TribLive: Dewhurst on the Water Plan
At this morning's TribLive conversation, Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst talked about how much it will take to jump-start the state's as-yet-unfunded water plan. Full Story
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State Water Plan Slowly Coming Into Focus
Major water infrastructure projects have languished in Texas for years. But a new sense of urgency has spurred lawmakers this year to take a serious look at a multibillion-dollar plan that could help secure water for the state for 50 years. Full Story
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Scientists Close to Testing Tracers for Drilling Fluid
Controversy over whether hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, poses a threat to groundwater has spurred a group of scientists to try to make fracking fluid traceable — by injecting it with DNA. Full Story
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The Polling Center: Lawmakers Fret About Water, but the Public Doesn't
Water has emerged as the top infrastructure issue before the 83rd Legislature — an issue that appears to be more important to lawmakers than to most of the people they represent. Full Story
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Regulators Face Criticism Over Earthquake Monitoring
As domestic drilling continues to boom, more earthquakes are occurring, and states are taking action to fight them. But not in Texas, where the most drilling is taking place. Full Story
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![Workers with Bee Cave Drilling install a jackhammer bit on the drilling rig while putting in a water well on a private lot in Spicewood, Texas on February 6, 2012.]()
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TribLive: A Conversation with Allan Ritter
Full video of my January 17 TribLive conversation with state Rep. Allan Ritter, R-Nederland, the chairman of the House Natural Resources Committee. Full Story
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TribLive: Ritter on Water as a Local Issue
At this morning's TribLive conversation, state Rep. Allan Ritter, R-Nederland, the chairman of the House Natural Resources Committee, talked about what it will take to make local communities recognize the magnitude of the state's water crisis. Full Story
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TribLive: Ritter on Funding the Water Plan
At this morning's TribLive conversation, state Rep. Allan Ritter, R-Nederland, the chairman of the House National Resources Committee, talked about his desire to withdraw $2 billion from the Rainy Day Fund to jump-start the state water plan. Full Story
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Plans for New Reservoir Could End Long-Running Battle
The Lower Colorado River Authority this week approved a plan that should ease the strain on the Highland Lakes, the Central Texas water source that has long pitted rice farmers against municipalities. Full Story
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Report Recommends Changes to Tax Exemption for Fracking
A Legislative Budget Board report on how government can be more effective has recommended that the state reduce its gas tax exemption for hydraulic fracturing. Full Story
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Amid Drought, Water Wars Pick Up on Borders
As Texas' drought wears into its third year, the state is locked in a legal conflict over water with New Mexico, and a North Texas county is suing the state of Oklahoma to get access to a vast amount of water. Full Story
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![A view of the Red River looking east, north of Bonham, Texas. Texas is to the right, and Oklahoma is on the left. The border between the two states runs along the south (right) bank of the river.]()
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Study: Amount of Water Used in Fracking Climbs, but Will Soon Plateau
A new University of Texas at Austin study funded by an oil and gas group has found that the amount of water used in fracking has risen sharply in recent years but would level off sometime in the decade starting in 2020. Full Story
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Ruling on Lesser Prairie Chicken Could Impact Wind, Drilling Industries
In September, the federal government will decide whether to classify a West Texas grouse called the lesser prairie chicken as a threatened species. Such a move could have serious repercussions for the wind and drilling industries. Full Story
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Lawmakers Talk of Bold Measures This Session
Momentum is growing for Texas lawmakers to commit large amounts of money to address the state's long-term infrastructure needs, particularly water and transportation. Full Story
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State of Mind: State Water Woes
People in parts of West Texas know that lawmakers can't make it rain, but they hope that the legislators they send to Austin can find funding for a statewide water plan to ease the drought pain in the coming session. Several state leaders are vowing to find the money. Full Story
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Ritter's Bills Would Put $2 Billion Toward Water Projects
State Rep. Allan Ritter, chairman of the House Natural Resources Committee, filed two bills on Thursday that would allocate $2 billion from Texas' Rainy Day Fund to create a fund for water-supply projects. It's the largest amount proposed to date. Full Story
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![Construction finishing on a two million gallon water tank in a 13,000-acre water well field owned by the Colorado River Municipal Water District near Wickett, Texas. The land and existing infrastructure, purchased from Luminant Generation using state funds, as well as newly constructed water wells and pipeline, can pump up to 30 million gallons of water out of the field a day.]()
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As Oil and Gas Booms, Town Hopes for Transformation
Even a surging local economy, aided by the oil and gas industry, hasn't spared the coastal town of Port Lavaca from the pain of state budget cuts, which have hit local schools especially hard. Full Story
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LCRA Approves Water Plan Likely to Cut Off Rice Farmers
The Lower Colorado River Authority's board of directors on Tuesday unanimously approved an emergency plan that could cut off water for most rice farmers downstream to protect supplies for the city of Austin. Full Story
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State of Mind: Coastal Texans Push to Reform Windstorm Insurance
Texas' coastal residents say repeat hikes in premiums by the Texas Windstorm Insurance Association have pushed them to rally for change. One coastal lawmaker is preparing to file legislation that would overhaul TWIA. Full Story
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Lawmakers Pressed to Act on Energy, Environmental Issues
Lawmakers will descend on the state Capitol next week to kick off the 83rd legislative session, and a host of issues related to energy and the environment — from funding a state water plan to reforming regulatory agencies — awaits them. Full Story
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