Who We Are

Mission And Vision

Our Mission

The mission of the Edwards Aquifer Conservancy is to support the work of the Edwards Aquifer Authority and their mission to manage, enhance, and protect the Edwards Aquifer system, which provides water for drinking and other essential purposes for over 2.5 million Texans.

Our Vision

The Edwards Aquifer Conservancy envisions a sustainable Edwards Aquifer system preserved by building partnerships for financial and in-kind support, which enhances aquifer research and education, protects key landscapes within the aquifer’s watershed, and accelerates existing and new conservation practices.

Board Of Directors

The EAC has a seven-member Board of Directors composed of members from the Edwards Aquifer Authority’s Board of Directors.

Abelardo “Abe” A. Salinas, III

Board of Directors
President

Rachel Allyn Sanborn

Board of Directors
Vice-President

Carol
Patterson

Board of Directors
Secretary

Luana
Buckner

Treasurer

Deborah
Carington

Board of Directors
Member

Byron
Miller

Board of Directors
Member

Benjamin Youngblood III

Board of Directors
Member

Staff

Sara
Beesley

Executive Director

Partners

The John and Florence Newman Foundation

In 2019, the John and Florence Newman Foundation made a donation of $25,000.00 to the Edwards Aquifer Conservancy which will allow the commencement of the conceptual design work on the Field Research Observatory, as well as secure two new rainfall/weather monitoring stations to be placed on the acquired Parman tracts.

Microsoft Corporation

Microsoft, as part of its efforts to be water positive for its direct operations by 2030, has collaborated with the Edwards Aquifer Conservancy on two distinct projects. Through the first, Microsoft is funding the EAC’s efforts to identify and acquire a conservation easement for the protection of Edwards Aquifer recharge in Comal County. This project has been a multi-year effort that is nearing completion and will ultimately protect a large portion of Edwards Aquifer Recharge Zone currently threatened by encroaching development. Through the conservation easement, the project will protect, at a minimum, over 154 acre-feet of recharge and its resulting impact on the aquifer and springflow. Under the second project, Microsoft funded the EAC’s acquisition of 400 acre-feet of groundwater withdrawal rights to be held in a groundwater trust for 10 years. Securing control of this amount of water provides important conservation opportunities for both aquifer replenishment and springflow. These collaborations represent the first true conservation initiatives of the EAC. The establishment and implementation of the initiatives provide both important environmental impacts for the Edwards Aquifer and a powerful foundation for the EAC as it builds additional projects in the future.

The City of San Antonio

The City, through the Edwards Aquifer Protection Program which it administers, facilitated the contribution of two tracts of land to the Edwards Aquifer Conservancy. Totaling 150 acres, and valued at $5.5 million, the land now termed as the Field Research Park provides a hands-on opportunity for the scientists of the EAA and their associates to practice and measure the efficacy of land management techniques designed to increase both the yield and quality of water entering into the Edwards Aquifer.