ESTIMATING THE IMPACT OF TOURISM ON GROUNDWATER RESOURCES IN THE BIG BEND REGION

The Big Bend region of Texas is located in far west Texas, west of the Pecos River and north of the Rio Grande. The region includes a diverse natural habitat and varied geologic and other natural and cultural attractions. Several state parks and the Big Bend National Park are located in the region, as well as the towns of Marfa, Alpine, Marathon, Fort Davis, Terlingua, Lajitas, and Presidio. The region is located in the Chihuahuan desert and receives ~ 17 inches of annual precipitation. All public water supply in the region comes from aquifers; these aquifer sources include the “igneous” aquifer, the “west Texas bolsons” aquifer, and an unnamed Cretaceous carbonate aquifer. The three counties in the region (Brewster, Jeff Davis, and Presidio) have Groundwater Conservation Districts (GCDs) as enabled by the state Water Code Chapter 36. These districts and the Texas Water Development Board are the primary means of monitoring and regulating groundwater use.

Increased tourism in the Big Bend region in recent years has caused concern regarding the sustainability of the groundwater resources. The population within the region is not expected to increase significantly, but the number of transient water users is clearly increasing and is presumably resulting in increased groundwater consumption. Our research is focused on estimating this increase in water usage. We are gathering various data on vacation rentals by reviewing local hotel tax logs and internet advertising, conducting verbal surveys, and analyzing repeat aerial imagery to identify structures constructed for rental purposes only. The results of this data-gathering effort, combined with estimates of per-user consumption, will allow us to provide local water managers, such as the GCDs, with valuable information regarding this otherwise undocumented increase in groundwater use.