Presenter: Larry McKinney

Commission Agenda Item No. 9
Briefing
Nueces Riverbed Use
August 2001

I. Discussion: Staff will brief the Commission about the ongoing user conflicts in the bed of the upper Nueces River, especially in Uvalde and Zavala Counties in context of the broader issues across the state. The briefing will address:

• The unique natural, geographical, and sociological features of the upper Nueces that lead to the potential for user conflicts
• Concerns about vehicular traffic in the river, especially four-wheel drive vehicles
• Jurisdictional gaps in the regulation of river activities
• Efforts by TPW, the Nueces River Authority, the General Land Office, and other governmental entities to educate the public about legal rights relating to river use
• Resource effects of river activities
• Controversy over the uncertain boundaries between state and private ownership along the river’s banks
• Other rivers where vehicular traffic is an issue, such as the Llano
• Commercial sand and gravel regulation by TPW