By Shapleigh S.C.R. No. 39 76R7665 JLZ-D CONCURRENT RESOLUTION 1-1 WHEREAS, The Rio Grande/Rio Conchos Basin comprises a region 1-2 twice the size of California, a significant portion of which lies 1-3 within Texas' boundaries, and is home to more than 10 million 1-4 people, all of whom depend on the basin's surface water and 1-5 groundwater for their support; and 1-6 WHEREAS, Much of this population is concentrated in some of 1-7 the fastest growing metropolitan areas in the United States and is 1-8 expected to increase more than 60 percent in the next 25 years; 1-9 this growth, coupled with economic expansion and industrialization 1-10 in the region, simultaneously increases the demand for water and 1-11 threatens both its availability and quality; and 1-12 WHEREAS, From El Paso to Brownsville, communities along the 1-13 Rio Grande Valley face critical water shortages caused by 1-14 unregulated groundwater pumping and compounded by recent droughts 1-15 that have exacerbated the region's already limited annual rainfall; 1-16 and 1-17 WHEREAS, Residents along both sides of the Rio Grande also 1-18 face significant health hazards from deteriorating water quality as 1-19 the river becomes more polluted as a result of inadequate or 1-20 nonexistent wastewater facilities, water treatment plants, sewage 1-21 systems, and municipal water systems; between 1979 and 1995 two 1-22 dozen Texas border communities registered unacceptable levels of 1-23 bacterial contamination in their drinking water, and in some areas 1-24 the water is not safe enough even for swimming; and 2-1 WHEREAS, In addition to water quality problems caused by 2-2 industrial and agricultural pollution practices, increasing 2-3 salinity of the river further reduces the quantity of water that 2-4 can be used either for drinking or irrigation purposes; and 2-5 WHEREAS, Although water supply and water quality issues are 2-6 being addressed by federal, state, and local governments here and 2-7 in Mexico, the magnitude of the problems means that conventional 2-8 approaches to them also entail costly solutions such as massive 2-9 investments in new infrastructure; and 2-10 WHEREAS, While these measures are badly needed remedies and 2-11 must continue, funding constraints provide an imperative to seek 2-12 innovative, affordable solutions to mitigate problems both now and 2-13 in the future; this is an area in which the state's public colleges 2-14 and universities can play a vital role, using the talent, 2-15 facilities, and resources at their command to fulfill an important 2-16 component of their missions as research institutions; and 2-17 WHEREAS, In addition to being directly connected to the 2-18 communities affected by these environmental concerns, colleges and 2-19 universities also are eligible for grant money available from a 2-20 variety of sources, including state and federal funds, for research 2-21 purposes, which would allow experimental studies and projects on 2-22 water issues in the area; now, therefore, be it 2-23 RESOLVED, That the 76th Legislature of the State of Texas 2-24 hereby encourage Texas public colleges and universities to apply 2-25 existing research resources to help find new, affordable solutions 2-26 to the increasing scarcity of water and problems with water 2-27 quality, including ways to address increased salinity and fecal 3-1 coliform in the Rio Grande; and, be it further 3-2 RESOLVED, That the secretary of state forward official copies 3-3 of this resolution to the presidents of Texas' public colleges and 3-4 universities and to the chairmen of the boards of regents of the 3-5 state's university systems.