“No Net Loss” should have meant every drop of water the BRA took from the Colorado River System had to be replaced with another drop of water.  Instead a 25% surcharge was placed on the entire 25,000 AFY.  Since 2000, BRA and Round Rock (more money Round Rock citizens are paying for nothing yet) have been paying this surcharge to LCRA.  In 2005, LCRA began using some of this money to laser level the rice levies in the lower basin.  (Many of the farmers contend that they had already laser leveled their levies.)

Water is delivered to the farmers through a series of uncovered, unlined canals in the lower basin.  Could this surcharge be better spent removing brush and lining the canals?

An over-filled, over-grown, unlined main canal in the lower basin.  How much water is all this brush drinking?  How much is evaporating?  How much is soaking into the ground of the canal?