASS CARP. 
          BUT THEN ALSO 2013, WE'RE STARTING TO MOVE OUT OF, UH, THE DROUGHT. 
          YOU GET MORE FLOWS, YOU GET A FLOOD, HELPS MOVE THESE THINGS OUT. 
          AND THAT ONE TWO PUNCH ELIMINATED VEGETATION, UM, OUT THERE, UH, FOR THE NEXT DECADE. 
          FINALLY, LAST YEAR, WE STARTED SEEING VEGETATION. 
          UH, WHEN I WAS OUT WITH TPWD, WE WERE ALL VERY EXCITED ABOUT IT. 
          MIX OF NATIVE NON-NATIVE PLANTS. 
          SO THERE'LL BE A PICTURE SHORTLY, UH, BUT TWO, UM, THE POINT WITH THE BASS, THE CASE STUDY WITH THE BASS IS THERE WAS CONCERNS THAT THEY WERE CATCHING FEWER BASS, AND THE BASS THAT WERE BEING CAUGHT WERE REALLY SKINNY. 
          AND IT'S LIKE, ALL RIGHT, WELL, TPWD HAS BEEN DOING THESE SURVEYS EVERY YEAR. 
          UH, WE GOT 20 YEARS WORTH OF DATA. 
          WHAT DOES IT ACTUALLY SHOW? AND IF YOU READ THE PAPER, UM, IF YOU MADE IT THROUGH THE PAPER WITHOUT FALLING ASLEEP, UH, YOU KNOW, THE GROWTH RATES DECLINED. 
          UM, YOU HAVE, UM, TO CATCH PER UNIT EFFORT, WHICH IS A, UH, AN ANALOG FOR DENSITY WENT DOWN. 
          SO YES, FEWER BASS. 
          AND REALLY WHAT THAT'S ATTRIBUTED TO IS THAT THE BASS JUST WEREN'T AS HEALTHY. 
          AND THERE'S A METRIC IN THE FISHERIES WORLD, IT'S CALLED RELATIVE WEIGHT, THE WR, AND IT'S ESSENTIALLY THE FISHES, PLUMPNESS, AND IT'S SCALE TO THE LENGTH OF THE FISH. 
          AND SO 100 IS THIS IDEAL BALANCE BETWEEN LENGTH AND WEIGHT. 
          UH, FOR, FOR THE TPWD AT THE STATE LEVEL, 85 IS ACCEPTABLE. 
          AND WHAT YOU CAN SEE THERE IS DURING THE YEARS WHERE WE HAD THE VEGETATION PRE 2013, YOU'RE WELL WITHIN THAT 85 TO A HUNDRED, THERE IS SOME DECLINE. 
          THERE IS SOME BALANCE. 
          UH, THERE'S A LOT OF NUANCE WITH IT. 
          AS YOU GET TOO MUCH VEGETATION, AS I SAID, TOO MUCH OF A GOOD THING IS BAD. 
          IT MAKES IT HARD FOR THE FISH TO ACTUALLY HUNT LITTLE FISH. 
          SO THEN THE BASS ARE ACTUALLY STRUGGLING AND EXPENDING A LOT OF ENERGY TRYING TO NAVIGATE THESE DENSE WEEDS. 
          SO EVEN FOR THE FISHERMEN, TOO MUCH IS A BAD THING. 
          I KNOW THEY DON'T WANNA HEAR THAT EITHER. 
          AFTER 2013 THOUGH, YOU SEE JUST THAT DRAMATIC DECLINE, UH, STATISTICALLY SIGNIFICANT DROPS. 
          UM, THE RELATIVE WEIGHTS WERE BELOW OR AT OR BELOW THAT 85 THRESHOLD. 
          SO THESE WERE BASS THAT WERE STRUGGLING TO GET ENOUGH FOOD, UH, INTO THEIR BELLY, ESSENTIALLY. 
          AND SO THE TRICKLE DOWN, IF YOU'RE NOT AS HEALTHY, UH, YOU'RE NOT GONNA BE AS, UH, SECUNDED, UM, AND YOU'RE JUST, THERE'S JUST GONNA BE FEWER OF YOU OUT THERE. 
          UM, SO THE DATA REALLY DID SUPPORT THAT. 
          AND SO IT WAS LIKE, OKAY, WELL, WE NEED TO FIND KIND OF A BALANCE. 
          AND SO THE RECOMMENDATION IS TO TRY TO MAINTAIN, UH, A 15 TO 25 ISH PERCENT BALANCE OF VEGETATION. 
          BUT AGAIN, WE REALLY WANNA HAVE NATIVE VEGETATION 'CAUSE THEY TEND NOT TO CREATE THESE DENSE BEDS, UM, LIKE WE HAVE WITH THE HYDRILLA NEXT. 
          UH, BUT I, I MENTIONED 2023, WE STARTED TO SEE VEGETATION IS ON THE REBOUND. 
          UH, THE TOP CENTER, THAT'S THE EURASIAN WATER MILL FOIL DOING WHAT IT DOES. 
          THIS IS UP, UH, NEAR THE MANSFIELD DAM. 
          UH, VERY THICK NEAR SHORE, 
          [00:30:01]
UM, AS YOU MOVE INTO THE MAIN CHANNEL, UH, NOT AS DENSE. 
          UM, SO THIS IS SOMETHING THAT, YOU KNOW, THE HOMEOWNERS ARE STARTING TO NOTICE IS STARTING TO, UM, YOU KNOW, KIND OF BLOCK, UH, BOAT DOCKS. 
          PEOPLE ARE WONDERING WHAT THEY CAN DO FOR MANAGEMENT, WHAT THE CITY'S CAN DO FOR MANAGEMENT. 
          WHEN ARE WE GONNA PUT THE CART BACK IN? UH, THE BOTTOM, UH, LEFT PICTURE, THAT'S, UH, WATER, CELERY, UH, OR TAPE GRASS OR EELGRASS. 
          UH, SCENARIO AMERICANA, PHENOMENAL PLANT, UH, PRODUCES A SEED. 
          AND THE PLANT ITSELF IS BELOVED BY, UH, DUCKS, DABBLING DUCKS, WADING BIRDS, UM, DIVING DUCKS, ALL KINDS OF THINGS. 
          THAT IS A TREMENDOUS PLAN TO HAVE OUT THERE. 
          WOULD LOVE TO HAVE IT ACROSS THE ENTIRE RESERVOIR. 
          A HUNDRED PERCENT COVERAGE. 
          I'M FULLY IN SUPPORT OF THAT. 
          , NOT QUITE GONNA HAPPEN. 
          UM, WE ALSO HAVE, UH, UH, SOUTHERN NIAID IN THE LOWER PART OF THE RESERVOIR. 
          SO THERE'S KIND OF THREE ZATIONS OF PLANTS GOING ON OUT THERE. 
          UH, BUT THERE'S ALSO, UH, THE FLOATING, UH, PLANTS THAT ARE OUT THERE. 
          UM, ANYONE THAT'S BEEN AROUND, UH, LAGUNA GLORIA, YOU'VE NOTICED THE WATER LOTUS, UH, THAT'S, UH, PROLIFERATING AROUND THERE. 
          UH, WE HAVE THE BULL RUSH, WE HAVE THE CATTAIL. 
          SO WE HAVE THESE REALLY NICE VEGETATION COMMUNITIES THAT ARE COMING BACK. 
          FINALLY, UM, WITH THE GRASS CARP, UM, YOU KNOW, GENERALLY BEING AT SUCH A LOW BIOMASS OR OUT OF THE SYSTEM. 
          NEXT, UH, LADYBIRD LAKE, VERY DIFFERENT, UH, KIND OF CASE STUDY. 
          UM, IT DOESN'T HAVE THE SAME KIND OF RECREATIONAL USE AS, UH, LAKE AUSTIN. 
          IT OBVIOUSLY, UH, DOESN'T HAVE THE SAME, YOU KNOW, KIND OF HOMEOWNERS AND DEVELOPMENT. 
          UH, THAT'S ALONG THERE. 
          UH, THE VEGETATION COMMUNITY GENERALLY DOMINATED BY NATIVE PLANTS. 
          UM, WHAT YOU HAVE IS WATER STAR GRASS. 
          YOU HAVE THE WATER CELERY. 
          YOU HAVE, UM, THE BLADDER WART, WHICH IS OUR CARNIVOROUS PLANT. 
          UM, OUT THERE IN THE UPPER PARTS OF THE RESERVOIR, THERE IS SOME EURASIAN WATER MILL FOIL THAT POPS UP IN PLACES, BUT NOWHERE NEAR TO THE EXTENT, UM, THAT YOU SEE IN LAKE AUSTIN. 
          AND THEN WE HAVE THE FAN WART. 
          AND THAT'S THE THING THAT REALLY IS WHAT PEOPLE ARE SEEING, UM, AROUND DOWNTOWN AUSTIN FOR LADYBIRD LAKE. 
          UH, IT HAS BEEN PASSIVELY MANAGE. 
          WE KIND OF JUST LET MOTHER NATURE DO ITS THING WITH THIS CREATED FLOW THROUGH RESERVOIR. 
          UM, AND ESSENTIALLY WHAT THAT IS, IS JUST WAIT FOR A FLOOD. 
          EVERY FIVE OR SO YEARS, WE GET A BIG FLUSH THROUGH, UH, BARTON CREEK OR FROM THE TOM MILLER DAM. 
          UH, AND THERE'S ENOUGH VELOCITY, UH, WITH THE SOFT SEDIMENTS AND THE WEAK ROOTING THAT THE PLANTS, UH, ALL GET MOVED DOWN. 
          RIVER BASTROP PROBLEM. 
          AND THEN THE SYSTEM RESETS. 
          UM, SO THIS IS SOMETHING THAT IS VERY CYCLIC NEXT. 
          NOW, IN THOSE INTERIM PERIODS WHEN YOU'RE IN A DROUGHT, UH, AGAIN, THERE'S KIND OF THOSE PERCEPTIONS OF, UM, YOU KNOW, IT'S TOO MUCH THAT'S OUT THERE. 
          IT'S CAUSING A PROBLEM, IT'S CAUSING NUISANCE. 
          UM, YOU KNOW, WE FEEL, ESPECIALLY FOR THE CONCESSIONERS AROUND CONGRESS AVENUE IS OBVIOUSLY ONE OF THE BIGGEST TOURIST DRAWS THAT'S OUT THERE, UH, BECAUSE OF THE BATS. 
          UH, THERE'S A NUMBER OF RENTAL PLACES THAT ARE OUT THERE. 
          THEY DO THE, UH, SUNSET CRUISES, ET CETERA. 
          AND SO THE, THE FAN WART, AGAIN, IT DISLODGES FROM THE SEDIMENTS VERY EASILY. 
          IT GETS SHREDDED REALLY EASILY, AND EACH FRAGMENT CAN GROW AS A NEW PLANT. 
          AND THIS IS A PLANT THAT CAN TAKE UP, UH, NUTRIENTS FROM THE WATER COLUMN. 
          SO IT DOES JUST AS FINE IN THE SEDIMENTS AS IT DOES FLOATING IN THE WATER. 
          AND SO YOU GET THESE RAFTS THAT ARE MOVING AROUND, UH, AT THE WHIMS, UH, OF THE WIND. 
          UM, LIKE WHAT WE HAD BURL MOVE THROUGH HERE, MOVED EVERYTHING DOWN RIVER, TOOK ABOUT THREE DAYS TO BLOW IT BACK. 
          UM, UPRIVER NOT TO THE SAME EXTENT, BUT THAT'S KIND OF HOW QUICKLY THINGS CAN CHANGE OUT THERE. 
          UM, I SHOWED THAT TOP PICTURE, UH, IN A PRESENTATION, UH, BEFORE I'D PUT THE DATE UP THERE. 
          AND SOMEONE THOUGHT THAT THAT WAS A RECENT PICTURE. 
          LIKE, NO, THIS IS FROM 2013. 
          SO AGAIN, THIS IS SOMETHING THAT COMES AND GOES EVERY FIVE TO SIX YEARS. 
          AND RIGHT NOW WE'RE IN ANOTHER ONE OF THOSE LOW FLOW PERIODS, ONE OF THOSE DROUGHT PERIODS. 
          AND SO, UM, YOU KNOW, THERE'S, UH, A LOT OF CHALLENGES WITH THIS. 
          THERE'S THE AESTHETICS. 
          UM, YOU KNOW, WHAT PEOPLE PERCEIVE OR THINK A LAKE OR RESERVOIR SHOULD LOOK LIKE. 
          UM, THEY BELIEVE, YOU KNOW, THE ACCUMULATION OF TRASH, UM, OUT THERE OR THE RESERVOIR LOOKS TRASH. 
          UH, BIG SHOUT OUT TO OUR FIELD OPS PEOPLE. 
          UM, YOU KNOW, I'VE, I'M OUT THERE A LOT. 
          I LOOK AT THESE MATS AND RAFTS A LOT. 
          THERE'S VERY LITTLE ACTUAL HUMAN TRASH MIXED IN THERE. 
          THEY DO A PHENOMENAL JOB OF GETTING THE PLASTICS AND THE BAGS AND THE OTHER THINGS OUT OF THERE. 
          UM, IT REALLY IS JUST THE PLANT ITSELF AND UP CLOSE. 
          IT'S A VERY DIFFERENT AESTHETIC COMPARED TO AT A DISTANCE. 
          MAYBE I'M JUST BIASED, PROBABLY. 
          UM, BUT THIS IS SOMETHING THAT IS AN ONGOING CONVERSATION WITH, UH, THE PARKS DEPARTMENT TO TRY TO HELP THE CONCESSIONERS, YOU KNOW, WHAT IS WATERSHED PROTECTION DEPARTMENT'S ROLE AS, UH, ENVIRONMENTAL STEWARDS, UM, VERSUS, UH, YOU KNOW, MAINTAINING, UH, THESE DIFFERENT ACTIVITIES OUT ON 
          [00:35:01]
THE RESERVOIR NEXT. 
          AND SO WHAT DO WE DO? UH, AGAIN, EVERYTHING THAT'S OLD IS NEW AGAIN, LAKE AUSTIN, AT SOME POINT, UH, THE HYDRILLA WILL PROBABLY COME BACK. 
          IT'LL BE A PROBLEM, AND IT'LL BE SOMETHING WE NEED TO ADDRESS. 
          UM, AND AT THAT POINT WE'LL REVISIT SOME OF THE OLD MODELS. 
          WE'LL LOOK AT SOME OF THE NEW MODELS, UM, AND SOME OF THE OTHER, UH, MANAGEMENT TECHNIQUES THAT ARE OUT THERE TO SEE IF WE CAN EFFECTIVELY MANAGE THAT, UH, THAT PLANT WITHOUT ELIMINATING IT THE WAY THAT IT HAPPENED IN 2013. 
          IT'S GONNA BE A CHALLENGE, THOUGH, NOT A NATURAL SYSTEM. 
          SOMETHING THAT'S GOTTA BE KEPT IN MIND. 
          THESE ARE RESERVOIRS THAT GO THROUGH DRAMATIC PENDULUM SWINGS, AND SO THE SLIGHTEST PERTURBATION IS GONNA HAVE A MUCH LARGER EFFECT THAN YOU THINK IT WILL. 
          UM, YOU KNOW, WE ALSO, WE WANNA TRY TO HOLD OFF AS LONG AS POSSIBLE BECAUSE WE HAVE NATIVE VEGETATION GETTING REESTABLISHED, AND WE WANNA TRY TO GIVE THEM A CHANCE TO POSSIBLY OUTCOMPETE, UM, SOME OF THE, UH, NON-NATIVE SPECIES. 
          UM, SO THERE'S, AND YOU KNOW, AND, AND AGAIN, FINDING THAT BALANCE OF MANAGING THIS AS A FISHERY. 
          TPWD MANAGES THE STATE'S RESERVOIRS FOR, FOR FISHING. 
          THEY WANT TO HAVE, UH, PEOPLE OUT THERE FOR THAT. 
          UM, THE HOMEOWNERS, YOU KNOW, THAT ACCESS THOSE VIEW SCAPES, THEY WANT TO HAVE THOSE THINGS. 
          AND SO WE'RE TRYING TO WORK THAT BALANCE BETWEEN ALL THE USER GROUPS. 
          UM, LADYBIRD LAKE, UH, AGAIN, TOUGH, UH, SITUATION. 
          YOU KNOW, THIS IS A NATIVE PLANT THAT'S OUT THERE. 
          UH, IT'S SOMETHING THAT, IT DOESN'T FORM AS DENSE OF MATS AS HYDRILLA. 
          IT'S MORE LIKE A KELP FOREST. 
          IT LOOKS KIND OF DENSE AT THE TOP WHERE IT'S, YOU KNOW, REALLY LEAFING OUT BECAUSE FOR SUNLIGHT. 
          AND THEN UNDERNEATH THAT, YOU HAVE A LOT MORE INTERSTITIAL SPACE, AND THERE'S A LOT MORE SPECIES THAT ARE PRESENT WITH THE KA BAMBA. 
          UM, THERE WAS A LINK ON A PREVIOUS SLIDE TO A YOUTUBE VIDEO THAT MY COLLEAGUE ANDREW KLEIN NARRATED. 
          AND IT'S, YOU KNOW, IF YOU WANT TO KIND OF SWIM WITH THE FISHES TYPE OF VIEW, GET UNDER THE WATER, AND YOU CAN SEE THERE'S, UH, A HALF DOZEN PLUS OTHER NATIVE PLANTS THAT ARE GROWING IN WITH THE KA BAMBA, UNLIKE WITH THE HYDRILLA, WHICH JUST TAKES OVER. 
          AND THAT'S IT. 
          WITH THE FAN WAR, YOU HAVE A LOT OF PLANTS THAT ARE IN THERE, REALLY BENEFICIAL, AGAIN, TO THE WATER QUALITY. 
          UM, GRASS CARP ALSO DON'T SEEM TO HAVE AN EFFECT ON THE FAN WORK. 
          UH, THAT'S A REALLY INTERESTING ASIDE. 
          WE DON'T WANNA DO, UH, CHEMICAL TREATMENTS OUT THERE. 
          WE'RE REALLY TRYING TO AVOID THIS. 
          UM, YOU KNOW, KILLING OFF A LOT OF PLANT MATERIAL, UH, CAN LEAD TO, UH, LOW OXYGEN AND FISH KILLS. 
          UM, OBVIOUSLY LAKE AUSTIN AS OUR DRINKING WATER SUPPLY, THERE'S A LOT OF STRAWS THAT ARE IN THAT RESERVOIR. 
          SO LOGISTICALLY IT WOULD BE A TOUGH THING TO DO, YOU KNOW, UNLESS THERE'S SOME NEW DRINKABLE, UM, HERBICIDE THAT I DON'T KNOW ABOUT. 
          WE'LL SEE. 
          UM, SO ONE OF THE THINGS THAT'S BEING PURSUED, AND WE'VE RECOMMENDED ON LAKE AUSTIN AND ON LADY BIRD LAKE IS FOR HOMEOWNERS AND FOR THE CONCESSIONERS TO UTILIZE MECHANICAL REMOVAL. 
          UH, IT'S A VERY STRAIGHTFORWARD, UH, PERMITTING PROCESS WITH THE STATE. 
          IT'S A FREE PERMIT WITH THE CITY. 
          UH, YOU CAN GET A SITE PLAN EXEMPTION FOR, UH, DOING THIS TYPE OF MANAGEMENT AROUND YOUR PROPERTY. 
          UM, AND JUST KIND OF A CHECK TO MAKE SURE THAT, YOU KNOW, IT'S NOT GOING OVERBOARD, UH, IN TERMS OF THIS REMOVAL THAT NON-NATIVE SPECIES ARE BEING DISPOSED OF IN, UH, UM, IN THE PROPER WAY SO THAT TO MINIMIZE THE, THE RISK OF SPREAD. 
          UM, SO WE, WE'VE, YOU KNOW, BEEN IN CONVERSATIONS WITH EVERYBODY TO TRY TO LET 'EM KNOW THAT THIS OPTION IS OUT THERE. 
          UM, AND, YOU KNOW, WHAT DOES IT LOOK LIKE? UH, WHAT IS, AGAIN, WHAT IS WATERSHED'S ROLE, ROLE IN THE FUTURE, UH, WITH THESE THINGS? AND THOSE ARE ONGOING DISCUSSIONS. 
          BUT AS OF RIGHT NOW, FOR BOTH RESERVOIRS, UH, WE'RE DOING, WE'RE TAKING THAT PASSIVE MANAGEMENT APPROACH. 
          WE'RE MONITORING, WE'RE COLLECTING DATA, UM, OUT THERE AS MUCH AS I CAN, UH, AS MUCH AS, UH, MY SUNBURNS WILL ALLOW ME, UM, TO KIND OF KEEP AN EYE ON THINGS AND HOW IT'S GOING NEXT. 
          AND I THINK THAT'S ALL I HAVE. 
          SO I'LL TAKE QUESTIONS. 
          APOLOGIES THAT WENT LONGER THAN THE 15 MINUTES, I THINK IT WAS ALLOTTED. 
          THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR THE PRESENTATION. 
          UM, LET'S START WITH REMOTE COMMISSIONERS. 
          UH, COMMISSIONER SHERA, NO QUESTIONS, BUT THANK YOU FOR THEIR PRESENTATION. 
          OKAY. 
          UH, COMMISSIONER BRAMER. 
          YES. 
          UH, THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR THE PRESENTATION. 
          I APPRECIATE IT. 
          UH, I'VE JUST, UH, ONE OR TWO QUESTIONS. 
          UH, ONE TIME I THOUGHT IT WAS NOT ADVISABLE TO EAT THE FISH OUT OF, UH, A BIRD LAKE. 
          IS THAT STILL THE CASE? THE STATE LIFTED, UH, THE CONSUMPTION ADVISORY ADVISORIES, UH, DECADES AGO. 
          UM, YOU KNOW, THE REGION REALLY DOESN'T HAVE, UH, THE TYPE OF INDUSTRY, UH, THAT HISTORICALLY HAS CONTRIBUTED TO THOSE TYPES OF, UH, WARNINGS. 
          AND, YOU KNOW, WHEN THEY LAST DID THEIR TESTINGS IN THE EARLY TWO THOUSANDS, THEY DETERMINED THAT CONSUMPTION WAS, UH, WAS FINE. 
          UM, ON PRETTY MUCH ALL THE RESERVOIRS, THERE IS 
          [00:40:01]
A LOT OF, UH, TAKE FOR PERSONAL CONSUMPTION, UM, OF SOME OF THE PAN FISH, UH, OF THE, UH, SMALL MOUTH BUFFALO, UM, OR, UH, THE FRESHWATER DRUM. 
          AND SO, YOU KNOW, IT'S SOMETHING THAT, UH, YOU KNOW, WE'RE KIND OF TRUSTING THE STATE, UH, TO KEEP AN EYE ON, UM, WITH THAT. 
          OKAY. 
          WELL, THANKS VERY MUCH. 
          APPRECIATE IT. 
          COMMISSIONER CORRECTION. 
          HEY, MR. BELLINGER, UH, APPRECIATE THE PRESENTATION. 
          UH, VERY STRONG. 
          BILL NYE BEEKMAN BEAKMAN'S WORLD VIBES. 
          UH, NO QUESTION AT THIS TIME. 
          APPRECIATE IT. 
          THANKS. 
          THANK YOU FOR THAT. 
          COMMISSIONER KRUEGER. 
          HI. 
          THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE AND FOR THE PRESENTATION. 
          THAT WAS REALLY INTERESTING. 
          UM, YOU, YOU WERE TALKING ABOUT THE BOOM AND BUST CYCLES FOR THE ZEBRA MUSSELS, AND I'M CURIOUS, LIKE IF THERE ARE ANY, UM, INITIATIVES THAT WE CAN DO DURING THOSE BUST PHASES TO HELP, LIKE, AUGMENT OUR NATIVE SPECIES OR, OR REINTRODUCE NATIVE SPECIES, OR ARE WE REALLY JUST AT THE WHIMS OF THE NATURAL BOOM AND BUST TO REACH EQUILIBRIUM? UH, THAT'S, UH, A GREAT QUESTION. 
          UM, UNFORTUNATELY, YOU KNOW, THEY TEND TO, UM, MOST IMPACT OUR NATIVE MUSCLES. 
          UM, OBVIOUSLY WE JUST HAD, UH, ONE IN THE, IN THE REGION THAT WAS LISTED, UH, FEDERALLY, UH, YOU'LL BE GETTING AN UPDATE ON THAT IN A COUPLE OF MONTHS. 
          UH, YOU KNOW, BUT WE DON'T EXACTLY KNOW ENOUGH ABOUT THEIR POPULATION DYNAMICS. 
          UM, AND SO YOU'RE KIND OF JUST ALLOWING, UH, HOPEFULLY NATURE TO TAKE ITS COURSE AND THEY BOUNCE BACK, UH, IN THOSE INTERSTITIAL PERIODS. 
          UM, IT'S, IT'S REALLY ONE OF THOSE THINGS THAT, UH, IT COMES DOWN TO GOOD STEWARDSHIP. 
          YOU KNOW, THE ZERO MUSCLE IS ONE INVADER. 
          IT HAS A COUSIN THEA MUSSEL, UH, WHICH IS ALSO KIND OF MIGRATING AND MOVING, I SHOULDN'T SAY MIGRATING, MOVING THROUGH THE CONTINENT. 
          AND IT'S 99.99% OF THE TIME IS BY HUMAN INTRODUCTIONS. 
          IT'S BY IRRESPONSIBLE BOAT, TO PUT IT BLUNTLY, UH, THAT THEY'RE NOT CLEANING OUT THEIR BILGES, UH, THEY'RE THEIR BLADDERS, UM, YOU KNOW, THEIR, THEIR HULLS, ET CETERA. 
          AND THEY'RE MOVING FROM BASIN TO BASIN, YOU KNOW, ZEBRA MUSCLES. 
          WERE ABLE TO GO FROM, UH, NORTH TEXAS, DOWN TO SOUTH TEXAS IN, UH, LESS THAN A DECADE. 
          AND IT'S ALL BY HUMAN MEDIATION. 
          SO, UM, THE, THE BIGGEST THING IS JUST PREVENTING THAT NEXT INVASION, UM, INTO THE SYSTEMS. AND WHAT INITIATIVES ARE WE TAKING TO TRY AND PREVENT THAT NEXT INVASION, UH, THAT, YOU KNOW, EDUCATIONAL CAMPAIGNS, UM, YOU KNOW, THAT REALLY FALLS AT THE STATE LEVEL, UM, TO, YOU KNOW, DO THE MONITORING, TO DO THE ENFORCEMENT, UH, STOPPING TRAILERS, MAKING SURE, UH, DRAIN PLUGS ARE PULLED, CHECKING TO MAKE SURE EVERYTHING'S DRAINED, UM, AND DRIED, ASKING 'EM WHAT SYSTEMS THEY'VE BEEN IN PREVIOUSLY. 
          UM, SO THAT'S, THOSE ARE THINGS THAT ARE, THAT ARE REALLY DONE AT THE STATE LEVEL. 
          UM, YOU KNOW, THE, THE RESOURCES FOR THAT IS IT, IT'S A SIGNIFICANT COST TO HAVE CLEANING STATIONS AND TO HAVE, UM, UH, YOU KNOW, SUMMER INTERNS OR WHATEVER AT THE, AT THE BOAT RAMPS, UH, YEAR ROUND. 
          SO IT'S, IT'S A TOUGH THING. 
          STATES HAVE FIGURED IT OUT AND, UM, BUT IT'S, IT'S USUALLY AT THE STATE LEVEL. 
          DO YOU KNOW WHICH DEPARTMENT AT THE STATE LEVEL IS LEADING THOSE EFFORTS? T UH, TPWD. 
          OKAY. 
          YEAH. 
          OKAY. 
          ALRIGHT. 
          YEAH, I'LL, I'LL ADD TO HIS QUESTION. 
          HE WAS JUST SAYING, I'M CURIOUS WHAT STATES HAVE FIGURED IT OUT. 
          I'M ALSO CURIOUS LIKE WHAT CITIES, LIKE, IF THERE ARE ANY OTHER MUNICIPALITIES WE CAN LEARN FROM THAT HAVE REALLY EXCELLENT PROGRAMS. I, I SAY FIGURED IT OUT AS NO ONE'S A HUNDRED PERCENT. 
          UM, IF YOU LOOK AT STATES, UH, ESPECIALLY IN THE, UH, THE NORTHWEST, UH, THE MONTANA'S COLORADO'S, UM, UTAH, WHERE AGAIN, RESERVOIRS, UH, DOMINATE, UH, HYDROELECTRIC GENERATION, THEY'RE CONCERNED ABOUT THOSE IMPACTS TO THE INFRASTRUCTURE. 
          IN THE SOUTHWEST, THEY HAVE, UM, PATROLS ON THE HIGHWAYS THAT PULL OVER EVERY SINGLE BOAT, UM, AND THEY INSPECT EVERY SINGLE VESSEL. 
          UM, IT IS, UH, A FEDERAL, UH, CRIME TO TRANSPORT NON-NATIVE SPECIES ACROSS STATE LINES. 
          SO PURCHASE A BOAT IN ONE STATE, UM, IT'S SOMETHING THAT SHOULD BE INSPECTED BEFORE IT LEAVES THE STATE. 
          UM, YOU KNOW, THOSE THINGS GET TRICKY. 
          A LOT OF PLACES IN LIKE WISCONSIN, MINNESOTA, WHERE I LIVED, UM, THEY WOULD HAVE AT THE BUSIEST RAMPS IN PARTICULAR ON THE WEEKENDS, UH, THEY'D HAVE DNR STAFF THAT ARE SET UP THERE WITH HOT WATER WASHING STATIONS. 
          AND SO THEY'RE ENSURING THAT ANY BOAT COMING IN, THERE'S NOTHING ON THE TRAILERS THAT EVERYTHING'S COPACETIC WITH THE BOAT ITSELF. 
          AND ANYONE COMING OFF YOU CAN GIVE 'EM THAT CLEANING. 
          SO, UH, IT'S, NOTHING'S A HUNDRED PERCENT, YOU CAN SLOW DOWN THAT SPREAD. 
          UM, THE WESTWARD SPREAD IS 
          [00:45:01]
A TRICKLE AT BEST. 
          UM, YOU KNOW, A FEW THINGS WILL PERIODICALLY SLIP THROUGH, BUT THERE, UH, ENFORCEMENT IS, IS VERY INTENSE. 
          AND WILL THE NEW ENDANGERED, UM, DESIGNATION AND AND PROTECTION OF THE NATIVE MUSCLE SPECIES UNLOCK ANY FEDERAL FUNDS THAT WE COULD PERHAPS USE TOWARDS SOME OF THESE EFFORTS? DO YOU KNOW, AGAIN, THAT'S A GOOD QUESTION. 
          IT WOULD COME DOWN TO IF WE SAW DIRECT IMPACTS OF THE ZERO MUSCLES ON OUR NATIVE MUSCLES, PERHAPS, UM, YOU KNOW, THEN YOU COULD TAP INTO SOME ADDITIONAL RESOURCES OR, YOU KNOW, MAKE THE CASE, UH, FOR, FOR STRONGER MANAGEMENT ENFORCEMENT, UM, OF DIFFERENT THINGS. 
          SO THAT, THAT'S JUST SOMETHING THAT'LL, UM, TO BE DETERMINED. 
          THANK YOU. 
          COMMISSIONER SULLIVAN. 
          HE WAS TAKING A LOT OF NOTES. 
          I'M TERRIFIED. 
          WELL, UM, YEAH. 
          AND IT'S DR. 
          BALLER, RIGHT? OKAY. 
          SO ANYWAY, UH, I'M CURIOUS ABOUT, DO YOU GUYS DO ANY LIKE COMPUTER MODELING FOR THE WORK THAT YOU DO? LIKE, CAN YOU PREDICT WHAT SOME ACTIONS WILL DO? LIKE, I WORK IN AIR QUALITY AND WE HAVE ALL THIS STUFF ABOUT AIR CHEMISTRY THAT WE MODEL WITH COMPUTER PROGRAMS. YEP. 
          UH, WITH OUR CREEKS. 
          UH, THAT IS ACTUALLY, AND YOU'LL GET THAT UPDATE IN A COUPLE WEEKS FROM, UH, ANDREW KLEIN, UM, THAT THE ENVIRONMENTAL INTEGRITY INDEX, IT'S EXPANDING IN KIND OF ITS, UH, DATA PRESENTATION THROUGH MODELING. 
          UM, IT'LL STILL HAVE A LOT OF FIELD SAMPLING TO VALIDATE WHAT THE MODELS ARE CHURNING OUT. 
          UM, BUT THEY'RE UTILIZING THIS 30 YEAR DATA SET THAT THEY HAVE AND ALL THIS MONITORING DATA TO, AT A FINER RESOLUTION, PREDICT WHAT THINGS LOOK LIKE. 
          AND THEN WITH MANAGEMENT ACTIONS, IF YOU START TO TURN LEVERS, WHAT WILL THAT DO TO SITE CONDITIONS? UH, FOR THE, FOR THE RESERVOIRS, WE HAVEN'T GOTTEN TO THAT POINT YET AT THAT SCALE. 
          UM, BUT YOU KNOW, WITH THE, LIKE THE TOXIC ALGAE MONITORING WITH THIS, WE'LL EVENTUALLY HAVE SEVEN YEARS, SEVEN-ISH YEARS OF DATA, UM, THAT WE'LL PUT THROUGH TO HOPEFULLY BETTER UNDERSTAND WHAT THOSE DRIVERS ARE AND MAKE PREDICTIONS ABOUT WHEN CONDITIONS WILL BE, YOU KNOW, WORSE. 
          WILL THIS POP UP SOMEWHERE ELSE AS THINGS CHANGE IN THE FUTURE, ET CETERA. 
          MM-HMM. 
          . 
          SO THE MODELING, IT'S KIND OF THERE IN THE BACKGROUND, UM, BUT NOT TO THE SAME EXTENT AS, AS WITH THE CREEKS. 
          OKAY. 
          ANOTHER POINT I MADE EARLY ON IN ONE OF YOUR SLIDES, YOU TALKED ABOUT WHAT WAS HAPPENING WITH THE HOUSING ALONG LAKE AUSTIN AND THAT IT WAS PROBLEMATIC. 
          IS IT BECAUSE THE RULES DON'T WORK OR PEOPLE ARE NOT FOLLOWING THE RULES? IT'S MORE, UH, THE PEOPLE AREN'T, UH, NECESSARILY ALLOWING THE LABEL, THE RULES TO WORK IN PERPETUITY. 
          UM, TO GET A SITE PLAN CLOSED, YOU HAVE TO PROTECT FEATURES ON THE SITE AND YOU HAVE TO PUT IN A CERTAIN NUMBER OF PLANTS AND A CERTAIN DIVERSITY OF PLANTS. 
          SO AT THAT POINT, THE RULES HAVE WORKED. 
          MM-HMM. 
          , UM, WHAT IT TURNS INTO THEN, AND WHAT PROMPTED MY STUDY WAS A, A ONE PARTICULAR SITE PLAN. 
          UM, I'D NOTICED THAT LIKE A YEAR AFTER THE PROJECT WAS FINISHED, UH, IN THE WINTER, IT WAS ALL FRESH SOD LAID DOWN WHERE THE PROTECTED WETLAND WAS AND WHERE ALL THEIR MITIGATION PLANTINGS WERE. 
          AND I WAS LIKE, ALRIGHT, WE GOTTA, WE GOTTA LOOK AT THIS MORE CLOSELY. 
          ALRIGHT, SO, SO IT, IT'S A MATTER OF, YOU KNOW, NO ONE'S LOOKING ANYMORE, SO I'M JUST GONNA GO OUT AND DO THIS. 
          RIGHT. 
          AND AGAIN, YOU KNOW, IT'S NOT NECESSARILY INDIVIDUAL HOMES, IT'S, YOU SAY A SITE PLAN, IT'S A COMMERCIAL ENTITY, LIKE A HOTEL OR A RESORT OR SOMETHING, OR I I WAS RESIDENTIAL, IT'S, I MEAN, I, ALONG LAKE AUSTIN, I ONLY LOOKED AT A FEW KIND OF MARINAS OR OTHER THINGS, AND MOST OF THOSE, TO BE HONEST, LOOK GREAT. 
          MM-HMM. 
          , UM, IT'S, IT COMES DOWN TO THE INDIVIDUAL HOMEOWNERS. 
          OKAY. 
          AND THEN LASTLY, UM, YOU KNOW, YOU MENTIONED ABOUT, YOU KNOW, HOW HURRICANE BARREL, UH, YOU KNOW, KIND OF FLUSH THINGS OUT AND THEN PUSH THINGS BACK. 
          BUT OVERALL, DO YOU, DO WE SEE AN EFFECT OF, UM, WHAT WE HAVE ON BASTROP AND OTHER LOCATIONS ON THE COLORADO RIVER DOWNSTREAM? UH, COULD YOU REPHRASE THE QUESTION? I'M NOT SURE HOW BASTROP PLAYS IN WELL, I MEAN, YOU MEANT, YOU MEANT, YOU MADE THE POINT ABOUT THE FACT THAT STUFF LEAVES, OH, THAT EVERYTHING GETS FLUSHED DOWN, PLEASE LADYBIRD LAKE, AND THEN IT VISITS BASTROP ON ITS WAY TO THE GULF OF MEXICO. 
          YEAH. 
          UM, BUT OVERALL, DO WE LOOK AT THE EFFECT THAT WE HAVE OUTSIDE OF, UH, THE AUSTIN AREA ON DOWNSTREAM AREAS? UH, THAT IS AN AREA THAT WE'RE, UH, TRYING TO EXPAND TO. 
          WE'RE TRYING TO PARTNER MORE WITH, UH, THE LCRA THAT IS REALLY KIND OF GOES BACK INTO 
          [00:50:01]
THEIR JURISDICTION ONCE IT'S OUTSIDE OF THE CITY LIMITS. 
          THEY DO A LOT OF THAT MONITORING. 
          MM-HMM. 
          , UM, DOWNRIVER. 
          UM, AND THEY'RE, YOU KNOW, WITH, WITH THE WORK THAT THEY'RE DOING, OBVIOUSLY WITH THE, WITH THE ENDANGERED MUSCLES, UM, THERE'S A LOT OF COORDINATION THAT'S, THAT'S STARTING UP, UH, IN TERMS OF MONITORING. 
          AND SO A LOT MORE WATER QUALITY HABITAT, OTHER WORK IS GONNA GO INTO THAT DOWN RIVER. 
          SO THEN OBVIOUSLY AUSTIN'S VERY OUTWEIGHED INFLUENCE. 
          UM, YOU KNOW, GIVEN THE AMOUNT OF WATER THAT WE EITHER RETAIN OR, UM, USE IN A DAY AND, YOU KNOW, GETS PUSHED DOWN RIVER MM-HMM. 
          , UM, WILL BECOME A PART OF THAT STORY. 
          SO IT'S SOMETHING THAT'LL, UM, YOU KNOW, OVER TIME, I, I FEEL WILL, UH, INCREASE. 
          MM-HMM, . 
          WELL, GOOD. 
          UNLESS EVERYBODY DE ANNEXES DOWN RIVER AND WE CAN'T LOOK AT 'EM. 
          WELL, YEAH. 
          THAT, THAT'S ANOTHER ISSUE THAT WE'VE TALKED ABOUT. 
          I BROUGHT UP HERE THE FACT THAT, YOU KNOW, WITH THIS ANNEXATION, WHAT KIND OF EFFECT IS THAT GONNA HAVE ON BARTON CREEK? THAT LOST CREEK IS NO LONGER UNDER OUR JURISDICTION? SO, YOU KNOW, I'M WORRIED ABOUT THE TRANSIT TRANSITION OR THE TRANSLATION OF POLLUTION FROM ONE LOCATION TO ANOTHER. 
          MM-HMM. 
          . 
          SO, BUT ANYWAY, THANK YOU VERY MUCH. 
          YEP. 
          THIS VERY, THIS THIS IS A VERY INTERESTING PRESENTATION. 
          THANK YOU. 
          THANK YOU. 
          I'M VERY FORTUNATE. 
          OH, SORRY. 
          I'M VERY FORTUNATE TO HAVE THESE OPPORTUNITIES TO, TO DO THIS RESEARCH, UH, AND THAT THE CITY OF AUSTIN AS TAXPAYERS, UM, WANT TO KNOW ABOUT THESE THINGS AND THERE, AND THERE IS SO MUCH INTEREST IN WHAT OUR ENVIRONMENT LOOKS LIKE IN PROTECTING IT AND MANAGING IT FOR ALL OF THESE DIFFERENT, UH, END USERS OUT HERE. 
          SO THANK YOU SECRETARY BRISTOL. 
          THANK YOU FOR YOUR EXCELLENT PRESENTATION AND, UM, AND FOR PROVIDING THE, UH, THESE PAPERS AS WELL. 
          UM, I CAN'T PROMISE THAT I'M GONNA READ ALL OF IT , BUT I'M GONNA READ SOME OF IT AND, UM, AND ALREADY HAVE, UM, SO SOME OF IT'S WAY ABOVE MY PAY GRADE, UM, FINE TOO, TOO. 
          SO A COUPLE QUESTIONS THAT I HAVE AND, UM, YOU KNOW, REALLY LIKE, UH, THE PRESENTATION, I LOVE THE LEVEL OF WHICH THINGS ARE BEING STUDIED AND THEN ALSO LOOKING AT THE SOLUTIONS, UM, FOR ALL OF THOSE THINGS. 
          AND ONE THING THAT, UM, HAS, YOU KNOW, I'VE LIVED IN AUSTIN SINCE THE 1970S. 
          I'VE NEVER QUITE UNDERSTOOD WHY DO WE HAVE BOATING ON A LAKE THAT IS ALSO OUR DRINKING WATER. 
          I'VE NEVER QUITE UNDERSTOOD THAT. 
          AND UM, I HEAR YOU OVER THERE. 
          YEAH. 
          . 
          YEAH, . 
          BUT CAN YOU, I MEAN, 'CAUSE OTHER STATES, IF I'M REMEMBER CORRECTLY, SOME OF THE COLORADO, UM, RESERVOIRS, YOU CAN ONLY USE CERTAIN TYPES OF BOATS, CERTAIN TYPES OF YEAR. 
          AND THEN ALSO PEOPLE ARE NOT ALLOWED TO SWIM. 
          THEY CAN ONLY WADE. 
          UH, IT, IT'S A GREAT QUESTION. 
          UH, THERE'S PROBABLY, YOU KNOW, LEGACY ATTRIBUTES, UH, TO THOSE THINGS. 
          I MEAN, OBVIOUSLY INITIALLY LAKE AUSTIN WASN'T THE DRINKING WATER RESERVOIR, UM, LADY BIRD LAKE WAS. 
          AND SO, YOU KNOW, AS YOU GET THAT DEVELOPMENT ON LAKE AUSTIN, YOU KNOW, CHICKEN AND THE EGG, WHAT CAME FIRST LAKE TRAVIS, YOU KNOW, KIND OF SAME THING THAT CAME IN AFTER THE FACT, NOT THAT THAT, UH, NECESSARILY SAYS THAT IT SHOULD CONTINUE IN PERPETUITY. 
          UM, I, YOU KNOW, I THINK THAT THERE ARE A LOT OF LAKES WHERE ALL THOSE ACTIVITIES CAN COEXIST. 
          UH, THE NATURE OF THOSE TYPES OF LAKES OR RESERVOIRS, THEIR, YOU KNOW, MORPHOLOGY SHAPE, UM, HYDRO HYDROLOGIC DYNAMICS, YOU KNOW, ALL KIND OF PROBABLY PLAY INTO, YOU KNOW, HOW THINGS ARE AFFECTED. 
          I WILL SAY, UH, AS A TESTAMENT TO AUSTIN WATER, THEY DO A FANTASTIC JOB. 
          I, I'VE LIVED IN PLACES, WEST PALM BEACH WHERE THE DRINKING WATER'S TERRIBLE. 
          UM, AND SO I GUESS DESPITE, YOU KNOW, THOSE PERCEIVED CHALLENGES, UM, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE ABLE TO PROVIDE A HIGH QUALITY PRODUCT. 
          UM, YOU KNOW, WILL THERE BE CHALLENGES IN THE FUTURE? UM, YOU NEVER KNOW. 
          UM, YOU KNOW, I'VE SEEN OTHER STUDIES AND THEY DID ONE FOR LADYBIRD LAKE. 
          UM, YOU KNOW, LOOKING AT, YOU KNOW, KIND OF WHAT IS THE RECREATIONAL CARRYING CAPACITY, UM, AT ANY GIVEN TIME, HOW YOU ENFORCE THAT THOUGH IS BEYOND ME. 
          UM, YOU KNOW, GIVEN THE NUMBER OF, NOT JUST PUBLIC, BUT PRIVATE BOAT RAMPS THAT ARE OUT THERE. 
          SO, YOU KNOW, THOSE ARE GREAT THINGS TO PUT ON PAPER, BUT THEIR ACTUAL IMPLEMENTATION IS, IS BEYOND. 
          UM, BUT THAT'S A LOT OF RAMBLING TO SAY. 
          I REALLY DON'T HAVE A GOOD ANSWER TO THAT. 
          AND THAT WOULD BE, UM, YOU KNOW, PROBABLY A BETTER QUESTION FOR OTHERS. 
          THANK YOU. 
          YEAH. 
          GREAT RESPONSE. 
          UM, , UM, WAS IT POLITICAL? YEAH. 
          UH, NEUTRAL ENOUGH. 
          VERY NEUTRAL. 
          PERFECT. 
          UM, SO, UH, LAST YEAR IN, UM, SEPTEMBER, I BELIEVE IT WAS, UH, A PERSON WAS SWIMMING IN, UM, LAKE LBJ AND, UM, GOT 
          [00:55:01]
A BRAIN E EATING AMOEBA, UM, ENTERED THROUGH HIS NOSE. 
          HE WAS DEAD IN FOUR DAYS. 
          UM, ARE YOU SEEING ANY OF THOSE TYPES OF AMOEBAS OR, OR CONCERNS, UM, FOR THOSE IN EITHER LAKE AUSTIN OR LADY BIRD LAKE? UM, AT THIS TIME? UM, THERE HAVEN'T BEEN REPORTS OF THAT, YOU KNOW, THAT WOULD BE SOMETHING THAT, UH, WOULD, WOULD BE LEFT TO THE REAL DOCTORS AT A PH. 
          UM, YOU KNOW, WE WORK HAND IN HAND AND, AND IF SOMETHING, UH, IF THERE WAS A NEW KIND OF MALDY THAT AFFECTED, YOU KNOW, UH, HUMAN HEALTH, UM, OBVIOUSLY WE WOULD LOOK INTO IT ALONG WITH THEM. 
          UM, BUT SO FAR WE'VE BEEN FORTUNATE THAT THERE HAVEN'T BEEN, UM, ANY REPORTS OF IT, UM, OF THAT TYPE OF THING. 
          YOU KNOW, WE, WE RECOMMEND, YOU KNOW, THE TOXICOLOGY IS, YOU KNOW, KIND OF ONE THING THAT'S OUT THERE, BUT THESE ARE NATURAL WATER BODIES. 
          AND SWIMMING IN ANY WATER BODY PRESENTS A RISK. 
          UM, YOU KNOW, EVEN IF THERE'S NO TOXINS IN THE WATER, THE BACTERIA, AMOEBA, SWIMMER'S ITCH, THERE'S SOMETHING THAT CAN AFFECT YOU, UM, AT DIFFERENT LEVELS. 
          IF IT'S JUST AN ITCH OR A BRAIN ITCH, UH, YOU KNOW, RUNNING THAT GAMBIT. 
          AND SO, YOU KNOW, YOU NEED TO BE CAUTIOUS WHEN YOU'RE OUT THERE WHEN YOU'RE RECREATING. 
          YOU KNOW, THAT SAID, UM, YOU KNOW, TOMORROW I'LL BE OUT ON LAKE AUSTIN AND, AND LOOKING FORWARD TO BEING IN THE WATER COLLECTING SAMPLES 'CAUSE IT'S NICE AND COOL, THE WATER'S, YOU KNOW, CLEAR. 
          UM, YOU KNOW, LOSING THOSE RECREATIONAL ATTRIBUTES WOULD BE, UH, WOULD BE DEVASTATING, YOU KNOW, FOR, FOR WHAT AUSTIN IS, UH, ENVIRONMENTALLY AND, AND FOR THE CREEKS AS WELL, FOR, YOU KNOW, WE'RE EXPANDING OUR MONITORING EFFORTS, AGAIN, WITH THE MODELING, LOOKING AT MORE PARAMETERS, POTENTIAL TOXIC ALGAE TO UNDERSTAND THESE THINGS. 
          AND, YOU KNOW, SO THAT EVERYTHING IS WADEABLE, SWIMMABLE, FISHBOWL, ET CETERA, YOU KNOW, THOSE, THOSE TYPES OF PILLARS. 
          UM, SO HOPEFULLY THAT DOESN'T MAKE ITS WAY DOWN HERE IN A CHANGING CLIMATE, THOUGH. 
          YOU NEVER KNOW. 
          UM, AS SYSTEMS, UM, BECOME NOR MORE NUTRIENT IMPACTED, UH, THERE'S JUST GREATER RISK OF GROSS THINGS, UM, TAKING OVER, UNFORTUNATELY. 
          SO THAT'S WHY, YOU KNOW, THE STEWARDSHIP ASPECT OF, YOU KNOW, ACTING LOCAL, IF IT'S AT, YOU KNOW, YOUR CREEKSIDE, YOUR LAWN, UM, OR UP IN THE WATERSHED, YOUR RANCH, ET CETERA, ALL OF THAT MATTERS TO YOUR POINT, UM, YOU KNOW, DOWN RIVER. 
          UH, AND IT ALL ACCUMULATES IN THE COLORADO RIVER. 
          THANK YOU. 
          AND THEN MY LAST QUESTION IS KIND OF A FOLLOW UP TO, UM, COMMISSIONER SULLIVAN'S. 
          UM, SO I UNDERSTAND, YOU KNOW, IF SOMEBODY COMES FORWARD WITH A SITE PLAN, THEN WE HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO COMMUNICATE WITH THAT PROPERTY OWNER, YOU KNOW, HELP THEM COME UP WITH BEST PRACTICES AND, YOU KNOW, CAN FOLLOW UP ON IT. 
          BUT WHAT ABOUT, UM, PROPERTY OWNERS THAT AREN'T MAKING A CHANGE AND, AND COMMUNICATING WITH THEM ABOUT, UM, YOU KNOW, HOW THEY CAN MANAGE THEIR PROPERTY BETTER, YOU KNOW, UH, TO EVEN HAVE A BETTER, UM, KINDA ECOSYSTEM AROUND THEIR LAKEFRONT PROPERTY. 
          IS THERE ANY COMMUNICATION WITH THEM? I THINK KIND OF JUST A BROAD STROKE, UH, YOU KNOW, IT WOULD BE SOMETHING LIKE YOU'D HAVE IN THE CITY, YOU KNOW, TO PROMOTE, UM, POLLINATORS OR, YOU KNOW, FOR, UH, MONARCH HABITAT. 
          YOU KNOW, LET THINGS GO WILD PLANT, NATIVE WILDFLOWERS, UH, DO SOMETHING MORE THAN JUST YOUR BERMUDA GRASS TYPE OF THING. 
          UM, YOU KNOW, THOSE, THAT TYPE OF, THOSE FLYERS, THAT INFORMATION IS OUT THERE. 
          UM, BUT YOU KNOW, BEYOND THE SITE PLAN PROCESS RIGHT NOW, THERE'S NOT A WHOLE LOT, YOU KNOW, THERE'S, I, I DON'T KNOW IF THERE'S RULES OR NOT, OR I CAN'T REMEMBER THE SPECIFICS THAT PROPERTY IS SUPPOSED TO BE MAINTAINED IN A, YOU KNOW, NATURAL LOOKING CONDITION. 
          UM, BUT WHAT CONSTITUTES NATURAL IS A VERY DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVE, UH, DEPENDING ON WHO YOU TALK TO. 
          AND, YOU KNOW, THESE ARE MILLION DOLLAR VIEW SCAPES, AND SO IT'S BECOMES A, YOU KNOW, ALSO A PHILOSOPHICAL DEBATE OF, UM, THAT, THAT GIVE AND TAKE DEATH BY A THOUSAND CUTS OR, OR NOT, UM, OUT THERE. 
          SO IT'S, IT'S A CHALLENGE. 
          UM, THERE'S A LOT OF LITERATURE ON HOW TO TRY TO PROMOTE NATURAL HEALTHY SHORELINES. 
          UM, BUT THAT IMPLEMENTATION AND THAT REGULATION OF IT IS, IS A WHOLE DIFFERENT CHALLENGE. 
          AND UNFORTUNATELY, YOU KNOW, AND, UH, OURS, THE, THE DSD, THE ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEWERS, UM, OUR CODE ENFORCEMENT, YOU KNOW, THEY, THEY, THEY ARE OUT THERE WHEN, WHEN WE RE, RE, UH, RECOMMEND SOMETHING TO 'EM, WHEN WE, UM, GIVE SOMETHING TO THEM THAT WE SEE, THAT WE KNOW IS OUTTA COMPLIANCE OR WAS BUILT WITHOUT A SITE PLAN OR ET CETERA, THEY'RE OUT THERE, THEY'RE BIRD DOGGING IT, AND THEY'RE TRYING TO GET THESE THINGS INTO COMPLIANCE WITH 
          [01:00:01]
CODE. 
          SO YOU KNOW, THE, THE STAFF IS DOING THE BEST THEY CAN WITH THE TOOLS THEY HAVE TO THEIR CREDIT. 
          THANK YOU. 
          UM, EXCUSE ME. 
          UH, VICE CHAIR COOPER , UH, . 
          THAT'S A GOOD HOLDBACK. 
          YOU CAN'T DO THAT. 
          UH, THANK YOU FOR YOUR PRESENTATION. 
          IT'S REALLY HELPFUL. 
          I, UM, TO ME, AND I'M SURE THE REST OF OUR, THE COMMISSION THAT WHEN WE HAVE EDUCATION AND UPDATES ON THESE TYPES OF THINGS, THAT WE ALSO SORT OF, UH, LEARN HOW TO EDUCATE OUR PEERS AND DISPELLING SOME OF THOSE MISCONCEPTIONS TOO. 
          SO THANK YOU FOR THAT. 
          UM, I'M CURIOUS IN REGARDS TO SORT OF THE RESTORATION AND MITIGATION PIECES, YOU KNOW, WITH, WITH, WHEN YOU'RE USING THE ENVIRONMENTAL CRITERIA MANUAL AND YOU'RE TRYING TO SAY, WE'RE, YOU KNOW, THIS PROPERTY NEEDS TO GET FROM POOR TO FAIR OR GOOD, YOU KNOW, YOU'RE, YOU'RE KIND OF LOOKING AT THE POTENTIAL TO GET THERE. 
          WHEN YOU'RE DOING THAT WITH PLANTINGS, ASSUMING THAT THE PLANTS GROW, ARE THERE ITERATIONS OF THE ECM OR CHANGES THAT WOULD, OR WOULD IT NOT BE WITHIN THE PURVIEW OF THE DEPARTMENT TO BE ABLE TO CHECK IN ON THOSE TO SEE, YOU KNOW, IS THERE ANYTHING PREVENTING LANDOWNERS OR PEOPLE FROM REMOVING THOSE PLANTINGS AFTER THEY GET THEIR PERMIT? SO, MS. JOHNSTON, INTERIM ENVIRONMENTAL OFFICER, SO THE, THE SITE PLAN IS A LEGAL DOCUMENT, AND IN THEORY, THEY ARE REQUIRED TO MAINTAIN THE REQUIRED PLANTINGS IN PERPETUITY. 
          UM, I THINK THAT THE ISSUE IS, AND IT'S NOT JUST ON LAKE AUSTIN, BUT IT'S, YOU KNOW, IT'S A CITYWIDE ISSUE, IS, YOU KNOW, THE FOLLOW-UP INSPECTIONS WOULD REQUIRE SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF STAFF. 
          THAT JUST DOESN'T EXIST. 
          UM, AND SO, UH, I THINK THAT IS, THAT IS THE ISSUE. 
          THERE'S NOT, THERE'S NOT THE FOLLOW-UP AFTER THE SITE PLAN IS APPROVED. 
          UM, AND SO IT'S, IT'S, YOU KNOW, UH, WE'RE, WE'RE RELYING ON PEOPLE TO, TO NOTICE IT AND CALL IT IN OR, YOU KNOW, UM, BRENT'S DOING A, A STUDY THAT WILL HELP US INFORM MAYBE HOW WE CAN COMMUNICATE IT AND INSPECT, UH, SEND INSPECTORS OUT MORE REGULARLY. 
          BUT I WILL SAY THAT ON LAKE AUSTIN, IT DOES HAVE ACTUALLY AN, A REGULAR INSPECTIONS WHO GO OUT THERE AND SEE THINGS UNLIKE OTHER PARTS OF THE CITY. 
          SO I HOPE THAT ANSWERED YOUR QUESTION. 
          THANK YOU. 
          I APPRECIATE THAT. 
          UM, AND THEN I GUESS JUST FOR THOSE OF US THAT LOOK FORWARD TO THIS PRESENTATION AND WANNA FOLLOW, FOLLOW ALONG,  WITH THE, UH, CYANOBACTERIA, THE POTENTIAL HARM POTENTIALLY HARMFUL ALGAE, IS THERE SORT OF A MONITORING SYSTEM ONLINE TO, TO LOOK AT THOSE THROUGHOUT THE YEAR? OR IS THAT JUST ? WE, UH, ARE MOVING TOWARDS IT. 
          IN YEARS PAST, WE'VE HAD A DASHBOARD, IT WAS KIND OF INSPIRED BY, UH, THE CITY'S COVID DASHBOARD TO TRY TO PUT SOME DATA OUT THERE. 
          YOU KNOW, WHAT DO WATER TEMPERATURES LOOK LIKE, WHAT DO FLOWS LOOK LIKE? BECAUSE THOSE ARE, UM, ENVIRONMENTAL ATTRIBUTES THAT, UH, PLAY INTO, UH, MORE OR LESS CYANOBACTERIA, BIOMASS AND THEIR POTENTIAL TOXICITY. 
          UH, WE'RE MOVING THOUGH TOWARDS, UH, KIND OF MORE OF A STORY MAP WHERE, UH, WE'LL LIST OUT THE SITES, UM, WHERE WE'VE COLLECTED DATA AND IT'LL GIVE SOME SUMMARIES OF, YOU KNOW, THE PERCENTAGE OF TIMES WE HAD POSITIVE HITS OUT OF THE TOTAL NUMBER OF SAMPLES, SOME PICTURES THAT HAVE BEEN TAKEN AT THE SITES. 
          UM, YOU KNOW, THAT, THAT TYPE OF INFORMATION, WHAT WE SAW, UH, WITH OUR PARTNERS AT LCRA, UM, WE ACTUALLY DID A, A WHOLE YEAR, YOU KNOW, KIND OF MONITORING GOING OUT ONCE A MONTH THROUGHOUT THE WINTER MONTHS TO SEE, YOU KNOW, HOW THESE THINGS ARE PERSISTING. 
          'CAUSE THE CONVENTIONAL WISDOM IS THAT IT'S THE, IT'S A SUMMER PROBLEM. 
          AND IN TERMS OF THE PLANKTONIC BLOOMS, THAT'S 99% OF THE TIME THAT'S THE CASE. 
          THE BENTHIC MATS HAVE PROVEN THEMSELVES TO BE A BIT MORE, UH, DYNAMIC, UM, IN THEIR ECOLOGY SHOWING UP AT SPRING SITES AND IN COOLER WATERS AND IN, UH, SHALLOWER WATERS THAN WE WOULD BE EXPECTED. 
          IN TALKING WITH, UM, COLLEAGUES IN UTAH AND A FEW OTHER PLACES WHERE THEY'RE HAVING THESE SAME ISSUES, THEY'RE ALSO NOTICING THESE MATS IN PLACES THAT THEY DIDN'T NECESSARILY EXPECT THEM TO SHOW UP. 
          AND SO WE, YOU KNOW, UNDERTOOK KIND OF THIS EXPANDED SAMPLING. 
          SO THIS IS INFORMATION THAT'LL KIND OF BE OUT THERE. 
          IT'S TRICKY. 
          IT'S WALKING THAT LINE OF NOT GIVING, UM, A FALSE SENSE OF SECURITY, UM, BUT KIND OF, YOU KNOW, EMPOWERING PEOPLE. 
          OKAY, WELL, WE HAVE AN IDEA OF WHAT TO LOOK FOR. 
          YOU KNOW, THERE'S SIGNAGE THAT'S UP AT MANY OF OUR PARKS AROUND THE CITY, UH, WHERE PEOPLE ARE LIKELY TO INTERACT WITH THE WATER, UM, YOU KNOW, SO THAT THEY CAN BE REMINDED, OH, I NEED TO LOOK TO SEE, IS THIS FLOWING? UM, YOU KNOW, ARE THERE MATS? IS IT STAGNANT? YOU KNOW, THOSE TYPES OF THINGS SO THAT THEY CAN MAKE MORE INFORMED DECISIONS. 
          UH, AND AGAIN, THERE'S ALL KINDS OF OTHER THINGS POTENTIALLY IN THE WATER, YOU KNOW, AFTER A RAINFALL EVENT. 
          URE COLI SPIKES, YOU KNOW, FOR 48 TO 72 HOURS. 
          THAT'S JUST PART OF, UH, THE NATURAL SYSTEM WE LIVE IN. 
          UM, YOU KNOW, SO PAYING ATTENTION TO, YOU KNOW, WHAT IS THE RAIN FORECAST OR WHEN HAS IT RAINED? ALL THOSE THINGS COME INTO PLAY. 
          SO DISTILLING THAT DOWN EFFECTIVELY IS, HAS BEEN KIND OF A CHALLENGE. 
          UH, BUT WE'RE 
          [01:05:01]
HOPING, LIKE WITH THE, UM, UH, UM, THE, THE ENVIRONMENTAL REPORT THAT GETS PUT OUT, MORE OF THE STORY MAP, MORE OF THIS KIND OF INTERACTIVE THING WHERE PEOPLE CAN CLICK ON A SITE AND KIND OF LOOK AT SOME OF THE HISTORY OF WHAT'S GOING ON THERE. 
          THAT'S GREAT. 
          IF THAT ANSWERS THAT, IF THAT ANSWERS IT, IT DOES. 
          YES. 
          THANK YOU. 
          I'M A BIG FAN OF STORY MAX, SO I APPRECIATE THAT. 
          NOT, I JUST HAD A FEW QUESTIONS. 
          UM, ONE THING I WAS WONDERING, I KEEP THINKING ABOUT LIKE THE BLUE, THE BLUE GREEN ALGAE, AND, UM, IF THERE'S LIKE ANY STUDIES OR ANY TESTING DONE, LIKE IF IT CAN BECOME AIRBORNE, LIKE AFTER IT DRIES UP, UH, AND BE INGESTED THAT WAY, I GET, UH, UH, THERE, UH, THERE ARE A FEW STUDIES, YES, AEROSOLIZATION IS POSSIBLE. 
          UH, BUT THAT, THOSE ARE VERY UNIQUE SITUATIONS THAT TENDS TO OCCUR. 
          UH, THE, THE KIND OF THE MOST WIDESPREAD WAS, UM, OFF THE WEST COAST OF FLORIDA WHEN THEY HAD THE RED TIDE EVENTS MM-HMM. 
           A COUPLE YEARS AGO. 
          AND WHAT YOU HAVE TO HAVE IS, UH, FETCH BASICALLY THIS OPEN WATER AREA WHERE THE WIND CAN BLOW UNIMPEDED FOR MILES, TENS, HUNDREDS OF MILES. 
          AND IT'S PICKING UP AND INTERACTING WITH THE SURFACE WATERS. 
          AND YOU CAN GET THIS AEROSOLIZATION OF THE TOXINS. 
          THAT'S A VERY DIFFERENT TOXIN THAN WHAT WE HAVE HERE. 
          UM, THAT TOXIN THAT'S PRODUCED BY THE RED TIDES, SOME OF THE, UM, UH, LIKE THE MICROCYSTS, UH, MICROCYSTIN, UH, BLOOMS AND TOXINS, THE THINGS THAT AFFECT DRINKING WATER SUPPLY, THOSE TOXINS ARE MUCH MORE STABLE OUTSIDE OF THE CELLS. 
          OKAY. 
          AND SO THEY'RE ABLE TO BE, YOU KNOW, POTENTIALLY PICKED UP. 
          WE DON'T HAVE A, WE DON'T HAVE PLATONIC BLOOMS. UM, AND B THE NEUROTOXIN THAT'S PRODUCED HERE IS VERY UV SENSITIVE. 
          OKAY. 
          AND SO, YOU KNOW, WHEN IT'S IN THE CELL, IT'S A STABLE MOLECULE OUTSIDE OF THE CELL, IT TENDS TO BREAK DOWN MUCH MORE QUICKLY. 
          AND WE DON'T HAVE, UH, THOSE LARGE, LONG AREAS FOR THE WIND TO INTERACT WITH THE MATS. 
          THESE THINGS ARE REALLY TUCKED IN NEAR SHORE, UM, AND THEY'RE JUST NOT EXPOSED TO THE SAME TYPES OF CONDITIONS THAT WOULD BE NEEDED. 
          SO IT'S, IT'S, YOU CAN'T SAY ZERO, BUT IT'S ESSENTIALLY A NIL, VERY SLIM RISK. 
          'CAUSE THERE WAS ONE STUDY THAT FOUND THIS TOXIN, THE NEUROTOXIN WE HAVE HERE, DEHY OR ANTITOXIN A, BUT IT WAS A FOGGY DAY THAT THEY HAPPENED TO DO IT. 
          AND SO THERE WAS NO SUNLIGHT TO BREAK THE, THE TOXIN DOWN. 
          AND IT WAS A BIGGER LAKE, UH, MORE OPEN LAKE THAN WHAT WE HAVE HERE. 
          SO AGAIN, THE CONDITIONS JUST DON'T REALLY JIVE HERE. 
          OKAY. 
          UM, ANOTHER QUESTION THAT I WAS THINK THAT I HAD WAS, UM, REGARDING THE ZEBRA MUSSEL, UM, I REMEMBER SEVERAL YEARS BACK, LIKE THEY WERE KIND OF INGRAINED IN LIKE THE, THE WATER INTAKE. 
          AND SO LIKE, THEY WERE, UH, THE CITY WAS ADVISING PEOPLE TO BOIL THEIR WATER, OR LIKE, IT WOULD BE, UM, IT HAD LIKE THAT SMELL TOO. 
          MM-HMM. 
          . 
          SO I WAS KIND OF, UH, CURIOUS IF THERE WAS ANY, UM, ANY GROSS NOTICE ON THOSE WATER INTAKES, OR IS THERE LIKE A PROACTIVE, UM, PROACTIVE, UH, MAINTENANCE TO KIND OF PREVENT THAT FROM HAPPENING AGAIN, OR? YEAH. 
          I MEAN, I, I WON'T COMPLETELY SPEAK FOR AUSTIN WATER, UH, BUT YOU KNOW, FROM CONVERSATIONS WITH THEM, UH, THEY'RE OBVIOUSLY MUCH MORE AWARE, UM, OF THE POTENTIAL FOR ZEBRA MU TO FOUL THEIR INTAKES. 
          UM, THEY'VE SET UP SYSTEMS TO MINIMIZE THE COLONIZATION IN THEIR INTAKE PIPES. 
          UM, AND SO YOU'RE NOT GETTING THAT EXCESSIVE GROWTH. 
          SO IF THEY HAD TO DO MAINTENANCE AND DEWATER, YOU WOULDN'T GET THAT LARGE DIE OFF. 
          UM, SO THEY ARE TAKING STEPS IN THE PIPES TO MINIMIZE COLONIZATION. 
          AND THEN OUTSIDE, UM, OF THE PIPES ON THEIR SCREENS, THEY DO, UH, PHYSICAL REMOVAL, UM, OF ANY COLONIZED MUSCLES. 
          OKAY. 
          SO THOSE, THAT, THAT'S, YOU KNOW, PART OF THE, THE COST OF DOING BUSINESS NOW ONCE THEY COME IN IS THOSE THAT EXTRA CHEMICALS AND, UH, LABOR, UNFORTUNATELY. 
          MM-HMM. 
          . 
          AND JUST ONE THING THAT I WAS WONDERING IS, IS THERE A REAL REASON WHY PEOPLE WOULD NOT WANT TO CLEAR OUT THEIR BOATS AFTER BOATING? LIKE, IS IT JUST LAZINESS OR IS THERE SOMETHING ELSE, LIKE, WE'RE JUST NOT GETTING, UH, PUT ME IN A PICKLE WITH THAT QUESTION. 
          , KEEP, KEEP IT NEUTRAL. 
          , YES. 
          UM, YOU KNOW, UNFORTUNATELY, UH, IN, IN A LOT OF PLACES, KIND OF THAT ETHIC, UH, HASN'T NECESSARILY BEEN INGRAINED, UM, INTO THE SYSTEM IN THE GREAT LAKES, STEVE MUSSELS WERE THERE, UH, YOU KNOW, 35, 40 YEARS AGO. 
          AND SO, UH, THAT AWARENESS HAS BEEN, UH, PERVASIVE. 
          UH, HAVING DNR PEOPLE AT THE BOAT RAMPS, IT'S SOMETHING THAT YOU GOT USED TO AND YOU WERE JUST VERY MINDFUL OF MAKING SURE YOU TOOK WEEDS OFF OF YOUR BOAT, MAKING SURE EVERYTHING WAS DRAINED, UM, ET CETERA BEFORE YOU MOVED. 
          [01:10:01]
YOU KNOW, THIS IS WISCONSIN, 14,000 LAKES, MINNESOTA 15, 16,000 LAKES. 
          THE POTENTIAL FOR THAT SPREAD IS TREMENDOUS. 
          AND IT'S, THE REALIZED SPREAD IS VERY LOW BECAUSE PEOPLE ARE VERY MINDFUL OF IT, YOU KNOW, DOWN SOUTH, UNFORTUNATELY. 
          UM, THERE JUST HASN'T BEEN THE SAME, UH, KIND OF CONSCIOUS EFFORT TO EDUCATE PEOPLE AND TO KIND OF GET THAT BUILT INTO, UH, THE PSYCHE TO, YOU KNOW, TAKE THOSE FEW EXTRA STEPS, UNFORTUNATELY. 
          THANK YOU VERY MUCH, AND THANK YOU FOR THE AWESOME PRESENTATION COUNCIL MEMBER. 
          WAS THAT NEUTRAL ENOUGH? ? PERFECT. 
          ANY OTHER QUESTIONS, COMMISSIONERS, BEFORE WE LET 'EM GO? OKAY, THANK YOU SO MUCH. 
          THANK YOU. 
          UM, NEXT UP WE HAVE DISCUSSION 
          [Items 3 & 4]
AND ACTION ITEMS. FIRST UP, WE HAVE DISCUSSED AND MAKE A RECOMMENDATION REGARDING INVESTMENTS, UH, THE CITY SHOULD FUND AS PART OF CITY, AS PART AS COUNCIL RESOLUTION 2 0 2 4 0 2 5 2 5. 
          UM, ENVIRONMENTAL INVESTMENT PLAN AS RECOMMENDED BY THE JOINT SUSTAINABILITY COMMITTEE, COMMISSIONER RESI. 
          YEAH, APPRECIATE IT. 
          UH, SO I PRETTY MUCH ROLLED THESE TWO UP INTO ONE RECOMMENDATION. 
          UM, ORIGINALLY THERE WERE TWO SEPARATE DOCUMENTS PASSED BY THE JSC. 
          UM, YOU KNOW, WE'RE ALL TRYING TO GET OUTTA HERE BEFORE EIGHT, SO I FIGURED REALISTICALLY THEY'RE, THEY'RE ACTUALLY PRETTY SIMILAR, UH, TURNED OFF MY PHONE TO SAVE SOME BATTERIES, SO BEAR WITH ME WHILE I BRING UP THE, UM, THE DOCUMENTATION TO READ. 
          BIG SHOUT. 
          I'M GONNA JUMP IN REAL QUICK. 
          DISTRICT THREE IS THAT, UH, IF YOU WERE ROLLING BOTH ITEMS IN, COULD YOU READ THE SECOND AGENDA ITEM JUST FOR PROTOCOL? ALL. 
          OKAY. 
          AND, UM, THE ADDITIONAL AGENDA ITEM IS, UH, DISCUSS AND MAKE A RECOMMENDATION IN SUPPORT OF ADDING A CLIMATE FEE TO ADDRESS FUNDING FOR THE ENVIRONMENTAL INVESTMENT PLAN AS RECOMMENDED BY THE JOINT SUSTAINABILITY COMMITTEE. 
          SHOUT OUT STAFF KEEPING IT FUNKY. 
          UM, SO, YEAH, SO THIS, UH, RECOMMENDATION RESOLUTION, WHATEVER OUR WORD YOU WANT TO USE, DESCRIBE IT. 
          WHEREAS THE PURPOSE OF THE JOINT SUSTAINABILITY, OH, ACTUALLY NO, THIS IS, UH, IT SHOULD BE, I THINK, YEAH, I, NOPE. 
          UH, HERE WE GO. 
          THIS IS IT, I BELIEVE. 
          UH, YEAH. 
          OKAY. 
          UM, GOT FAKED OUT THERE FOR A SECOND. 
          BUT I STILL APPRECIATE THE LAPTOP. 
          UH, WHEREAS RESPONSIBILITY OF THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION IS TO REVIEW AND ANALYZE THE POLICIES RELATING TO THE ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY OF THE CITY, ACTING IN ADVISORY CAPACITY ON ALL PROJECTS AND PROGRAMS WHICH AFFECT THE QUALITY OF LIFE FOR THE CITIZENS OF AUSTIN. 
          AND TO MAKE RECOMMENDATIONS FOR STANDARDS AND WERE ASKED IN AUGUST 8TH, 2019, THE COUNCIL UNANIMOUSLY APPROVED RESOLUTION NUMBER 2019 0 8 0 8 DASH 0 7 8, DECLARING A CLIMATE EMERGENCY IN THE CITY, AND CALLING TO ACCELERATE THE TIMELINE FOR ACHIEVING THE CLIMATES OF THE CITY'S CLIMATE GOALS. 
          AND WE'RE, AS THE CLIMATE CRISIS, UH, CONTINUES TO WORSEN EACH YEAR, AND THE WINDOW OF OPPORTUNITY TO PRESERVE A LIVABLE CLIMATE IS RAPIDLY CLOSING DUE TO CLIMATE TIPPING POINTS THAT ARE ALREADY LIKELY BEING REACHED, AND WE'RE AS THE GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS REDUCTION GOAL, ESTABLISHED BY THE AUSTIN CITY COUNCIL. 
          AND THE CLIMATE EQUITY PLAN IS TO ACHIEVE NET ZERO COMMUNITY-WIDE GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS BY 2040, UTILIZING A STEEP DECLINE PATH, FOLLOWED BY NEGATIVE EMISSIONS THAT TRANSLATES TO APPROXIMATELY 75% REDUCTION IN EMISSIONS BY 2030. 
          AND OR AS IS A SCIENTIFIC FACT THAT GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS REDUCTIONS MADE SOONER, WILL YIELD CLIMATE BENEFITS SOONER, AND ARE THEREFORE MORE VALUABLE IN AVOIDING TIPPING POINTS THAT COULD MAKE PRESERVING A LIVABLE CLIMATE IMPOSSIBLE. 
          AND WHEREAS LAND ACQUISITION INCREASING, THE USE OF SOLAR ENERGY AND BATTERY STORAGE AND TREE PLANTING ARE STRATEGIES THAT ARE ADOPTED WITHIN MULTIPLE CITY OF AUSTIN PLANS, INCLUDING THE CLIMATE EQUITY PLAN WIRE FORWARD, AUSTIN, TRAVIS COUNTY FOOD PLAN, WATERSHED PRODUCTION, UH, STRATEGIC PLAN AND PART, UH, LAND MANAGEMENT PLAN AND LONG RANGE PLAN AND AUSTIN ENERGY RESOURCE GENERATION AND CLIMATE PROTECTION PLAN, UH, WHICH WERE ALL CREATED WITH SUBSTANTIAL PUBLIC INPUT AND ADOPTED BY THE AUSTIN CITY COUNCIL. 
          AND WERE ASKED INCREASING PRESSURES ON THE CITY BUDGET AND UTILITY RATES WILL MAKE FUNDING THE IDENTIFIED SUSTAINABILITY NEEDS VERY DIFFICULT WITHOUT A USE SOURCE OF REVENUE. 
          AND WERE ASKED, OTHER CITIES HAVE IMPLEMENTED DEDICATED FEES TO FUND SUSTAINABILITY NEEDS, AND WERE ASKED, THE CITY OF AUSTIN ALREADY UTILIZES DEDICATED FEES TO FUND CERTAIN SUSTAINABILITY NEEDS, INCLUDING IN AUSTIN ENERGY, AUSTIN WATER, AND AUSTIN RESOURCE RECOVERY. 
          AND WHEREAS FUNDING FROM EXISTING FEES IS INSUFFICIENT MAGNITUDE TO FUND ALL EXISTING NEEDS AND EXISTING FEES CAN ONLY BE USED AS FUND CERTAIN PROGRAMS. THEREFORE, THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION RECOMMENDS THAT THE AUSTIN CITY COUNCIL ADOPT ITEM 93 ON THE JULY 18TH, WHICH IS TOMORROW'S, UH, COUNCIL AGENDA AFTER AMENDING IT TO INCLUDE A BOND PACKAGE BE PUT BEFORE VOTERS ON THE NOVEMBER, 2024 BALLOT THAT WILL PROVIDE FUNDS TO IMPLEMENT EXISTING CLIMATE ENVIRONMENTAL PLANS, AN ENVIRONMENTAL INVESTMENT PLAN BOND OF TWO 50 TO THREE $50 MILLION THAT FUNDS 
          [01:15:01]
A COMBINATION OF LAND ACQUISITIONS, SOLAR AND BATTERIES FOR CITY BUILDINGS AND OPERATIONS, AND TREE PLANTING IS APPROPRIATE AND NEEDED. 
          THE AUSTIN CITY COUNCIL AND THE CITY MANAGER CHAT BROAD SHOULD ACTIVELY PURSUE ESTABLISHING A NEW GREEN FEE TO HELP FILL THE FUNDING GAP FOR IMPLEMENTING THE AUSTIN CLIMATE EQUITY PLAN AND ASSOCIATED CITY PLANS, INCLUDING AUSTIN ENERGY RESOURCE GENERATION CLIMATE PROTECTION PLAN, AUSTIN STRATEGIC MOBILITY PLAN, AUSTIN RESOURCE RECOVERY MASTER PLAN, WATER FORWARD WATERSHED PROTECT PROTECTION STRATEGIC PLAN, AUSTIN, TRAVIS COUNTY FOOD PLAN ONE, AUSTIN CLIMATE RESILIENCE ACTION PLAN, CENTRAL TEXAS REGIONAL AIR QUALITY PLAN AND URBAN FOREST PLAN. 
          THIS NEW FEE SHOULD BE STRUCTURED TO BE EQUITABLE AND RESPONSIVE TO AUSTIN'S WEALTH GAPS. 
          AND THE FEE SHOULD PROVIDE PREDICTABLE REVENUE, A LEGAL ANALYSIS OF OPTIONS THAT COULD BE PAID FOR BY RESIDENTS, BUSINESSES, CORPORATIONS, AND OR VISITORS SHOULD BE CONDUCTED AND PRESENT, PRESENTED TO THE CITY COUNCIL FOR, FOR CONSIDERATION AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. 
          BAM. 
          APPRECIATE IT. 
          UH, SO, YEAH, OBVIOUSLY, YOU KNOW, UH, OPEN TO DISCUSSION AND WHATEVER SORT OF CHANGES OR, OR AMENDMENTS, UH, THE COMMISSION FEELS IS APPROPRIATE. 
          WELL, I'LL SECOND 'CAUSE THAT'S A MOTION WHAT YOU JUST READ, RIGHT? SO I'LL SECOND IT. 
          DO WE HAVE ANY DISCUSSION COMMISSIONERS? OH, LOOKS LIKE WE GOT, WE LOST OUR REMOTE. 
          I KNOW WE'RE TRYING TO SAVE ENERGY HERE, BUT YOU, WE DO HAVE TO SEE FOUR, SIX. 
          WELL, TECHNICALLY WE HAVE SIX, SO WE COULD KEEP GOING. 
          BUT YOU, YOU, SORRY. 
          REMOTE COMMISSIONERS. 
          YOU SEE? WELL, WE COULD HEAR JIRA SO WE COULD, YEAH. 
          WE JUST LOST THE VIDEO. 
          CAN'T SEE. 
          OKAY. 
          YEAH, WE JUST LOST THE VIDEO RELAY. 
          I'M, I'M HERE TOO. 
          PRIMER. 
          OKAY. 
          . 
          THIS FEELS LIKE, UH, IN SCHOOL WHEN THE POWER USED TO GO OUT AND EVERYONE WOULD BE LIKE, OOH, . 
          GOOD MEMORIES. 
          OKAY. 
          DO WE HAVE ANY, ANY DISCUSSION COMMISSIONERS? I HAVE ONE JUST QUESTION OR AMENDMENT. 
          LEMME JUMP IN. 
          OKAY. 
          UM, THIS IS A LOT THAT WENT INTO THIS, SO KUDOS TO  . 
          YEAH. 
          SHOUT OUT, UH, THE FOLKS AT THE JSC FOR THIS . 
          UM, I'M CURIOUS. 
          I MEAN, SO I THINK THIS, THIS ONE WAS ABOUT 10 DAYS AGO OR SO. 
          IT'S POSTED FOR TOMORROW AS 2026, BUT SOONER THAN 2026. 
          RIGHT. 
          SO THE FEASIBILITY OF THEM CHANGING IT TO 2024 BETWEEN NOW AND TOMORROW, I'M A LITTLE BIT CONCERNED ABOUT. 
          AND SO I'M HOPING THAT, NOT TRYING TO CHANGE THIS LANGUAGE, BUT IF WE CAN ADD ANOTHER ELEMENT OF URGENCY HERE, UM, SHOUT OUT TO BETH, MY COUNCIL MEMBER 55, UM, FOR BEING A LEADERSHIP IN A LOT OF THIS CONVERSATION. 
          UM, AND THE CALLS FOR URGENCY. 
          SO MY THOUGHT WAS THAT IF WE CAN ADD AN AMENDMENT THAT CALLS FOR THE TASK FORCE TO BE SEATED SOONER RATHER THAN LATER SO THAT THERE'S A SORT OF MORE URGENT, LET'S GET THIS THING GOING. 
          I THINK, UH, WE CAN ALL LOOK AT THE SEVERE WEATHER INCIDENTS HAPPENING ALL OVER THE STATE AND AGREE THAT SOONER ACTION IS BETTER THAN LATER ACTION. 
          UH, DO YOU WANT ME TO, SO THAT WOULD BE A SECOND. 
          OKAY. 
          UH, SO THE AMENDMENT WOULD BE TO INCLUDE, RECOMMEND THE CITY FORM A CITIZENS BOND ADVISORY BOARD AS SOON AS POSSIBLE TO MAKE RECOMMENDATIONS FOR THE 2025 BOND PACKAGE. 
          THE CITIZENS BOND ADVISORY BOARD SHALL ENGAGE THE COMMUNITY, ASSESS NEEDS, AND WORK WITH STAFF TO CREATE A COMPREHENSIVE BOND PACKAGE. 
          DID YOU SAY 2024 OR 2025? 25. 
          I SAID 25. 
          WE CAN JUST LEAVE THE DATE OUT, I GUESS, JUST IN CASE. 
          NO, I, I WOULD LEAVE IT 25 KIDS IN ORDER TO FORM A, A BOND CITIZEN FINE ADVISORY, YOU HAVE TO HAVE A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF TIME THERE. 
          WELL, I KNOW, BUT IN ORDER TO GET PEOPLE TO COME OUT TO VOTE, YOU NEED TO HAVE IT BE IN AN ELECTION YEAR. 
          UH, LAST YEAR WAS AN ELECTION YEAR IN TRAVIS COUNTY PASSED BONDS. 
          I WOULD JUST LEAVE THE DATE OUT. 
          CAN YOU SAY THAT AGAIN? COMMISSIONER SHERA? UH, I WOULD JUST LEAVE THE DATE OUT. 
          OH, LEAVE THE DATE OUT. 
          HMM. 
          YEAH, I GUESS, UM, SO I HAVE A COUPLE QUESTIONS ON THAT. 
          AND, UM, FIRST OFF, I WANT TO SAY I SUPPORT, UH, THIS AMENDMENT. 
          UM, SO A COUPLE THINGS. 
          DO WE KNOW, IS THERE A BOND PACKAGE FOR SURE COMING ON THE 2024 BALLOT OF ANY KIND? YES. 
          FOR THE CITY. 
          OKAY. 
          SO THEN SECOND, UM, DO WE KNOW WHERE WE ARE IN THE BOND CYCLE FOR BEING ABLE TO PUT FORWARD BOND PACKAGES? 'CAUSE THERE'S A CYCLE TO THAT. 
          YES. 
          SO IN GENERAL, IF, IF I CAN ANSWER THIS, I WAS ON THE BOND OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE FOR SIX YEARS. 
          IT'S BEEN ON AN EVERY SIX YEAR SCHEDULE. 
          SO WE HAD ONE IN 2018, AND USUALLY WE WOULD'VE HAD ONE IN 2024, HOWEVER, BECAUSE WE HAD, UH, PROJECT CONNECT, WHICH HAD 300 MILLION IN IT FOR ANTI DISPLACEMENT. 
          [01:20:01]
UH, THE CITY HAS A LOT OF MONEY THAT ALREADY IS OUT THERE FOR, UM, DOING GENERAL OBLIGATION BONDS. 
          AND SO THEY DECIDED TO PUT IT OFF FROM 2024 TO 2026. 
          OKAY. 
          THANK YOU. 
          SO THERE IS A BOND ELECTION SCHEDULED IN 2026. 
          ANY OTHER DISCUSSION COMMISSIONERS? WELL, I'M CURIOUS WHAT THE FINAL LANGUAGE OF THE AMENDMENT IS NOW. 
          DO WE HAVE A SECOND ON THAT? A I THINK COMMISSIONER QURESHI SECONDED, UM, BY CHAIR FER, UM, AMENDMENT. 
          SO I GUESS WE TAKE A VOTE ON IT. 
          CORRECT. 
          ARE YOU GONNA ASK IF THERE'S ANY OBJECTION? YEAH, IF THERE'S ANY OBJECTION. 
          WELL, SHIRA DOES NOT WANT THE DATE ON IT, RIGHT? RIGHT. 
          IT SEEMS LIKE YEAH. 
          THE, THE OBJECTION OBJECTION IS THE DATE AND THE CURRENT LANGUAGE SAYS 2025. 
          OKAY. 
          WHICH MIGHT BE OVERLY PRESCRIPTIVE. 
          IT'S OKAY. 
          SO LET'S GO AHEAD AND TAKE A VOTE ON IF WE SHOULD KEEP THE 2025 ON ON IT. 
          UH, SHERA? NO. 
          NO. 
          OKAY. 
          BRIER? NO. 
          OKAY. 
          RESI. 
          ABSTAIN. 
          OKAY. 
          I'LL SAY YES. 
          KRUGER SAYS YES. 
          COOPER. 
          YES. 
          I MEAN, I GUESS NO, ON THE 2025, PLEASE. 
          OH, OKAY. 
          I THINK Y'ALL, I THINK THEY HAVE A GOOD POINT. 
          I DON'T WANNA BE WORRIED, SO, OKAY. 
          SO  YEAH, I'LL GO WITH NO ON THAT. 
          I'M WITH NO. 
          OKAY. 
          AND I'M ABSTAINING. 
          SO ONE, TWO, SO TWO NOTES. 
          I MEAN, THE SENSE OF URGENCY IS A COMPELLING ISSUE TO ME. 
          I UNDERSTAND THE LOGISTICS, BUT, OKAY. 
          YEAH. 
          SO, UM, MOTION PASSED PASSED WITH IT, OR IT FAILED. 
          IT FAILED. 
          THE RIGHT. 
          THE AMENDMENT FAILED. 
          THE AMENDMENT FAILED. 
          AMENDMENT FAILED. 
          OKAY. 
          SO THE AMENDMENT TO REMOVE THE, OH, YEAH. 
          OKAY. 
          WELL, LET'S, I'M HEARING YES. 
          MM-HMM, , YEAH. 
          YEAH. 
          YOU REPEAT IT? YES. 
          REREAD IT. 
          . 
          SORRY. 
          ALL RIGHT. 
          AMENDMENT TO RECOMMEND THE CITY FORM A CITIZENS BOND, CITIZENS BOND ADVISORY BOARD AS SOON AS POSSIBLE TO MAKE RECOMMENDATIONS FOR THE BOND PACKAGE. 
          THE CITIZENS BOND ADVISORY BOARD SHALL ENGAGE THE COMMUNITY, ASSESS NEEDS, AND WORK WITH STAFF TO CREATE A COMPREHENSIVE BOND PACKAGE. 
          DO WE HAVE A SECOND? I'LL SECOND THAT. 
          SECOND IT BY QURESHI. 
          OKAY. 
          LET'S DO A ROLL CALL WITH THIS. 
          WELL, CAN I ASK AGAIN, IS THIS JUST FOR THIS, UM, ENVIRONMENTAL INVESTMENT PLAN, OR IS IT FOR ALL BONDS? 'CAUSE THERE IS ALL ONE ALREADY FOR ALL BONDS, SO WOULD BE OKAY. 
          SHERA? YES. 
          BRIER, NO. 
          OKAY. 
          RESI? YES. 
          KRUGER? YES. 
          COOPER? YES. 
          BRISTOL. 
          YES. 
          BEDFORD? YES. 
          OKAY. 
          MOTION PASSES WITH AT THAT AMENDMENT. 
          NOW WE'RE BACK TO VOTING ON THE WHOLE, UH, ON THE WHOLE THING, RIGHT? YES. 
          OKAY. 
          SO NOW WE'RE VOTING ON EVERYTHING. 
          . 
          ALL THOSE IN FAVOR? RAISE YOUR HANDS. 
          WE HAVE SHERA, BRIMER, RESI, KRUGER, FER BEDFORD. 
          BRISTOL SULLIVAN. 
          MOTION PASSES. 
          UNANIMOUS. 
          NICE GUYS. 
          OKAY. 
          SO NEXT UP WE HAVE FUTURE AGENDA 
          [FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS]
ITEMS. ARE THERE ANY ITEMS THAT ANY COMMISSIONERS WANNA BRING FORWARD? IS HAVE SOMETHING OH, I'M SORRY. 
          YEAH, GO AHEAD. 
          COMMISSIONER KRUEGER. 
          SURE. 
          UM, YEAH, I JUST WANTED TO MAKE FOLKS AWARE OF AN ISSUE THAT MAYBE SOME OF US HAVE HEARD OF, WHICH IS THE AUSTIN TRAVIS COUNTY FOOD PLAN. 
          UM, SO BACK IN JUNE OF 2021, THE AUSTIN CITY COUNCIL DIRECTED THE CITY MANAGER TO INITIATE A PLANNING PROCESS FOR AUSTIN. 
          TRAVIS COUNTY'S FIRST EVER COMPREHENSIVE FOOD PLAN ACTION BEGAN IN SEPTEMBER, 2021, AND IT'S NOW IN THE FINAL PHASES OF COUNCIL AND COMMISSIONER REVIEW, APPROVAL, AND THEN ADOPTION. 
          UM, AND IT SETS CLEAR GOALS AND STRATEGIES TO MOVE TOWARD A MORE EQUITABLE, SUSTAINABLE, AND RESILIENT FOOD SYSTEM. 
          UM, OVER 3,600 PEOPLE FROM ACROSS THE COMMUNITY PARTICIPATED, INCLUDING, UM, ORGANIZATIONS, CITY DEPARTMENTS, COUNTY DEPARTMENTS, AND A COMMUNITY ADVISORY COMMITTEE. 
          UM, AND ON AUGUST 8TH, THE TRAVIS COUNTY COMMISSIONER'S COURT SESSION WILL BE, UM, 
          [01:25:02]
HAVE A VOTING ITEM ON THIS. 
          UM, AND ON AUGUST 29TH, EXCUSE ME, THERE'LL BE A REQUEST FOR COUNCIL ACTION TO ADOPT THE PLAN ON THE AGENDA AT THE CITY COUNCIL MEETING. 
          UM, SO I'D LIKE TO REQUEST A PRESENTATION ON THE PROPOSED FOOD PLAN FROM THE OFFICE OF SUSTAINABILITY AND CONSIDER A RECOMMENDATION TO CITY COUNCIL TO APPROVE EITHER ITS FULL OR PARTIAL ADOPTION. 
          I'LL SECOND THAT. 
          THANK ANYTHING ELSE? YES, I'VE GOT A COUPLE THINGS. 
          UM, SO FIRST OFF, UM, WE'VE HEARD, UH, SEVERAL TIMES FROM SANTIAGO, UM, IN REGARDS TO I 35. 
          AND I THINK, UM, IT'S TIME THAT WE GET, UM, YOU KNOW, SOME INFORMATION, UH, ON THE ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT OF WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE FOR I 35. 
          UM, THE FLOODPLAIN, UH, URBAN FORESTRY WATERSHED, WATER QUALITY, WHAT ARE ALL THE DIFFERENT IMPACTS, UM, THAT, THAT WILL HAVE. 
          SO I'D LIKE TO SEE THAT IN THE FUTURE. 
          SECOND. 
          HI, IT'S ELIZABETH FUNK, UH, WATERSHED. 
          I HAD REACHED OUT A COUPLE MONTHS AGO, UM, AND IT WAS DETERMINED THAT TEXT DOT SHOULD BE THE ONE TO PROVIDE THAT PRESENTATION. 
          AND THEY DECLINED TO PRESENT AND REFERENCED A PRESENTATION THEY GAVE TO CITY COUNCIL DURING A WORK SESSION. 
          UM, AND I EMAILED THAT OUT A FEW MONTHS AGO THAT HAS THE ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STATEMENT. 
          OKAY. 
          UM, YEAH, IT DOESN'T QUITE FEEL LIKE IT, BUT YEAH, WE, WE HAD, WE HAD MADE THE SAME REQUEST FOR A FUTURE ITEM IN THE PAST. 
          MM-HMM. 
          . 
          YEAH. 
          OKAY. 
          UM, SO I'LL THINK ABOUT THAT FOR A SECOND. 
          UM, I THINK THAT WE ALSO NEED TO HEAR ABOUT THE LISTING OF THE NEW SPECIES, UM, FOR ENDANGERED SPECIES. 
          AND THEN ALSO THERE'S, I THINK THERE'S FIVE MORE THAT ARE BEING CONSIDERED UHHUH, UM, THAT WOULD IMPACT OUR AREA. 
          I'LL SECOND FOR THAT. 
          OKAY. 
          UH, LIZ JOHNSON, UH, WATERSHED, UM, JUST AS AN FYI, WE WILL BE HAVING, UM, UH, AN INDIVIDUAL FROM THE FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE TO SPEAK ON THE LISTING FOR THE ENDANGERED MUSSEL AT LEAST. 
          UM, AND I THINK, UH, WAS IT AUGUST OR SEPTEMBER? EARLY SEPTEMBER. 
          UM, AS WELL AS SOME BIOLOGISTS WITH WATERSHED TO DISCUSS, YOU KNOW, WHAT WE KNOW ABOUT MUSSELS. 
          UM, AND SO THAT WILL BE COMING SHORTLY. 
          UM, OUR ARE, WHEN YOU SAY ENDANGERED SPECIES, ARE YOU SPEAKING OF THE OTHER SPECIES AS WELL? BEYOND THE, THE TEXAS FAT MARKET MUSCLE. 
          OKAY. 
          UM, WE CAN CHECK WITH, UM, OUR STAFF IN AUSTIN WATER WHO ARE MORE KNOWLEDGEABLE ABOUT THE UPCOMING AND, AND SEE WHAT IF THEY WOULD BE ABLE TO POTENTIALLY PRESENT, UM, OR IF THERE'S ANYONE FROM FISH AND WILDLIFE WHO WOULD BE ABLE TO PRESENT ON THE WHOLE, UH, PACKAGE. 
          OKAY. 
          YEAH. 
          THANKS. 
          'CAUSE THERE WAS A COUPLE BATS, IF I REMEMBER CORRECTLY, THE MONARCH BUTTERFLY. 
          THERE'S A COUPLE OTHER THINGS IN THERE. 
          SO THERE'S THE SALAMANDERS AND SOME, YEAH. 
          SAL. 
          YEAH. 
          YEP. 
          YEP. 
          UM, OKAY. 
          SO THEN, UM, SO THERE'S THAT PART. 
          SO, UM, I'M GLAD THAT'S IN THE WORKS. 
          UM, THANKS FOR THE I 35 INFORMATION. 
          SO I'M GONNA BRING SOMETHING UP AGAIN THAT WE VOTED ON, ON THE MAY 1ST AGENDA. 
          UM, AND THIS IS THE INFILL PLAT AND SITE LIGHT PART TWO AMENDMENT. 
          UM, WHEN WE PUT FORWARD OUR RESOLUTION, UM, IT WAS PUT FORWARD VERY QUICKLY. 
          WE HAD VERY, VERY LITTLE TIME TO CONSIDER THE CODE CHANGES AND WE WERE TOLD THAT WE HAD TO PUT SOMETHING FORWARD THAT NIGHT, OR ELSE IT WASN'T GONNA BE PART OF BEING CONSIDERED BECAUSE IT WAS GOING TO BE DONE GOING THROUGH BOARDS OF COMMISSION. 
          WELL, I'VE JUST LEARNED THAT IT'S STILL GOING THROUGH BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS AND THAT WE HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY, IT FEELS LIKE, TO PUT FORWARD A BETTER RECOMMENDATION. 
          OUR RECOMMENDATION IS FINE. 
          UM, WE ALL WORKED ON IT TOGETHER. 
          UM, BUT I THINK WE COULD DO A BETTER JOB REALLY ADDRESSING WHAT ARE THE CODE IN THAT AND HOW DOES IT REALLY IMPACT THE ENVIRONMENT. 
          UM, AND I'D LIKE TO BE ABLE TO EVEN BRING THAT FORWARD AT THE NEXT MEETING. 
          UM, I, WE WILL, UM, DISCUSS WITH STAFF IN, UM, DSD WHO'RE BRINGING FORTH THE AMENDMENT TO SEE IF THERE'S, UM, A, A AVAILABILITY, UM, TO PRESENT, UM, ADDITIONAL INFORMATION. 
          WE WILL GET BACK WITH YOU ON THAT. 
          COOL. 
          THANK YOU. 
          THAT'S ALL I GOT. 
          ANY OTHER COMMISSIONERS WITH FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS? I, I JUST HAD ONE, UM, THING, UH, LIST SENT OUT AN EMAIL. 
          UM, OR SHE WILL BE SENDING OUT AN EMAIL ABOUT THE, UM, THE ANNUAL REPORT. 
          [01:30:01]
AND SO I JUST WANNA GET LIKE, FEEDBACK FROM THE COMMISSIONERS, UM, BY NEXT WEEK ON FRIDAY. 
          'CAUSE THE REPORT'S DUE ON THE 31ST, RIGHT? WE GOT THAT. 
          WE GOT THAT EMAIL THIS AFTERNOON. 
          AWESOME. 
          THANKS GUYS. 
          OKAY. 
          IF THERE'S NO OBJECTION, IT IS AH, 7 31, MEANING AS ADJOURN. 
          THANKS EVERYBODY. 
          THANK, THANK YOU.
* This transcript was created by voice-to-text technology. The transcript has not been edited for errors or omissions, it is for reference only and is not the official minutes of the meeting.