(a) The Guadalupe, San Antonio, Mission, and Aransas
Rivers, their associated tributaries, Mission, Copano, Aransas, and
San Antonio Bays, and the associated estuaries are substantially sound
ecological environments.
(b) For the Guadalupe, San Antonio, Mission, and Aransas
Rivers, and their associated tributaries, the commission finds that
these sound ecological environments can best be maintained by a set
of flow standards that implement a schedule of flow quantities that
contain subsistence flow, base flow, and high flow pulses at defined
measurement points. Minimum flow levels for these components will
vary by season and by year since the amount of precipitation and,
therefore, whether a system is in subsistence or base flow conditions,
will vary from year to year and within a year from season to season,
and the number of pulses protected will also vary with the amount
of precipitation.
(c) For Mission, Copano, Aransas, and San Antonio Bays,
the commission finds that the sound ecological environment of these
bays can best be maintained by a set of freshwater inflow standards
that include variable freshwater inflow quantities and that incorporate
inflow and frequency targets at which specific levels of freshwater
inflow occur, which are used for the sole purpose of providing additional
freshwater inflows to Mission, Copano, Aransas, and San Antonio Bays
through voluntary strategies.
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