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CONCURRENT RESOLUTION
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WHEREAS, In 1954, the United States Congress authorized the |
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construction of Lake Somerville to provide flood control, water |
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conservation, and other beneficial uses for nearby areas; |
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subsequently, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers began reservoir |
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construction in 1962 and began to impound water in 1967; and |
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WHEREAS, Straddling the borders of Burleson, Washington, and |
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Lee Counties, on Yegua Creek 20 river miles upstream from that |
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creek's confluence with the Brazos River, the lake has a storage |
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capacity of 337,700 acre-feet; and |
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WHEREAS, Operation of the lake is supervised by the Fort |
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Worth District of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers; the lake is one |
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of nine federal reservoirs that are integrated into the Brazos |
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River Authority's basin-wide system and associated water resource |
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development master plan; and |
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WHEREAS, The Brazos River Authority owns the stored water, a |
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source from which it furnishes supplies to the City of Brenham |
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according to a contract that was last renewed for a 10-year period |
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in 2003; and |
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WHEREAS, Also significantly involved in the region is the |
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Lower Colorado River Authority, which, from its diverse mix of |
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power plants, provides wholesale electricity to various |
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communities as well as offering them its economic research and |
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expertise; and |
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WHEREAS, Although Lake Somerville has long been a tourist |
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destination for fishing and other water recreation, the facility |
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has not fully effectuated the three-county economic impact that |
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originally was expected at the time that it was built; and |
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WHEREAS, A study of Lake Somerville's role in economic |
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development would assist in explaining why the lake has not yet had |
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that impact, beyond the tourism industry, and would help to |
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identify impediments that currently restrict its contribution as |
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well as strategies that would better maximize its economic |
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potential; now, therefore, be it |
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RESOLVED, That the 80th Legislature of the State of Texas |
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hereby request the Brazos River Authority and the Lower Colorado |
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River Authority to conduct, with appropriate input from the public |
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and private sectors, a joint baseline study of the role of Lake |
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Somerville in the economic development of the surrounding vicinity; |
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and, be it further |
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RESOLVED, That the two authorities jointly submit a full |
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report of their findings and recommendations to the 81st |
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Legislature when that legislature convenes in January 2009. |