Ed Shackelford, acting CEO of the San Jacinto River Authority, filled Magnolia Rotarians in on activities and plans for the agency at the club’s meeting on Oct. 9. Shackelford, whose regular position is director of operations for SJRA, said he is wearing the CEO hat until the authority hires a new person for the job. A national search is now underway to fill the CEO position, he said.
The SJRA’s responsibilities are varied, from providing water and sewer services to The Woodlands to managing Lake Conroe to delivering 95 million gallons of water a day to industrial customers. The state’s river authorities have recently been tasked with planning for flood control, as well.
The SJRA, which includes all or parts of eight counties, was established in 1937. It has no taxing authority, although by law, it could do so, Shackelford said. Its board members are appointed by the governor.
SJRA is involved in managing the balance between the use of surface water and water from underground, working with the Lone Star Water Conservation District, which covers only Montgomery County, he said. Although SJRA manages mostly surface water, it has 95 wells in The Woodlands as well.
Shackelford also discussed the effect of using wells on subsidence, which is a problem in some areas covered by the authority. Overall, he said, the water table continues to drop, as it has for many years with increasing development.
