New in Trib+Water: Dirty Water, Planning for Drought
In this week's edition of the Trib+Water newsletter: dirty water, planning for drought and an interview with Sarah B. Faust of Kemp Smith LLP. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/images/2014/04/08/Tribwater.jpg)
-
![Article thumbnail]()
-
Official Says Marvin Nichols Reservoir Should Stay in Water Plan
UPDATED: The Texas Water Development Board's executive director issued a final recommendation Monday that the controversial Marvin Nichols reservoir in northeast Texas remain in the state water plan for now. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/images/2013/11/12/TexasWaterPlan-Submerged-spot.jpg)
![Article thumbnail]()
Credit: Graphic by Todd Wiseman -
What's the Magic Number on Texas' Water Needs?
How much water does the state need in the coming decades? It depends on whom you ask. State water planners say that Texas needs 2.7 trillion more gallons of water a year by 2060. But some water law and planning specialists say that figure is far too high. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/images/2014/05/08/TexTrib-WATERPLAN-001.jpg)
![Lake Travis, a major water supply reservoir for Austin, is severely depleted due to drought. The State Water Plan calls for dozens more such reservoir projects to be built in the coming decades to meet Texas' future water needs.]()
Credit: Spencer Selvidge -
New in Trib+Water: Lamar Smith Rejects Climate Report
In this week's edition of the Trib+Water newsletter: Lamar Smith rejects climate report, Colorado urged to learn Texas water lessons and an interview with Tom Gooch of Freese and Nichols, Inc. Full Story
![Article thumbnail]()
-
LCRA Draws Criticism Over Proposed Rate Hikes
The Lower Colorado River Authority is proposing significant rate increases for Central Texas cities and Gulf Coast-area rice farmers, saying its operating costs aren't being covered. But critics say the agency should focus more on cutting costs. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/images/LCRA-logo-water.jpg)
![Article thumbnail]()
Credit: Graphic by Todd Wiseman -
New in Trib+Water: A Water Summit and a Pulse Flow
In this week's edition of the Trib+Water newsletter: a water summit, pulse flows and an interview with Stacey Steinbach of the Texas Alliance of Groundwater Districts. Full Story
![Article thumbnail]()
-
As Rice Farmers in Texas Turn to Groundwater, Can They Stay Afloat?
Facing the third straight year of cutoffs for irrigation water from the Lower Colorado River Authority, some Gulf Coast-area rice farmers are spending millions of dollars drilling wells to pump groundwater instead. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/images/RICE_LCRA1726.jpg)
![A rice field near Bay City, Texas.]()
Credit: Michael Stravato -
Criticism of Water Policy Flows From Conservatives
Many conservative activists in Texas worry that when it comes to state water policy, Republican leaders have not focused on principles like small government, private property rights and local control. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/images/2014/04/11/LakeGranburyBrazosLoRes_2409.jpg)
![Granbury resident Joe Williams (left) stands with City Council Member Rose Myers and Hood County Commissioner Steve Berry under a Lake Granbury resident's dock in the Waters Edge neighborhood on Lake Granbury's north shore. The lake is 53 percent full.]()
Credit: Robert W. Hart -
Digging Up Drilling Logs, Hoping to Strike Water
As drought grips most of Texas, researchers are combing the state's 1.5 million drilling records to map brackish water in the state's 30 aquifers — hidden resources that could help quench the state’s long-term thirst. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/images/2014/04/10/IMG_4694.jpg)
![Daniel Ortuño, who manages the 1.5 million drilling records stored at the University of Texas at Austin's Bureau of Economic Geology, examines well data in what he calls the "spooky room," home to thousands of records that he has not yet organized. State water researchers are using information from some logs to map potential water sources.]()
Credit: Todd Wiseman -
New in Trib+Water: Stressed Supplies, Water Consultant
In this week's edition of the Trib+Water newsletter: water woes out west and an interview with water consultant Robert Cullick. Full Story
![Article thumbnail]()
-
Texas Hoping for Edge Over New Mexico in Battle Over Rio Grande
With the official support of the U.S. government, Texas now hopes it has a substantial edge over New Mexico in an interstate legal battle over water from the Rio Grande. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/images/2014/04/01/RioGrande.jpg)
![Texas claims New Mexico is using more water from the Rio Grande River than it is entitled to.]()
-
Despite Conservation Success, Water Still Vexing for San Antonio
Despite its internationally renowned successes in water conservation, San Antonio is still struggling to quench its thirst amid explosive growth. Will its search for new water supplies risk its reputation as a green city? Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/images/2014/03/28/GPerez_SAWS022.jpg)
![A cascade aerator is shown at the Twin Oaks Valley Water Treatment Plant outside of San Antonio, where the San Antonio Water System maintains an underground storage reservoir.]()
Credit: Gabriel Cristóver Pérez -
In Central Texas, Drought Threatens Hydropower
The ongoing drought in Central Texas is claiming an innocent bystander: hydroelectricity. As the Lower Colorado River Authority limits water releases downstream, hydroelectricity — a power source that spurred the LCRA's creation almost 80 years ago — has faded further into obscurity. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/images/2014/03/07/Dam-4.jpg)
![LCRA's Max Starcke Dam, just east of Marble Falls, Texas. It is one of six dams the agency operates.]()
Credit: Spencer Selvidge -
Water Planners Look to Define Eligibility for Conservation Funds
When voters approved spending $2 billion in state money on water financing last November, they also agreed to reserve 20 percent of funding for "water conservation and reuse." Now, planners are debating exactly what that means. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/images/Water-Drops-Shower.jpg)
![Article thumbnail]()
-
Cloud Seeding Advocates Look to Build Momentum
Texas' drought has sparked discussions on the need to build desalination plants and new reservoirs, but some scientists and water planners want to add "weather modification" to that list. This story was produced in partnership with KUT News. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/images/2014/03/03/CloudSeeding.jpg)
![Article thumbnail]()
Credit: Patrick Hajzler -
T-Squared: News About Our Newsletters
We're relaunching our free newsletter on Texas water issues today with a new name, Trib+Water, and a host of new features. Over the next year we'll roll out a series of similar subject-specific newsletters. Sign up today! Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/images/2014/02/25/TribPlus-post-lead-art-black002.png)
![Article thumbnail]()
Credit: Graphic by Ben Hasson -
TribLive: A Conversation With Southeast Texas Lawmakers
Full video of my 2/19 TribLive conversation at Lamar University in Beaumont with state Reps. Joe Deshotel, D-Beaumont; Allan Ritter, R-Nederland; and James White, R-Woodville. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/videos/Event-1.jpg)
![Article thumbnail]()
-
TribLive: Miller on Water
At Thursday's TribLive conversation, former state Rep. Sid Miller, R-Stephenville, a 2014 candidate for Texas Agriculture Commissioner, explained why the state's water crisis would be his first priority if he's elected — and what he'd do about it. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/videos/Sid3.jpg)
![Article thumbnail]()
-
TribLive: A Conversation With Sid Miller
Full video of my 2/13 TribLive conversation with former state Rep. Sid Miller, R-Stephenville, a 2014 candidate for Texas Agriculture Commissioner. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/videos/Sid4.jpg)
![Article thumbnail]()
-
TribLive: A Conversation With Amarillo Lawmakers
Full video of my 2/7 TribLive conversation with three Amarillo lawmakers: state Sen. Kel Seliger and state Reps. "Four" Price and John Smithee. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/videos/WT9_1.jpg)
![Article thumbnail]()