Organizational Planning for Future Droughts: The Instructive Case of the Edwards Aquifer Authority in Central Texas

For over a decade we have been studying the construction and implementation of rules and regulations of the Edwards Aquifer Authority (EAA). The EAA was created to conserve the waters of the Edwards Aquifer. In 2011 a severe drought engulfed Texas. This prolonged drought represented the first major test of the rules passed by the Authority since it assumed responsibility for managing the aquifer in 1998. Our objective is to highlight the theoretical implications of the activities of the EAA. We ground our framework in the ongoing activities of the EAA; we are influenced by the works of Beck, Giddens, Firey, Ostrom, Mol and Spaargaren, and Famiglietti -- whom we take into new directions.

We outline some of the fundamental sociological issues that have emerged from our empirical investigations of water planning. We begin with the composition of the EAA Board. This elected board represents key sectors of the Aquifer. By design the largest stakeholder, San Antonio, has a dominant voice on the board but not an exclusive one. In order to enact strategic legislation San Antonio board members must forge alliances with members representing other jurisdictions.  The Board has also shown  flexibility in its governance. While the Board created rules for all groups who live in the region, due to aquifer variations, these rules cannot always be applied in a standardized manner.

We believe Elinor Ostrom’s notion of commons property to be central to planning for water and the future.  We also focus on the growing importance of conservation.  Conservation planning extends beyond the aquifer itself as the aquifer is dependent on the recharge zone. As a karst aquifer, the Edwards is self-replenishing. However, to replenish takes rain - a resource in short supply in this part of Texas. This abstract highlights a few problems we  consider in more detail in the  paper.