Whooping Crane Conservation Association

To read the article by Morgan Smith as appeared in The Texas Tribune please click on the link below.
The Big Whoop by Morgan Smith – The Texas Tribune

(Corpus Christi, TX — March 11, 2010) The Aransas Project (TAP) filed a federal lawsuit today in the United States District Court for the Southern District of Texas, Corpus Christi Division, against several officials of the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) in their official capacities for illegal harm and harassment of Whooping Cranes at and adjacent to Aransas National Wildlife Refuge in violation of the Endangered Species Act. The defendants named in the suit in their official capacities are the three TCEQ Commissioners, the agency’s Executive Director, and the TCEQ’s South Texas Watermaster.
(To read the entire Press Release (PDF) please click here.)

The seventh aerial census of the 2009-10 whooping crane season was conducted March 9th, 2010 in a Cessna 210 piloted by Gary Ritchey of Air Transit Solutions of Castroville, Texas with USFWS observer Tom Stehn. Sighted on the flight were 193 adults and 18 juveniles = 211 total whooping cranes. Fog rolling in off the Gulf in the late afternoon prevented completion of the census. No evidence of mortality was noted on the flight other than the one juvenile that had died earlier in the winter. The flight again provided solid evidence of 20 family groups currently at Aransas. With one juvenile last seen in Oklahoma December 25th that apparently separated from its parents during migration and is presumably okay and wintering in an unknown location, and the S. Sundown Island chick that has died at Aransas, this accounts for 22 of the 22 juveniles found in Canada during the mid-August fledging surveys. With the one documented mortality this winter, the current flock size is estimated at 242 + 21=263.

March 9th – Recap of whooping cranes (211) found at Aransas:

[TABLE=9]

* Census incomplete due to presence of fog.

Some cranes continue to leave their marsh territories and are searching for food on the uplands. Upland areas on the barrier islands are flooded, with numerous wet swales on the uplands up to the beach dunes. Overall habitat use documented on the flight included 27 cranes on unburned uplands (13%, or half of the previous flight’s total), 2 in open bays, 3 at a game feeder at Welder Flats, 0 on prescribed burns, and 179 (85%) in salt marsh. Low numbers of 2-3 inch blue crabs have moved into the marshes with recent high tides, and more foraging on crabs has been noted, although blue crab numbers are still low.

Flight Conditions: Winds were light and flight conditions were smooth. Visibility was challenging throughout the flight due to all the moisture in the air. Late afternoon sunshine was often shining in our faces so that it was only possibly to see cranes reliable heading away from the sun. Late afternoon fog rolling onto the barrier islands prevented us from completing the census. The largest group sizes observed were 9 birds seen in the marsh on San Jose and 7 on the uplands on Matagorda Island.

Spring Migration, 2010

The single white-plumaged whooping crane confirmed present at Salt Plains NWR in northern Oklahoma on February 24th and 26th apparently moved on to the Platte River in Nebraska where it was confirmed on March 5th. No other whooping cranes are believed to have left Aransas.
– Tom Stehn, Aransas National Wildlife Refuge

The sixth aerial census of the 2009-10 whooping crane season was conducted February 16, 2010 in a Cessna 210 piloted by Gary Ritchey of Air Transit Solutions of Castroville, Texas with USFWS observer Tom Stehn. Sighted on the flight were 237 adults and 19 juveniles = 256 total whooping cranes. No evidence of mortality was noted on the flight other than the one juvenile that had died earlier in the winter. The radioed family on Lamar Peninsula was overlooked on the flight, but GPS data indicates it was on Lamar before and after the census flight. Since it has not been documented leaving Lamar since being tagged in December, it is considered very unlikely that they had moved over to San Jose to account for the extra family found there during the census. The flight provided a firm tally of the 20 family groups currently at Aransas. With one juvenile last seen in Oklahoma December 25th that apparently separated from its parents during migration and is presumably okay and wintering in an unknown location, and the S. Sundown Island chick that has died at Aransas, this accounts for 22 of the 22 juveniles found in Canada during the mid-August fledging surveys. This is one more juvenile accounted for than on previous survey flights this winter. With the one documented mortality this winter, the current flock size is estimated at 242 + 21=263.

February 16th – Recap of whooping cranes (256) found at Aransas:

[TABLE=8]

* One family group was overlooked.
** Ties record high for Matagorda Island set during the 2008-09 winter.

The territories of adult cranes remain difficult to figure out as many of the crane pairs have left their marsh and are searching for food on the uplands. Upland areas on the barrier islands are flooded, with numerous wet swales on the uplands up to the beach dunes. Three cranes on Matagorda Island were in one of these flooded swales next to the dunes. Overall habitat use documented included an unusually high 67 cranes (26%) on unburned uplands, 16 in open bays, two at a game feeder south of the Big Tree on Lamar, 0 on prescribed burns, and 171 (67%) in salt marsh. Blue crabs are at low levels and the cranes are having to look for other sources of food, although some cranes continue to catch a few crabs. This is a stressful time of winter for the whooping cranes as evidenced by all the cranes on uplands.

No whooping cranes have been reported up the coast at Smith Marsh in Matagorda County located west of the Nature Conservancy’s Mad Island Marsh Preserve since 1/17/10. Two whooping cranes are continuing to winter northwest of Austwell on the Guadalupe Delta Wildlife Management Area managed by the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department.

I noted one thing on the flight that I had never observed previously. Twenty sandhill cranes on the southern end of the crane range on San Jose Island flushed from the census aircraft and flew a very short distance to stand in open bay habitat. I had never seen sandhill cranes before in open bay habitat.

Flight Conditions: Visibility was excellent throughout the flight, though the sun angle on late afternoon transects made for difficult viewing conditions when heading into the sun at Welder Flats. Winds were light and flight conditions were smooth until mid-afternoon, enabling us to travel at approximately 130 knots for most of the flight. Due to reported crane movements, the search area was expanded further out into upland areas. This paid off, as cranes were found near the beach dunes on Matagorda Island, inland in a pasture at Welder Flats and on Aransas National Wildlife Refuge uplands. The largest group size observed was 9 birds seen on the uplands on San Jose and in the marsh on Matagorda Island.

Post-Flight Update
Food availability improved for the cranes during the last week in February with more cranes observed feeding on 2-3-inch blue crabs. Upland swales remain very wet and bay salinities remain moderate < 10 ppt.

Spring Migration, 2010
A single white-plumaged whooping crane was confirmed present at Salt Plains NWR in northern Oklahoma on February 24th and 26th. Since we did not know of any other white-plumaged whooping cranes in the Flyway this winter, this must be a case of a whooper on the Texas coast getting influenced by sandhill cranes and starting the journey ahead of the normal time for whooping cranes. Except for birds that had a history of separating from their parents as juveniles, I think it would be the earliest migration start on record.

– Tom Stehn, Aransas National Wildlife Refuge

The fifth aerial census of the 2009-10 whooping crane season was conducted January 21, 2010 in a Cessna 210 piloted by Gary Ritchey of Air Transit Solutions of Castroville, Texas with USFWS observer Tom Stehn. Sighted on the flight were 235 adults and 18 juveniles = 253 total whooping cranes. This was 10 birds less than the last flight conducted 1-05-10. However, flight time was limited by fog that did not burn off until 10:30 AM, so some cranes were presumably overlooked, as search time had to be condensed. More telling than the total number of cranes tallied was the distribution observed that seemed to confirm the estimated flock size. However, it definitely appears that one juvenile has died since arriving at Aransas. This juvenile had been found in the refuge’s South Sundown Island territory. On today’s flight, a pair believed to be the S. Sundown Island pair was seen very close to their territorial neighbors to the south. It seemed clear that I was looking at adjacent territorial pairs, and that the S. Sundown Island pair was missing its chick. It is also possible that the Dewberry Island pair at Welder’s Flats has lost their chick, but it is also possible they had moved over to the refuge’s Power Lake on Matagorda Island where there was an unexpected family.

The territories of adult cranes remain difficult to figure out as many of the crane pairs have left their marsh and are searching for food on the uplands. On today’s flight, an unusually high 52 cranes were on unburned uplands, 4 were on the C14 refuge burn, 13 were in open bays, two were at a game feeder south of the Big Tree on Lamar, and 182 (72%) were in salt marsh. Blue crabs are at extremely low levels and the cranes are having to look for other sources of food. This is a very stressful time of winter for the whooping cranes. One additional juvenile that apparently separated from its parents during migration was sighted near Medford, Oklahoma December 14-25 has not been re-sighted but is presumably doing okay in an unknown location.
The flock size is currently estimated at 244 adults + 19 juveniles = 263.

January 21st – Recap of whooping cranes (253) found at Aransas:

[TABLE=7]
* The presence of one chick last seen in Oklahoma makes the current estimated flock size 263, including 19 chicks. One chick has died since arriving at Aransas.

One whooping crane was sighted on 1/17/10 by a TPWD biologist on the Smith Marsh in Matagorda County. The Smith Marsh is private property just to the west of the Nature Conservancy’s Mad Island Marsh Preserve a considerable ways up the coast from Aransas.

Flight Conditions: Visibility was excellent throughout the flight, though the sun angle on late afternoon transects made for difficult viewing conditions when heading into the sun. Winds were light and flight conditions were smooth, enabling us to travel at approximately 130 knots for most of the flight. Due to reported crane movements, the search area was expanded much further out into upland areas. However, only three additional cranes were found in the uplands at Welder Flats, whereas 12 had been located there the previous week. This difference seemed to account for the 10 fewer cranes found on today’s flight compared to the previous flight. In addition, no cranes were found at the refuge’s Burgentine Lake, whereas seven had been present on the previous flight. The largest group size observed was seven birds seen on the uplands on San Jose and in the marsh on Matagorda Island.
– Tom Stehn, Aransas National Wildlife Refuge

The fourth aerial census of the 2009-10 whooping crane season was conducted January 5, 2010 in a Cessna 210 piloted by Gary Ritchey of Air Transit Solutions of Castroville, Texas with USFWS observer Tom Stehn. Sighted on the flight were 244 adults and 19 juveniles = 263 total. This was an increase of 19 cranes since the previous flight conducted December 10th when some birds had still been in migration and 244 cranes were accounted for. One additional juvenile separated from its parents was sighted near Medford, Oklahoma December 14-25 which brings the current estimated flock size to 264. In addition, the South Sundown Island chick known to be at Aransas was not found on today’s flight, so one chick can be added to the peak flock size for the 2009-10 winter (244+21=265). It is not known if the entire South Sundown Island family group was overlooked on today’s flight, or possibly the chick has died and its parents were sighted off of their territory but not identified as such during the flight.

January 5th – Recap of whooping cranes (264) found at Aransas and Oklahoma:

[TABLE=6]

*The presence of one chick last seen in Oklahoma makes the current estimated flock size 264, including 20 chicks.

The discovery of 19 additional cranes is really good news. If cranes moved around during the flight, I am concerned that perhaps this tally is artificially high by a few birds due to double counting them. Future census flights will attempt to pin this down. The current estimated flock size of 264 is surprisingly high but indicates that survival between spring and fall, 2009 was excellent. The 21 wintering chicks that successfully migrated out of the 22 fledged in Canada added to the estimated flock size of 247 in spring, 2009 meant that a maximum of 268 cranes could have arrived at Aransas this fall. One crane seen injured in Saskatchewan in the fall migration is believed to have perished. The fact that we are accounting for 265 out of the potential 267 is excellent news.

Migration Update: The solitary whooping crane near Medford, Oklahoma was last seen Christmas Day. It apparently has moved further south. Four cranes in the second week in December west of Mad Island Preserve in Matagorda County Texas about 40 miles northeast of Aransas have moved on and presumably were seen on today’s census flight. Two cranes that have been staying east of Tivoli about 15 miles north of Aransas were re-located on today’s flight in the Hynes Bay Unit of the Guadalupe Delta Wildlife Management Area operated by Texas Parks and Wildlife.

Habitat Use and Food Resources: Tides have lowered somewhat with about 30% of the mud flats dry on San Jose Island. However, few observations have been made this winter of cranes feeding in open bay habitat, and only 6 cranes were in open bay habitat on today’s flight. Salinities in San Antonio Bay are currently 14 parts per thousand, low enough that the cranes are drinking directly from the salt marsh. On today’s flight, 65 cranes were located in unburned uplands, 10 were on refuge prescribed burns, 12 were at feeders on private lands, and 2 were on shell roads. The presence of so many cranes in the uplands and cranes traveling longer distances than usual into uplands is indicative of food scarcity. A crab count conducted December 18th found only 1 crab. No commercial crab traps were sighted on today’s flight, another indication that crab populations are at low levels. The cranes since Christmas have not been observed catching blue crabs, whereas before that, some crabs were still being taken. A few wolfberries were still available to the cranes the week before Christmas but have tapered off since then. With blue crabs in very short supply and the wolfberry crop finished for the year, the cranes are entering the period of the winter when food shortages sometimes occur and the cranes end up using up fat reserves to survive.

Flight Conditions: Visibility was excellent for most of the flight. Due to reported crane movements, the search area was expanded much further out into upland areas. This turned out to be very important in finding additional cranes. Eight cranes were found in an area rooted up by hogs in the former farm field enclosure across the refuge’s East Shore Road about 0.7 miles from the salt marsh. Twelve cranes were sighted at feeders at Welder Flats, 8 of them at a location that is rarely searched. Seven cranes were found northwest of the refuge’s Burgentine Lake where cranes had been reported back on December 10th. The largest group size observed was 8 birds seen both on the uplands on San Jose and at a game feeder at Welder Flats. Large groups seen in salt marsh included 7 birds on the south end of Matagorda Island and 6 on Lamar’s Cow Chip Bayou.
– Tom Stehn, Aransas National Wildlife Refuge

Since my last census flight on 12/10/09, I have received confirmed reports of 6 more whooping cranes in the Aransas-Wood Buffalo population, including two more chicks. So the estimated flock size of 238 has now been increased to 244 (223 adults + 21 chicks). The 21 chicks accounted for indicate very good survival from the 22 that fledged in Canada.

The following are the 6 cranes added since my flight:

2+1 on a part of the refuge I did not fly over were reported by the refuge fire crew 2 days in a row, including the afternoon I was flying.

2 + 0 flown directly over but not seen on the Lamar Peninsula – they were reported by a refuge volunteer walking his dog that saw my plane go over them. They were in uplands so I can see how I missed them.

0+1 confirmed 12/14/09 in northern OK about 30 miles east of Salt Plains NWR. The juvenile was by itself with no sandhill’s around.

My next flight may not be until the first week in January. I hope and expect the flock total to go up a few more to at least reach the 247 present last spring.
– Tom Stehn

The third aerial census of the 2009-10 whooping crane season was conducted December 10, 2009 in a Cessna 210 piloted by Gary Ritchey of Air Transit Solutions of Castroville, Texas with USFWS observer Tom Stehn. Sighted on the flight were 211 adults and 19 juveniles = 230 total. This was an increase of 20 cranes since the previous flight conducted December 2nd. With 230 at Aransas and 8 known to still be in migration, currently 238 whooping cranes can be accounted for. I am expecting up to 22 juveniles based on August fledging surveys done on the nesting grounds by CWS. With that number of juvenile produced, the flock may experience a break-even year with a flock total around 247 expected.

December 10th – Recap of whooping cranes (230) found at Aransas on the aerial:
[TABLE=2]
*Since 6 family groups were present on Matagorda Island on the December 2nd flight, it is possible that one family group was overlooked on today’s flight. However, it is also possible a Matagorda Island family group from N. Power Lake had moved over to N. Shoalwater Bay where there was an additional family on today’s flight.

Migration Update: Cold fronts that reached Aransas on December 4th and 9th helped 20 additional cranes complete their 2,400-mile long migration. Additional cranes are known to still be in migration. Four were present at Quivira NWR on December 7th even though the marshes were about 90% frozen. Four were recently sighted west of Mad Island Preserve in Matagorda County Texas about 40 miles northeast of Aransas. Two cranes that have been staying east of Tivoli about 15 miles north of Aransas were located on today’s flight in the Hynes Bay Unit of the Guadalupe Delta Wildlife Management Area operated by Texas Parks and Wildlife.

Crane Identities: We are not sure if the Lobstick pair has returned this fall. However, 2 cranes that may have been the Lobsticks were sighted on the Lobstick territory on December 9 and 10. If present, the Lobstick male is 31 years old.

Habitat Use: Tides measured at the refuge boat ramp were high (2.7 feet). Salinities currently at 8 parts per thousand in San Antonio Bay have dropped noticeably in November and December so that the cranes are drinking directly from the marsh and have stopped making flights to fresh water dugouts. An extremely heavy rain event on November 20th with some coastal areas getting up to 16 inches has filled refuge dugouts and swales and flooded portions of the uplands on San Jose Island and Welder Flats. Conditions are very wet. Since that rain event, some blue crabs seem to have moved into the marshes, and some cranes have recently been observed catching blue crabs 2-3 inches in size. However, 65 cranes on today’s flight were sighted on uplands. These cranes were mostly foraging on patches of bare ground, some flooded and some dry. This behavior is indicative of a less than optimal food situation for the cranes. Although some wolfberry flowers are still present in the marshes, few berries are present and have stopped making up a significant part of the crane diet. An additional 5 cranes on today’s flight were on a shell road in the uplands. No cranes were at game feeders or in open bay habitat, and there are currently no prescribed burns in the crane area. The largest group size observed was 8 birds seen on the uplands on San Jose accompanied by sandhill cranes. More black mangrove was noted on Ayes and Roddy islands.

Flight Conditions: Visibility was good for most of the flight, but darker overcast at times made for somewhat challenging viewing conditions. Due to limited flight hours, the aircraft was usually kept at 140 knots making it a lively task to find all the cranes. Total flight time was 4.6 hours and we felt a very good count was achieved despite some crane movements that had to be sorted out as cranes moved to and from the uplands.

– Tom Stehn, Aransas National Wildlife Refuge

The second aerial census of the 2009-10 whooping crane season was conducted 02 December 2009 in a Cessna 210 piloted by Gary Ritchey of Air Transit Solutions of Castroville, Texas with USFWS observer Tom Stehn. Visibility was very good for most of the flight, but mid-day winds gusting to 25 from the northwest made for a bumpy ride and made the made the task of finding cranes more difficult. Sighted were 191 adults and 17 juveniles = 208 total. This was an increase of 117 cranes since the last flight conducted November 12th. I am expecting up to 22 juveniles based on August fledging surveys done on the nesting grounds by CWS. With that number of juvenile produced, the flock may experience a break-even year with a flock total around 247 expected.

November 12th – Recap of cranes (208) found at Aransas on the aerial:

[TABLE=3]

Migration Update: Cold fronts that reached Aransas on November 16, 20, 24, and 30 helped the cranes complete their 2,400-mile long migration that had begun 2 months ago for some birds.
Additional cranes are known still in migration in KS, OK, and TX, although numbers are much lower than the big wave of cranes that moved through OK and KS in mid-November. Three other whooping cranes are presently near the coast. On December 1st, one whooping crane was confirmed in a flock of sandhills near Collegeport, about 50 miles northeast of Aransas. Two cranes have been staying north of Tivoli about 15 miles north of Aransas. The addition of these 3 cranes brings the estimated total on the coast to 211.

Crane Identities: The Mustang Lake pair of cranes visible from the refuge observation tower arrived approximately November 24th.

Habitat Use: Tides measured at the refuge boat ramp were high (2.5 feet). The marshes on San Jose Island were notably flooded with large expanses of open water. Salinities dropped noticeably in November so that the cranes are drinking directly from the marsh and have stopped making flights to fresh water dugouts. Salinities on 12/02 were measured at 15 parts per thousand (ppt) at the refuge boast ramp and at 5 ppt in the adjacent marsh. The refuge received 7.8 inches of rain in November as El Nino ended the drought. The largest rain received was 4.35 inches on November 20th. Other areas including Rockport and Lamar got between 12 and 16 inches of rain during that same storm event.

The cranes have responded to the flooded conditions with 33 cranes seen on uplands during today’s flight. I’ve seen this before when cranes utilized freshly flooded uplands with Aransas having received additional rain December 1st. Two cranes were near an upland crane feeder on the Lamar Peninsula. No cranes were in open bay habitat, and there are currently no prescribed burns in the crane area. The largest group size observed was 7 birds seen on in salt marsh on the south end of Matagorda Island. Numerous photographs were taken to document the spread of black mangrove into the crane area.
– Tom Stehn, Aransas National Wildlife Refuge

By: NORMA MARTINEZ, Managing Editor Rockport Pilot
Published: Wednesday, November 18, 2009 12:22 AM CST

Representatives from The Aransas Project (AP) were on hand at last week’s Chamber of Commerce luncheon to explain why the organization exists and to encourage others to join the nonprofit organization.

The Aransas Project founders are focused on supporting a Texas water management policy for the Guadalupe River Basin (GRB) and its bays which takes into consideration the entire system in a reasonable, sustainable, and environmentally sound matter.

The AP is an alliance of organizations, communities, families and citizens who seek legislated change in the water management of the GRB. AP members believe environmental flow standards for the GRB are essential to support the bays and estuaries, particularly during times of drought. Currently with no environmental flows standards in place, there is no freshwater committed to protect the bays and estuaries. As a result, AP members believe the management practices of the state of Texas are partly or wholly responsible for the deaths of the 8.5 percent of the whooping crane flock in the winter of 2008-09.

The Aransas area includes a number of estuaries and bays like San Antonio, Mesquite, Carlos, St. Charles and Aransas, as well as the Aransas National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR). The latter is the winter habitat of the federally endangered whooping crane. The record breaking death toll of the whooping crane indicates not enough freshwater is reaching the bays and estuaries.

This area is also dependent on tourism and commercial and recreational fishing, all reliant on the health of the bays. The habitats and ecosystems of the area bays and estuaries are dependent on freshwater inflows of the GRB. Aransas Bay begins where the river ends. The Guadalupe-Blanco River Authority’s jurisdiction ends at San Antonio Bay, but the way it manages the GRB impacts Aransas.

The Texas Legislature recenty directed the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) to focus on environmental flows and their importance to the health of bays and estuaries. AP founders state while it is obvious attention should be paid to San Antonio Bay, it may not be as obvious decisions made throughout the GRB impact the ANWR as well as Aransas Bay.

A recently completed study using state water models show the impact of reduced freshwater inflows from the Guadalupe. They show the current water diversion have a dramatic effect on the Aransas area. In years of drought, the salinity levels of the bays and estuaries increase and thus adversely impact species such as the blue crab and brown shrimp. They must travel to find freshwater for sustainability, and if none is to be found, they can not survive.

Area fisherman describe this year as the worst the region has seen for the blue crab and brown shrimp and link that impact to the drought. They also note future diversions will dramatically increase the salinity level and widen the number of species to be impacted.

In order to reduce that increased salinity, increased freshwater inflows from the Guadalupe are necessary. AP members also point to another critical indicator of the need for freshwater inflows – whooping cranes. The Endangered Species Act of 1973 protects such species as well as “the ecosystem upon which they depend.” Therefore, protecting whoopers is about more than just preserving an endangered species.

In 1941, the whooping crane population numbered only 16 birds. Since then, conservation efforts restoreds the world’s only naturally migrating flock to include more than 250 birds. They breed in Canada and winter at the ANWR. Its continued survival is at risk due to the loss of its primary food source, blue crabs. The diminished number of blue crabs has been linked directly to increased salinity levels around the ANWR.

As aforementioned, the winter of 2008-09 was the worst in recent history for whooping cranes wintering at the refuge. The flock experienced the death of 23 birds, which included 16 juveniles. That represents a 42 percent loss in the total number of juveniles. The second worst year was the winter of 1990-91, when 11 birds out of 146 (7.5 percent) of the flock died.

Scientific data behind the deaths shows the reduction in freshwater inflows from the GRB has directly impacted the number of blue crabs and subsequently impacted the whooping crane population.

Using state water models to run different scenarios, salinity studies projected by the AP consulting scientists show proposed future diversions of water from the Guadalupe will dramatically increase the salinity levels in the bays and estuaries along the Texas coast.

Not only will this impact the whooping crane, but it will also have a devastating effect on the fishing, recreational and tourism economy.

The AP founders also believe the bays and estuaries dependent on the Guadalupe River System are at risk. In 2002, American Rivers named the Guadalupe as one of America’s most endangered rivers, citing a significant amount of water diversion and the lack of any commitment to maintain sufficient river flow as main threats. It was noted the increasing demand for water resources has forced the GBRA to focus its planning efforts on municipal and industrial needs rather than environmental needs of the bays and estuaries of the Texas coast. As a result, the coast is not a priority in Texas water planning.

AP founders emphasize the approach for managing the water resources of the GRB must change or there is a risk of devastating economic and environmental damage to the Texas Coast.

They emphasize better planning processes are needed to ensure future water permits are not excessive and instream flows to the bays are sufficient. They state the GBRA is trying to “grab all the water it can” primarily to sell to upper basin industrial and municipal users. The water, however, is needed downstream to protect the bays and estuaries with freshwater inflows which are needed to maintain the habitat of the whooping crane, as well as that of crabs and fish. The GBRA has pointed this responsibility to the TCEQ so it is up to that agency to maintain beneficial inflows protecting the bays and estuaries.

Therefore AP members will file a notice of intent to sue the TCEQ for violation of section 9 of the Federal Endangered Species Act. Through the litigation, TCEQ’s system of water management and rights will be held accountable for the harm to whooping cranes. The desired outcome is it will result in legislative changes in the water management of the GRB, including higher environmental flow standards for the bays and estuaries.