MINUTES 
                                           
                  SENATE COMMITTEE ON WATER POLICY, SELECT INTERIM 
                             Wednesday, March 17, 2004 
                                     10:30 a.m. 
                          Victoria College Student Center 
                                           
                                       ***** 
                                           
         Pursuant to a notice posted in accordance with Senate Rule  
         11.18, a public hearing of the Senate Committee on Water Policy,  
         Select Interim was held on Wednesday, March 17, 2004, in the  
         Victoria College Student Center 
          
                                       ***** 
                                           
         MEMBERS PRESENT:                        MEMBERS ABSENT: 
         Senator Kenneth Armbrister              Senator Kip Averitt 
         Senator Troy Fraser                     Senator Bob Deuell 
         Senator Jon Lindsay                     Senator Robert Duncan 
         Senator Eddie Lucio, Jr.                Senator Todd Staples 
         Senator Frank Madla 
         Senator Eliot Shapleigh 
         Senator Tommy Williams 
                                           
                                       ***** 
                                           
         The chair called the meeting to order at 10:50 a.m.  There being  
         a quorum present, the following business was transacted:   
          
         Senator Armbrister welcomed everyone to Victoria and thanked  
         them for coming.  He thanked Victoria College for hosting the  
         meeting. 
          
         Senator Armbrister recognized Mayor Gary Middleton of Victoria.   
         Mayor Middleton gave welcoming remarks to the committee.   
         Senator Armbrister then recognized Representative Geanie  
         Morrison of Victoria and thanked her for attending the hearing. 
          
         The Chair explained the purpose of interim committees and how  
         the hearings are conducted and briefly explained the charges of  
         the Select Committee on Water Policy. 
          
         The Committee heard invited testimony from: 
          
              Carolyn Brittin and Stephanie Bergeron from the Texas  
         Commission on Environmental Quality. 
          
              J. Kevin Ward of the Texas Water Development Board. 
              Cindy Loeffler of Texas Parks & Wildlife Department. 
          
         The Chair acknowledged County Judge Don Posey and City  
         Councilman Jim Wyatt in the audience and thanked them for  
  
         attending. 
          
         Following the invited testimony, the Committee heard public  
         testimony.  All witnesses testifying are shown on the attached  
         list. 
          
         The Chair announced that the next meeting of the Committee will  
         be in The Woodlands at Montgomery College, on March 31, 2004, at  
         10:30 am. 
          
         There being no further business, at 3:50 p.m. Senator Armbrister  
         moved that the Committee stand recessed subject to the call of  
         the chair.  Without objection, it was so ordered.   
          
         ______________________ 
         Senator Kenneth Armbrister, Chair 
          
         ______________________ 
         RuthAnn Nicholson, Clerk