1. (a) RWPGs shall recommend water management strategies to be used during a drought of record based on the potentially feasible water management strategies evaluated under §357.34 of this title (relating to Identification and Evaluation of Potentially Feasible Water Management Strategies).
2. (b) RWPGs shall recommend specific water management strategies based upon the identification, analysis, and comparison of water management strategies by the RWPG that the RWPG determines are potentially feasible so that the cost effective water management strategies that are environmentally sensitive are considered and adopted unless a RWPG demonstrates that adoption of such strategies is inappropriate. To determine cost-effectiveness and environmental sensitivity, RWPGs will follow processes described in §357.34 of this title. The RWP may include alternative water management strategies evaluated by the processes described in §357.34 of this title.
3. (c) Strategies will be selected by the RWPGs so that cost effective water management strategies, which are consistent with long-term protection of the state's water resources, agricultural resources, and natural resources are adopted.

4. (d) RWPGs shall identify and recommend water management strategies for all WUGs and WWPs with identified water needs and that meet all water needs during the drought of record except in cases where:

   1. (1) no water management strategy is feasible. In such cases, RWPGs must explain why no management strategies are feasible; or
   2. (2) a political subdivision that provides water supply other than water supply corporations, counties, or river authorities explicitly does not participate in the regional water planning process for needs located within its boundaries or extraterritorial jurisdiction.
5. (e) Specific recommendations of water management strategies to meet an identified need will not be shown as meeting a need for a political subdivision if the political subdivision in question objects to inclusion of the strategy for the political subdivision and specifies its reasons for such objection. This does not prevent the inclusion of the strategy to meet other needs.
6. (f) Recommended strategies shall protect existing water rights, water contracts, and option agreements, but may consider potential amendments of water rights, contracts and agreements, which would require the eventual consent of the owner.

7. (g) RWPGs shall report the following:

   1. (1) Recommended water management strategies and the associated results of all the potentially feasible water management strategy evaluations by WUG and WWP. If a WUG or WWP lies in one or more counties or RWPAs or river basins, data will be reported for each river basin, RWPA, and county.
   2. (2) Calculated planning management supply factors for each WUG and WWP included in the RWP assuming all recommended water management strategies are implemented. This calculation shall be based on the sum of: the total existing water supplies, plus all water supplies from recommended water management strategies for each entity; divided by that entity's total projected water demand, within the planning decade. The resulting calculated safety factor shall be presented in the plan by entity and decade for every WUG and WWP.
   3. (3) Fully evaluated Alternative Water Management Strategies included in the adopted RWP shall be presented together in one place in the RWP.

Source Note:The provisions of this §357.35 adopted to be effective August 12, 2012, 37 TexReg 5797.