(a) In order to maximize the positive impacts of brush control on water supply enhancement and the effective and efficient use of allocated funds, a geospatial analysis will be performed to delineate and prioritize the acres eligible for cost-share that have the highest potential to yield water within a project watershed. The geospatial analysis addresses the consideration described in §517.25(d)(2) of this subchapter.
(b) The geospatial analysis will consider multiple landscape characteristics for a project watershed and will assign a ranking to all areas of the watershed based on the overall number of these characteristics that apply to a specific location. Each characteristic has multiple criteria each with a ranking value assigned. Characteristics that will be assessed in the geospatial analysis include:
  (1) Brush Density--type and density of brush to be treated in fraction of the area with treatable brush;
  (2) Soils--relative to hydrologic properties such as runoff potential or recharge/infiltration rate;
  (3) Slope--sufficiently steep to carry water to streambed but not impair method of brush control;
  (4) Proximity to Waterbodies--including riparian areas and other hydrologically sensitive areas critical to streamflow and aquifer recharge; and
  (5) Proximity to Watershed Outlet.
(c) Excluded Areas. Due to their sensitive nature, the following areas are automatically excluded from the analysis and are included in the not eligible zone:
  (1) Areas that are designated as sensitive or critical habitat of endangered or threatened species; and
  (2) Slopes greater than 16 percent.
(d) The geospatial analysis results in four brush control priority zones for each watershed: high, medium, low, and not eligible.
(e) Different ranking values may be assigned to the multiple criteria of each characteristic, based on their impacts on the target water supply and goal for the project. The intended goal of the project may be either to manage brush for infiltration enhancement of aquifers or to manage brush for runoff enhancement of surface waterbodies.

Source Note: The provisions of this §517.38 adopted to be effective September 8, 2014, 39 TexReg 7173