INSIDER
Terlingua’s tourist season has started. Here’s why and how you can help conserve water on your visit.
Read full article: Terlingua’s tourist season has started. Here’s why and how you can help conserve water on your visit.It’s unclear how much water resides underneath this booming West Texas tourist haven. That makes conservation critical.
A West Texas pecan farm fights to save its water supply as neighbors sell it to growing cities
Read full article: A West Texas pecan farm fights to save its water supply as neighbors sell it to growing citiesA yearslong dispute over exporting water to growing Texas cities offers a hint at the battles to come as the state’s population booms and water supply dwindles.
A West Texas ranch and resort will limit water to residents amid fears its wells will run dry
Read full article: A West Texas ranch and resort will limit water to residents amid fears its wells will run dryResidents at the sprawling Terlingua Ranch near Big Bend National Park will limit residents to 1,000 gallons of nondrinking water per month.
After six years, a Texas town’s boil-water notice has been lifted, but residents are still concerned
Read full article: After six years, a Texas town’s boil-water notice has been lifted, but residents are still concernedThe town’s troubles started in 2018, when its water tested positive for the dangerous E.coli bacteria.
Texas Water Board details how it will spend $1 billion for water infrastructure projects
Read full article: Texas Water Board details how it will spend $1 billion for water infrastructure projectsAbout $45 million will go to Texas towns with fewer than 1,000 residents — a boon for municipalities without a viable tax base.
As the Rio Grande runs dry, South Texas cities look to alternatives for water
Read full article: As the Rio Grande runs dry, South Texas cities look to alternatives for waterMany of the solutions are costly, putting them out of reach for small towns. But the region's most populous cities are getting innovative.
U.S. Supreme Court blocks the state’s Rio Grande water deal with New Mexico
Read full article: U.S. Supreme Court blocks the state’s Rio Grande water deal with New MexicoWater law experts say the Supreme Court's recent decision will set a precedent for the federal government to intervene in water conflicts between states moving forward.
Unchecked growth around Big Bend sparks debate over water — a prelude for Texas
Read full article: Unchecked growth around Big Bend sparks debate over water — a prelude for TexasNo one knows how much water sits beneath the desert of Terlingua. Residents worry their wells will run dry, as developers and local officials cheer the tourism boom.
Texas’ first-ever statewide flood plan estimates 5 million live or work in flood-prone areas
Read full article: Texas’ first-ever statewide flood plan estimates 5 million live or work in flood-prone areasA draft of the first-ever statewide flood plan for Texas estimates that more than 5 million residents live or work in an area susceptible to flooding.
Texas’ first-ever statewide flood plan estimates 5 million live in flood-prone areas
Read full article: Texas’ first-ever statewide flood plan estimates 5 million live in flood-prone areasThe state’s flood plan shows which Texans are most at risk of flooding and suggests billions of dollars more are needed for flood mitigation projects.
Texans approved billions for water and broadband infrastructure. Now what?
Read full article: Texans approved billions for water and broadband infrastructure. Now what?The legislation behind the historic investment directs state agencies to send money to the state’s smaller, cash-strapped towns that have difficulty paying for upgrades. Federal money is also expected to flow to regions that need broadband.
Their water is undrinkable. So these West Texas residents have taken matters into their own hands.
Read full article: Their water is undrinkable. So these West Texas residents have taken matters into their own hands.The water in these four unincorporated communities near Lubbock has been undrinkable for years, residents say. They hope to win $3 million in state grants to improve their systems.
One in five Texans lives in a floodplain, state’s first-ever analysis shows
Read full article: One in five Texans lives in a floodplain, state’s first-ever analysis showsAs it prepares a statewide flood prevention plan, the state found that almost 6 million Texans live in an area susceptible to floodwaters.
Texas Senate moves to set aside billions for future water needs
Read full article: Texas Senate moves to set aside billions for future water needsThe Senate on Monday passed a bill that would create a new state fund tailored for large or long-shot water supply projects, including marine desalination. The bill will advance to the House.
Texas Senate takes first step toward establishing billions for state’s water supply, infrastructure
Read full article: Texas Senate takes first step toward establishing billions for state’s water supply, infrastructureVoters would have the final say on whether the state sets aside billions of dollars to acquire new water sources and invest in aging infrastructure.
A boil-water notice in Houston made national news. In rural Texas, it’s a way of life.
Read full article: A boil-water notice in Houston made national news. In rural Texas, it’s a way of life.Rural communities face compounding reasons they can’t improve their water infrastructure, including inflation and a lack of human resources.
Texas’ plan to provide water for a growing population virtually ignores climate change
Read full article: Texas’ plan to provide water for a growing population virtually ignores climate changeTexas’ biggest single solution to providing enough water for its soaring population in the coming decades is using more surface water, including about two dozen new large reservoirs. But climate change has made damming rivers a riskier bet.
Wetter weather is coming this weekend. But it won’t be enough to end Texas’ drought.
Read full article: Wetter weather is coming this weekend. But it won’t be enough to end Texas’ drought.Rain is in the forecast across much of the state. But it won’t be enough to reverse the drought that has gripped Texas since last fall.
Texas drought strengthens its grip, triggering wildfires, water restrictions and crop disasters
Read full article: Texas drought strengthens its grip, triggering wildfires, water restrictions and crop disastersHundreds of wildfires have broken out this spring. More than a dozen areas are under voluntary or mandatory water use restrictions, and more than 200 Texas counties have been designated as crop disaster areas.
Rural Texas was meant to get 10% of state bonds for water projects. A report shows it’s getting less than 1%.
Read full article: Rural Texas was meant to get 10% of state bonds for water projects. A report shows it’s getting less than 1%.Rural Texas communities often don’t have the resources, technical experience, or ability to take on large amounts of debt to pursue state funds for water supply and quality projects. So, many simply don’t apply.
Texas ranchers, activists and local officials are bracing for megadroughts brought by climate change
Read full article: Texas ranchers, activists and local officials are bracing for megadroughts brought by climate changeAllie Goulding/The Texas TribuneSign up for The Brief, our daily newsletter that keeps readers up to speed on the most essential Texas news. This problem will be particularly pronounced for Dallas, which relies entirely on surface water for its water supply, the study says. Allie Goulding/The Texas TribuneCattle on a ranch on Tuesday, July 21, 2020 in Gonzales. Allie Goulding/The Texas TribuneCattle on a ranch in Gonzales. Legislators can basically impress upon various river authorities and municipal water suppliers that certain types of water projects like surface water reservoirs are not going to be the answer to our future of water during megadroughts because those surface water reservoirs lose a lot of water to evaporation, he said.