Water Planning

News

April 29, 2013

Central Texas Water Coalition voices concerns with LCRA Water Management Plans

“The latest version of the LCRA Water Management Plan (WMP), which the TCEQ released for public comment on April 15, 2013, still raises serious concerns.” For example, recent years' data indicates the average inflows have significantly decreased but the plan still uses data from past assumptions. “Average inflows of 1,200,000 AF are assumed as compared to the recent five year average of 450,000 AF.” Read the full list of recommendations from CTWC.

SAWS turns off its Medina Lake tap

The San Antonio Water System has stopped drawing water from Medina Lake and shut down its treatment plant on the Medina River because of problems with the quality of the lake water. More from SA Express-News.

April 4, 2013

Whooping Cranes Are Important Sentinel of Texas Heritage

The recent federal court opinion holding the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) accountable for the deaths of 23 whooping cranes because of inadequate freshwater inflows to San Antonio Bay has generated a lot of concern and discussion. Read More

March 19, 2013

The Texas Water Plan - An 18 Year Old Perspective

Are we listening to the next generation? 18 year-old Justin Wolfe writes, "The state’s next step ought to be to legislate groundwater as a public resource, so as to manage and regulate it effectively. Only by managing this resource can we ensure the longevity of our water system for generations to come." Read Justin's full article here.

March 6, 2013

Texas' Water Future: What if it isn't there - or it's too costly?

Seeing our legislature taking a good, long and hopefully, logical look at our State Water Plan and its financing is hopeful. But going for the big, expensive and glamorous water projects will often cause more problems and not reduce our appetite for what is now more precious than gold, oil or gas—water. Read more from Mike Mecke in Ranch & Rural living here.

February 13, 2013

Deep Conservation, the Surest Path to Sustainable Water

A new water dialog has been launched www.waterblogue.com. “The stock in trade of water conservation programs practiced by cities and other water supply entities only tinkers around the margins of the basic water management infrastructure system; they do not attempt to fundamentally alter that system...what we need, if we are to approach sustainable water, are dependable, enduring long-term savings that are inherent in our water management processes. To get there, we need to get more deeply into how we manage water, and to fundamentally reform those processes." Read More

January 15, 2013

Stubborn drought, dry forecast drives emergency request

Facing a record-breaking drought with no end in sight, the Lower Colorado River Authority has again asked the state to allow us to not release water from the Highland Lakes for most downstream farmers this year unless substantial rainfall replenishes the reservoirs. LCRA’s Board of Directors took that action Jan. 8 for the second year in a row. Last year was the first time most rice farmers didn’t get any Highland Lakes water. Read More

January 5, 2013

With drought persisting and pressure from customers, LCRA likely to cut off rice farmers in 2013

Frank Harren, a commercial Realtor who serves on the LCRA’s Travis/Austin Regional Council, an advisory board, calculates that lakes Travis and Buchanan now have 28 months of water if recent trends continue. "Releasing water to the rice farmers would shave five months from that total," Harren said. More from Statesman.com.

December 17, 2012

Behind the scary water headlines

It’s hard to look at any media in Texas today without being confronted by a dire outlook on the state’s water future. The jarring effects of a deep drought and the steep price tag attached to the state’s water plan definitely make for attention-grabbing copy. But for those who care about sustainable management of our limited water resources, property rights and fiscal discipline in the state budget, it’s worth a look behind those headlines. More from Statesman.com

Meeting Texas’ water needs

Local and regional water suppliers say that state financial assistance is needed to fund about half of the total $53 billion price tag for water infrastructure projects in the current State Water Plan. However, simply providing funding without improving the plan and carefully prioritizing projects to be funded would not be an efficient use of taxpayer funds. More from Caller.com.

December 3, 2012

You & the State water Plan - Water For Texas 2012

Milan Michalec, incoming President of the HCA Board of Directors, takes a look at water issues ahead of the 2013 legislative session. "Ground and surface water supplies originate with the rain that falls on the land and in turn, this water is captured by complex, large-scale ecological processes involving many variables, including plants, animals, soils and geology. We are every bit an integral part of the water cycle." Read the four-part series which will also be published in the Bandera County Courier beginning Thursday, December 6th.

How many drops does Medina Lake have left?

With the lake now below 11 percent of its estimated storage capacity, each exposed post and trunk raise the threat that local residents will run out of water, farmers will have to let land go fallow and San Antonio will lose part of its water supply. More from SA Express-News.

November 13, 2012

H2O4Texas Founder Discusses Water Shortages, Water Plan

Joey Park is the founding member of H2O4Texas. He told listeners at the South Texans’ Property Rights Association annual meeting that Texas has a water plan, though many people don’t know about it. “That brings us to a problem. That’s all it’s been: a book on the shelf for the last 10 years. We have not done anything about it except refer to it as our State Water Plan.” It is a serious document, though, with a list of things that need to be done, can be done and will be done to address the water needs of the state. It is missing a couple of things, namely funding. Read full Livestock Weekly article.

October 24, 2012

Why Texas Rice Farmers May Get Water Next Year

Once again, the Lower Colorado River Authority (LCRA) is coming under fire from some Central Texans. The reason? A recommendation by agency staff that could lead to water being sent downstream next year for rice farming. Read more from State Impact.

October 22, 2012

LCRA staff recommends against cutting off rice farmers for second year

In the most recent signal that drought conditions have eased since 2011, the staff of the Lower Colorado River Authority recommended last week that board members not seek emergency power from the state to cut off water next year for rice farmers. That’s a reversal from September 2011, when the LCRA’s board approved an emergency plan to cut off water to rice farmers if less than 850,000 acre-feet of water was stored in lakes Travis and Buchanan, the LCRA’s two main reservoirs, on March 1 of this year. More from Statesman.com.

October 15, 2012

SAWS told to better manage its water

“We need to be very careful in not misleading the people that we can build our way out of this problem,” he said, noting the loss of agriculture and undeveloped land is a direct threat to water quality and that no amount of reservoirs or pipelines could replace the water needed if Texas loses the natural systems it is dependent on. Read more from SA Express-News.

September 10, 2012

Relaxed rules on watering proposed

The San Antonio Water System is considering loosening watering restrictions that should make drought-weary residents happy, allowing them, for example, to wash their cars at home on Saturdays. Read full SA Express-News article.

New Braunfels water use surges

New Braunfels Utilities reported a surge in water use this week after experiencing a dramatic drop the week before when the utility banned the use of sprinklers and irrigation systems. Average daily water consumption by its 25,000 customers dipped to about 11 million gallons last week during the first-ever implementation of Stage 3 restrictions, said NBU spokeswoman Gretchen Reuwer. Read more from SA Express-News.

Arguments are heard in Bulverde water-rate case

The Coalition for Equitable Water Rates (CEWR), a ratepayers’ group fighting a proposed 71 percent water-rate hike, said in a press release that it presented arguments recently in a formal hearing of its rate case against Canyon Lake Water Service Co. (CLWSC). Read more from Herald-Zeitung Online.

September 6, 2012

Running the Rivers

Carrying water so precious it has been called liquid gold, the 23 major rivers in Texas flow past pastures and cities, factories and suburbs. These waters have endured the wettest and driest of years, but experts say the rivers’ biggest stresses now come from the multitude of demands from industries, municipalities, agriculture, environment and wildlife. Learn More

September 1, 2012

Texas lake levels down to 68% of total monitored capacity level

Texas Lake Levels around the state are alarming. Check out this telling graphic. Link to more water related information at http://WatrNews.com. See a snapshot of lake levels around the state. Good material within the rest of website as well.

August 27, 2012

Colorado River Basin public comments

Because different parts of Texas have unique water needs and challenges, the Legislature has parceled the state into manageable areas. Region K is one of 16 regional water planning groups created to craft policy at a local level. If you live in the Colorado River Basin, your region is K. Region K is now taking public input regarding non-municipal water demands for long-term future planning. Show Austin that you are paying attention. Learn more and voice your opinion.

August 14, 2012

Water Is Life

As stewards of more than 95 percent of the landscape in Texas, private landowners do have a huge role to play in our water future, and they are not getting much help. Texas loses rural and agricultural land faster than any other state, and this continued fragmentation of family lands is irrevocably impairing the function of our watersheds and aquifer recharge zones, as well as increasing nonpoint source pollution, which is runoff from agricultural fields, highways, parking lots and an increasingly paved-over countryside. Read full article by Andrew Sansom.

August 8, 2012

It’s All the Same Water

Texas is the only Western state where rule of capture is law. That may work well for property owners wanting to sell their groundwater, or sell their mineral rights, but not so great for most of the rest of the population that relies on water as a life source. Read full article by Joe Nick Patoski.

July 16, 2012

2012 Texas Water Plan identifies Hill Country water shortages

The 2012 Texas Water Plan produced by the Texas Water Development Board reports that water supplies for the Hill Country are insufficient to meet projected municipal (urban and rural) water demands during the next severe drought. The report identifies 60 Hill Country municipal water suppliers (i.e. city utilities and water districts) that will have water shortages. For many of the suppliers, the water demands are substantially greater than the supplies. View Presentation by Raymond Slade, HCA Advisory Board and Technical Team member.

Farmers, residents debate priorities for lakes

More than miles separate the rice farms of the Texas coast and the Highland Lakes, where the outward march of Austin is marked by each new house, strip mall and marina. They are divided by how to share the water of the Colorado River, pitting agriculture against recreation in a state that values both. Read more from SA Express-News.

July 10, 2012

Land Commissioner exploring desalination on State Land in Hays and Comal Counties

“The goal would be to provide water to a portion of Hays County where the General Land Office owns at least 4,500 acres. Bringing water to that land would make the property more valuable, increasing any asking price the land office sets for it,” Patterson said. Read full Statesman article here. “But isn’t desalination expensive and energy-intensive?” Learn more from StateImpact Texas.

July 2, 2012

Is Water the World's Next Global Security Threat?

On day five of the Aspen Ideas Festival, leading thinkers on water issues gathered on a panel to discuss the question, "Is Water the Next Global Security Threat?" “The key will be harnessing the political will to fix the problems and iniquities in our distribution system”. Read More

June 14, 2012

A little rain doesn't solve water problem

After the drought of record in the 1950s, the state responded by building a record number of new water projects. In fact, 65 percent of the reservoir capacity statewide was built between the 1960s and 1980s. As the fears of drought subsided, development of these projects also waned. Now, the Texas population is 25 million versus 8 million in the 1950s. Our industrial base is four times larger. The self-imposed moratorium on addressing our water demands needs to end. Read more from SA Express News.

June 12, 2012

Texas Gets Creative With Recycling Water

Reclaimed water "is a way to stretch our existing supplies and potentially avoid expensive infrastructure projects," said Myron Hess, the manager of the Texas water program for the National Wildlife Federation. Putting potable water on grass is especially wasteful, environmentalists say. Read more from Texas Tribune.

May 9, 2012

Water Rights – Who Makes the Decisions?

“We not only have to consider the main Guadalupe River flowing from western Kerr Co. to the Gulf, but the Medina, San Antonio, Blanco, Comal and San Marcos Rivers to deal with all water uses and flows. And, these rivers are all spring flow originated which ties river flows directly into groundwater use in the headwaters region.” Mike Mecke explains his disappointment in TCEQ proposal that doesn’t follow stakeholder recommendations. Read the full article here.

May 1, 2012

Will Our Rivers Flow to the Gulf? Speak up by May 14th

A Texas process is in place to make collaborative regional decisions about the health of our water systems – in order to work, citizens must be involved. The San Marcos River Foundation (SMRF) is one of the best regional examples of organized citizen activism. Proposed TCEQ management rules for the San Marcos River, (also the Colorado, Lavaca, San Antonio and Guadalupe Rivers) do not reflect the conservative and balanced goals set forth by stakeholders. TCEQ is proposing more business as usual permitting and withdrawals. People must speak up by May 14th. Learn More

April 26, 2012

TCEQ plan is a corruption of legislative order

The conservation community is reeling with outrage and disbelief over the unreasonable rejection of reasonable recommendations aimed at balancing the needs of man and nature with rational protections for river flow. Read more from Caller.com.

April 18, 2012

Proposed Rules Fail to Protect Central Texas Rivers and Bays

The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) proposed a rule on Friday, April 13th that will determine the amount of water that must remain flowing in Central and South Central Texas rivers and into the region’s bays to sustain fish and wildlife populations. Unfortunately, this rule fails to include many of the protections recommended by the region’s stakeholder committees, leaving fish, oysters, whooping cranes and other wildlife high and dry. However, the good news is that there is still time to improve the rule by voicing support for stronger flow protections to the TCEQ Commissioners during the public comment period, which runs from now until May 14, 2012. Learn more from NWF.

April 13, 2012

TCEQ, stakeholders disagree on water

The amount of water that should be left in the San Antonio, Guadalupe and Colorado river basins to maintain their health and the bays they feed will be based on proposed rules published Thursday by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality in the Texas Register. For the two legislatively appointed stakeholder groups that spent the past year and half working on compromises between the science-based environmental needs of the basins and the growing demand for water, the proposed rules are a disappointment, leaving less water in the rivers than they recommended, according to the chairs of the groups. The TCEQ representatives explained that they did not follow the recommendations of the stakeholders, which represented industrial, recreational, environmental and business interests, because they had balanced the needs of humans and nature. Read full SA Express-News article.

April 4, 2012

Central Texas Water Coalition updates and April 26th meeting announcement

CTWC March Headlines: “No Lake Water for the Rice Fields”; “House Natural Resources Committee Explores Drought Options”; “46th TX Legislative Conference Looks at Drought and the TX Economy” “CTWC Sponsors Bass Fishing Tournament on the Highland Lakes April 21‐22”; and “Sen. Fraser to address the CTWC April 26 Meeting”. Read the full news blast here. More about the CTWC here.

March 30, 2012

International Water Expert to Highlight Sierra Club Water Conference, April 27

Brian Richter, an international authority on river conservation and the director of The Nature Conservancy’s Global Freshwater Program, will be the keynote speaker for a statewide water conference being held by the Lone Star Chapter of the Sierra Club in Austin on Friday, April 27. Read More

March 5, 2012

Taking a Deeper Look at the Texas Supreme Court’s Ruling on Water

Exactly how (the decision) will change the game is what everyone is trying to figure out. The case clearly established two things. First, that landowners legally own the groundwater underneath their land, and second, that landowners may be owed compensation if state or local regulations go too far in limiting the amount of groundwater landowners can pull. Beyond that things start to get a little murky. Read more from NPR.

March 3, 2012

Water cutoff to rice farmers typifies contentious issues confronting Texas

The Lower Colorado River Authority’s decision to deprive downstream rice farmers of water – for the first time ever – was an especially dramatic example of the historic Texas drought’s continuing impact, even as unexpected winter rains have mitigated its severity somewhat. Read more from Texas Climate News.

February 17, 2012

Vulnerable to climate disruption, Lubbock seeks a sustainable water supply

For decades, the city drew most of its water from Lake Meredith...But Lake Meredith has fallen to historically low levels. “This year, for the first time in 40 years, it’s gone.” Read more from Texas Climate News.

February 16, 2012

Texas Comptroller Susan Combs Stresses Importance of Water Management for State’s Prosperity

Texas Comptroller Susan Combs released today The Impact of the 2011 Drought and Beyond – an analysis of the effects of the severe 2011 drought in Texas, current and future water resources in the state and innovative solutions being used in Texas and elsewhere in the Southwest to solve the water crisis. “Planning and managing water use will be of utmost importance for the state’s growth and prosperity,” Combs said. “While recent rains have helped put a dent in drought severity in different parts of the state, we’re not out of the woods. Texas is prone to cycles of drought which makes it important for residents, businesses and state and local governments to manage water use. Every Texan has a stake in water issues the state faces.” Read the Impact of the 2011 Drought and Beyond online.

February 6, 2012

Do more soon to preserve our waters

It's official. According to the National Climatic Data Center, the year 2011 was the driest on record. The average total rainfall across the state was 14.88 inches, beating the previous record low of 14.99 inches established in 1917. Now, more than ever, is the time for each of us to take an active role in water conservation in order to extend our existing water supplies. Without waiting for plans and finances or rains to catch up, there are ways to increase your water supply today. Read full Statesman.com commentary by HCA's Milan Michalec.

February 4, 2012

Protecting water in Texas: a promise kept or broken?

Fifty years ago, Texas experienced the drought of record — which simply means the worst drought we had ever seen. Following that drought, big thinkers made big decisions. They invested in infrastructure to expand existing surface water supplies, cultivate unexplored groundwater supplies, and store and conserve more water. The investments of the 1950s have gotten us this far, but won't carry us much further. Read more from Statesman.com.

February 1, 2012

Travis County passed new rules to protect water resources

After months of vetting by a diverse volunteer stakeholder committee made up of scientists, developer interests, landowners, residents and groundwater planning professionals Travis County Commissioners unanimously passed recommended new subdivision rules dealing with water use. “Already built or planned subdivisions and those with five or fewer lots that use surface water or have a rainwater collection system to back up groundwater would be exempt from the rules.” Read a brief from the Austin American Statesman that includes a link to the feature article from earlier this week here. Read Travis County staff summary to the Court here.

January 28, 2012

Rethinking water: Growing population, limited supply mean costs destined to rise, experts say

Is water too cheap? Perhaps the most obvious indication that it is, said Michael Webber, a University of Texas professor who heads a research group focused on water and energy, is how freely we use it. A growing population requires more water, which the state says can't come from one source. Addressing the state's water needs requires a range of solutions, most of which are expensive. Read more from Statesman.com.

January 24, 2012

LCRA wants public comment on proposed Water Management Plan

LCRA is taking public comment on the proposed revision to the Water Management Plan for lakes Travis and Buchanan. The plan is posted at LCRA.org. Comments can be submitted by email to wmp@lcra.org. The LCRA Board will consider the plan at its February 22 meeting. Comments are due February 9. Learn More

January 11, 2012

Develop water strategy to slake Texans' thirst

The state's population is expected to nearly double by 2060, from 25.4 million people to 46.3 million, according to the state water plan. New management strategies and supply projects are needed to meet the state's residential, business and agricultural water needs. Failure to act could result in devastating business losses, lost jobs and reduced incomes, the state plan says; public health and economic development will suffer. More from Statesman.com.

January 10, 2012

Could water, power woes threaten state's economy?

Dwindling supplies of water and electricity are imperiling the state's economic future, a Texas Senate committee was told Tuesday. Read more from Statesman.com.

January 3, 2012

The 2012 State Water Plan was sent to the Governor on January 5, 2012

“The primary message of the 2012 State Water Plan is a simple one: In serious drought conditions, Texas does not and will not have enough water to meet the needs of its people, its businesses, and its agricultural enterprises.” Learn more from TWDB. Read what Tom Mason, former LCRA General Manager has to say about the plan here.

December 29, 2011

The Texas Water Crisis

Texas water authorities at every level are on alert. Last summer’s extremely hot, dry weather was a wake-up call. Now more than a dozen Texas towns are in danger of running out of water. Texas is in a water crisis. To make it official, the Texas Water Development Board December report says the state reservoirs are extremely low even after some autumn rain. Read more from CleanHouston.org.

December 21, 2011

Water planners urged to base needs on centuries, not decades, of drought data

Over the past 500 years, Central Texas has seen droughts far worse than the 1950s drought of record, according to a report commissioned by the Guadalupe-Blanco River Authority and published Wednesday in the December issue of the Texas Water Journal. Researchers warn that makers of water policy should broaden their planning to factor in the possibility of droughts far worse than the spell that set the bar more than a half-century ago. Read more from Statesman.com.

December 20, 2011

Growth of large private water companies brings higher water rates, little recourse for consumers

Across the state, a growing number of suburban Texans are getting their water from large, private corporations owned by investors seeking to profit off the sale of an essential resource. State figures show private companies are seeking more price increases every year, and many are substantial. Read full Statesman.com article.

December 5, 2011

Hill Country Landowners take action to protect springs and property rights

So, what happens when local residents and landowners don’t agree with the groundwater management plan handed down by a regional governing body that affects the future of a precious, local groundwater resource? The Texas Water Development Board (TWDB) has a process for such situations, and it’s now playing out with precision in the Wimberley Valley of Hays County. Read More

November 3, 2011

Future of Central & South Central Texas Fish & Wildlife Now in TCEQ’s Hands

Environmental groups say that upcoming decisions by state water officials will determine the future of Central and South Central Texas rivers and bays as well as oysters, shrimp, whooping cranes, and other fish and wildlife – and economic industries dependent upon those resources. Read More

September 28, 2011

DAVE MCNEELY: It's time to stop taking water for granted

The water shortage in Texas can certainly use some prayers, and maybe even some rain dances. But it's going to take more than that — much more. That was the conclusion Saturday of panelists at a session called "The Coming Crisis Over Water." Read more from Go San Angelo.

State Water Plan comment period open through October 25th

The Texas Water Development Board has posted the 2012 State Water Plan in draft form for public review and comment. This is your opportunity to provide input to the State of Texas about the future of our water resources. An email option makes it easy to send comments. Several public meetings will be held to gather input including October 3rd in San Antonio followed by a formal public hearing in Austin on October 17th. Learn more from TWDB.

September 7, 2011

BSEACD News: Stage III Critical Drought Imminent

The Barton Spring Edwards Aquifer Conservation District issued an update this week about drought conditions, conservation and restrictions to expect. “The District asks all of its groundwater-using residents to continue their water conservation measures and be even better stewards of an increasingly scarce resource. A list of water conservation measures and more detailed information on aquifer conditions are available on District’s website at http://www.bseacd.org.” Read the Aquifer Bulletin here.

July 22, 2011

Drought intensifies across lower Colorado River basin

A prolonged stretch of exceptionally dry weather is causing the drought across Texas and the lower Colorado River basin to intensify."This has been the driest nine months in Texas history - the absolute driest,” LCRA General Manager Becky Motal said. “This is a serious situation, but it’s not dire. Water flowing into the Highland Lakes is down to a trickle in places. Rest assured LCRA is managing the region’s water supply to make it through this exceptional drought, and we are asking everyone to use water as efficiently as possible and reduce water use wherever they can.” Read full from Statesman.com article here.

July 22, 2011

Silt decreasing our water supplies

Did you know the 2007 Texas State Water Plan estimates an 18% decrease in existing water supplies by 2060? Silt build-up in reservoirs is one two reasons given for the decline. The other is depleted groundwater supplies. Look to Denver, Colorado to see what it can cost to remove sediment from a lake. Denver Water is dredging the Strontia Springs Reservoir to remove at least 625,000 cubic yards of sediment. The cost is just over $30 million. Watch video

July 7, 2011

Uvalde pipeline is still a bad idea

The investors and promoters behind what is known as the “Uvalde Pipeline” have tried for two legislative sessions to change the law governing the Edwards Aquifer Authority that prohibits the transport of Edwards Aquifer water out of Uvalde and Medina counties. Read full SA Express article here.

July 5, 2011

Watershed planning short course Nov. 14–18 in Bandera

The Texas Water Resources Institute will be presenting a Texas Watershed Planning Short Course Nov. 14–18 in Bandera. “Well-considered holistic watershed protection plans involving as many stakeholders as possible in their development are becoming the widely accepted approach to protecting Texas surface waters,” said Kevin Wagner, an associate director at the institute and course leader. Read more here.

June 21, 2011

Highland Lakes Face Drought – A five part series by Kate Galbraith

This week The Texas Tribune is featuring the five part series about the LCRA,Water Fight, about the devastating drought’s affect on the diverse interests in the Highland Lakes. “Three major power plants are using about 45 percent more water now versus two years ago.”

June 19, 2011

Dwindling Lakes, Growing Water Demand in Central Texas

On the cliffs surrounding Central Texas’ large Lake Buchanan, a white ring extends some 13 feet above the shoreline, marking where the water reaches when the lake is full. At nearby Lake Travis, staircases that once led to the water’s edge now end well above it. These two lakes serve as key water sources for dozens of cities and hundreds of farmers, as well as for several power plants. Read more from Texas Tribune here.

June 16, 2011

Drought could dry Llano River by week's end, officials say

As of Wednesday, the Llano River, which normally courses through town at 158 cubic feet per second this time of year, was flowing at 3.8 cubic feet per second — the slowest since 1953, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. The river is the city's sole source of drinking water. Read full Statesman.com article here.

June 14, 2011

Power plant in Matagorda Co. gains in water fight

The Lower Colorado River Authority says there is enough water, even in dry times, for a proposed coal-fired power plant in Matagorda County — a finding that all but removes one of the last hurdles for the controversial project. Read full Houston Chronicle article here.

June 13, 2011

South Llano Watershed Alliance to celebrate top ten ranking for the Llano River

The Llano River was recently named one of the “Top Ten Waters to Watch” for 2011. This ranking will be discussed and celebrated at June 25th meeting of the South Llano Watershed Alliance. Read more

LCRA to consider water deal for power plant

In one of its first major water contracts since a record drought left the basin stricken in 2009, the board of the Lower Colorado River Authority could decide on Wednesday to sell at least 8.3 billion gallons of water a year to a proposed coal-fired power plant near the Gulf coast. Read full Statesman.com article here.

June 8, 2011

Desired Future Conditions Threaten the Colorado River

The adopted Desired Future Conditions for our aquifers will cause the Colorado River to lose its base-flow by 2060. Environmental Stewardship illustrates this point and introduces “Project Game-Changer” Learn more

Head of Major Texas Electric and Water Supplier Resigns

The general manager of the Lower Colorado River Authority announced his resignation Tuesday, setting off a potential battle over the future of the enormous Central Texas wholesale electricity and water supplier. Read full Texas Tribune article here.

April 25, 2011

New permit could lead to additional water supply in the future

The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality on April 20 granted LCRA a permit to capture water from the Colorado River downstream of Austin during high flows and store it in yet-to-be-built reservoirs in the lower basin. Read more from LCRA here. Read more from the Austin American Statesman here.

April 20, 2011

Flow into Colorado lower than drought-of-record period, LCRA says

In the latest sign of how dry the recent drought has been, Lower Colorado River Authority officials announced Wednesday that the flow of water from streams and creeks into the Colorado River over the past six months is worse than any similar period during the worst-ever drought. Read more from Statesman.com here.

March 31, 2011

Two reports give conflicting views of future water supply

A report released last month by the Guadalupe-Blanco River Authority regarding water planning in Kendall County and Fair Oaks Ranch is based on estimates of available groundwater that are substantially different - 67 percent less - than estimates released by the Texas Water Development Board on Feb. 7. Read full Boerne Star article here.

March 2, 2011

Capitol awash with water issues

Senate committee takes up measure that would equate groundwater with private property. Read full Statesman.com article here.

February 22, 2011

Growth and How it Affects Our Water

“There is little or no understanding of a term that is familiar to ranchers called 'carrying capacity'. On a ranch or a pasture, it means the numbers of animals, including livestock and wildlife, which can be maintained without damaging the desired rangeland vegetation...I think towns, cities, counties and regions also have a sustainable carrying capacity for people.” Read this insightful article by Mike Mecke here.

February 17, 2011

Our Water is Our Future – Citizen unite in opposition the Uvalde water pipeline

The Keep Our Water Association has launched campaign in response to an ongoing movement by private investors to pass legislation that will allow the transport Edwards water away from the rural western region. The mission: To protect and preserve the wellbeing of the western portion of the Edwards Aquifer and those citizens and businesses that are affected by it. Learn more here.

February 15, 2011

LCRA's sale of small water systems brings backlash from communities

What began in the 1990s as an effort by the Lower Colorado River Authority to bail out failing, far-flung sewage and water systems, eventually became a utility and infrastructure spree as the LCRA extended its clout, transforming the development of the Hill Country in the process. But in November, the LCRA announced that it would sell 32 systems it still controlled because they collectively cost about $3 million more to operate than they raise in rates. Read full Statesman.com article here.

The Changing Face of Water Rights

The State Bar of Texas’ water rights conference is coming up February 24 – 25th at the Hyatt Hill Country Resort and Spa. Anyone interested in becoming better educated about water law, groundwater management, state water planning, environmental flows is welcome to register. Program details and registration here.

February 4, 2011

Local Environmental Groups Laud Resolution Adopted by SAWS

At their meeting Tuesday, SAWS voted unanimously to adopt a resolution that ended a five year long legal dispute between SAWS and the Greater Edwards Aquifer Alliance, the Helotes Heritage Association, the City of Grey Forest, the San Geronimo Valley Alliance, and the Hill Country Planning Association. Learn more

January 25, 2010

Gov. Perry Names Timmerman Chair of Lower Colorado River Authority Board of Directors

Read more here.

November 17, 2010

Will Water Rights Be on the Legislature's Agenda?

Next legislative session, during the few minutes not taken up with the budget, redistricting and immigration, an old stand-by of an issue could creep onto the agenda: water. Observers say legislative proposals on groundwater rights are probable, given that Texas is just wrapping up a controversial process for planning the allocation of water from aquifers, while environmentalists will be pushing more measures for water conservation. Read more from the Texas Tribune here.

October 24, 2010

Lake Mead sinks to a new historic low

Pay attention to this reminder of how drought and growing water demands have sapped the Colorado River (the other Colorado River) and its huge reservoirs. Click here

13 seek to bring water to city

By Friday's deadline, 13 potential sellers responded to San Antonio Water System's request to help diversify its water sources. With the new approach, water sellers would compete to do the work — obtain pumping permits and pipeline easements, financing construction and, in some cases, work to change state law to allow for a pipeline to be built. Read full San Antonio Express article here.

October 21, 2010

LCRA to look for new water sources

Long reliant on one source of water for much of Central Texas, the Lower Colorado River Authority will study alternate sources to meet future demands of the growing region, according to a plan the authority’s board approved Wednesday. Read more from Statesman.com here.

October 12, 2010

State’s budgetary woes may derail water reform

While the establishment of water districts to cover the entire state may be boiling over with some municipalities, a $21 billion shortfall in the state’s budgeting is likely to curtail any serious reform measures. Read full Lake Travis View article here.

October 10, 2010

Environmental Stewardship calls for citizen action – to keep groundwater for local use

The water marketers have taken steps to get Bastrop and Lee county groundwater against our wishes.” The Guadalupe-Blanco River Authority (GBRA) and the South Central Texas Regional Water Planning Group (Region L) move towards a $400 million pipeline from Bastrop, Lee and Burleson counties to San Marcos and San Antonio. Learn more here.

September 30, 2010

Massive deal proposed to move water from counties east of Austin to San Antonio

Hoping to broker a massive deal that would send water from beneath counties east of Austin in a $400 million pipeline to San Antonio, the general manager of a Central Texas river authority has asked the region's chief private water developers to convene in Seguin on Friday. Read full Statesman.com article here.

September 20, 2010

Watershed health important for all Texans

A Texas Watershed Steward training program will be held from 8 a.m.- 4 p.m. Sept. 21 at the Utopia Senior Center on Main Street in Uptopia. The program is sponsored by Texas AgriLife Extension Service and the Texas State Soil and Water Conservation Board in coordination with the Nueces River Authority. Details

August 31, 2010

Texas Completes Key Groundwater Planning Step

An intensive process to plan out the maximum depletion of aquifers over the next half-century has been completed just ahead of the Sept. 1 deadline. Read full Texas Tribune article here.

August 24, 2010

Riparian Landowner’s Workshops scheduled for October

Riparian areas are important components of the landscape and water cycle. Please read Steve Nelle’s (NRCS) “Riparian Notes”, learn about taking care of your water resources. More information and details about upcoming workshops here.

TCEQ Considers lower water quality standards. SARA says “clean enough to swim in”.

The board of the San Antonio River Authority has come out against the state lowering water quality standards for any of the creeks and rivers it oversees. Other Hill Country river basins are looking at this issue carefully. Sign a petition supporting high standards and learn more here.

August 18, 2010

TWCA Fall Meeting Scheduled for October 13-15

State Representative Doug Miller and TWDB Board Member Thomas Weir Labatt III will headline the fall meeting of the Texas Water Conservation Association (TWCA), scheduled for October 13-15, 2010, at the Crowne Plaza Riverwalk Hotel in San Antonio. The program will also include numerous presentations on surface and groundwater management. Registration information and a full agenda should be available on the TWCA website by mid-August.

July 30, 2010

The Future of Water: GMA 9's 30-foot drawdown decision could crimp future growth

After nearly four years of hydrology modeling and politicking, representatives from groundwater districts in Kendall and eight other Hill Country counties decided Monday to limit the drawdown of aquifer levels to no more than 30 feet over the next 50 years. Read full Boerne Star article here.

July 19, 2010

Domestic use of Highland Lakes water

Ray, who has a weekend place on Lake Buchanan, waters his lawn by pumping water from the lake.” LCRA is asking property owners to pay up. Read more from Water Matters.

July 16, 2010

Uvalde says no to Californian's water pipeline

Rodney Smith's pitch to the Uvalde City Council this week was all about water, but the reception seemed more like the kind you'd see extended to a carnival hustler trying to engage the local citizenry in a game of Three-Card Monte. Read full San Antonio Express article here.

July 15, 2010

Uvalde Water Project Pipeline Concerns

There was standing room only at the Uvalde City Council meeting as citizens crowded into council chambers to hear about the Uvalde Water Project pipeline. Southwest Texas Water Resources wants to construct a 67-mile pipeline from Uvalde County to San Antonio to transport Edwards Aquifer water. City Council says “no”. Read more here.

July 13, 2010

July Issue of TP&W Magazine Explores Why Water Matters in Texas

Texas Parks & Wildlife magazine’s ninth annual water issue is on the news stand now and is a useful resource to engage readers with current water issues that affect their lives. The full text of the issue is also available on the magazine’s website.

July 8, 2010

Fredericksburg's treated sewage effluent available to golf resort

Treated sewage effluent that the City of Fredericksburg contracted in 2006 to sell to Boot Ranch is finally available to the troubled golf resort. Read full San Antonio Express article here. Read more from Fredericksburg Standard here.

June 24, 2010

Playing By The Rule

"Groundwater is covered by an archaic law that could leave use high and dry." Read the full article by Nick Patoski, Texas Observer here.

June 6, 2010

Aquatic Life Declines at Early Stages of Urban Development

The Center for Watershed Protection has been collaborating with the US Geological Survey's Effects of Urbanization on Stream Ecosystems research group to help interpret and disseminate the study results to local watershed managers and planners so they can base land use and management decisions on the best available science. Read more.

May 26, 2010

Cypress Flows, News from The River Systems Institute

What is the economic loss to Wimberley if water flow or quality declines in Cypress Creek? What is a CCN? Rainwater harvesting and water conservation tips…this newsletter is a must read for everyone in Hays County and those in the Hill Country Region who would like to learn about the importance of watershed based planning. Click here for more.

Submit comments now to shape your region’s water policies

EDF hosts “Texas Water Solutions” an informative blog for citizen participation in state water planning processes. A torrent of draft regional water plans have flooded the state this spring, as a part of the state’s regional water planning process. Public hearings and public comment periods on these draft plans present critical opportunities for Texans to let planners know their opinions about how best to meet the future water needs of people and the environment in your area. Visit the blog for more information.

May 22, 2010

Water suppliers may need to consider the health of mussels

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service may decide by the end of the year whether 11 species of mussels are endangered. If the answer is yes, the state's river authorities might have to recalculate how much water they can distribute to industry, farmers and growing cities and still leave enough in Texas' already stressed rivers to keep mussels healthy. Read full Statesman.com article here.

May 3, 2010

Protecting a precious resource: Good to the last drop?

Last year State Comptroller Susan Combs urged lawmakers to take action to avoid a major water shortage in the wake of two decades of explosive population growth. Read full Amarillo Globe News article here.

April 20. 2010

Pickens wants court to derail state water plan

Billionaire T. Boone Pickens wants a court to derail state approval of a water management plan that he claims would take $10 million off the value of his groundwater rights in the Texas Panhandle. Read full Statesman.com article here.

March 14, 2010

State seeks to ease water quality rules

In a move that it says will save money and is a practical strategy for monitoring the state's waterways, the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality has proposed loosening its water quality standards. Read full Statesman.com article here.

March 11, 2010

Texas Water Matters

Texas Water Matters is an outstanding resource on all things related to water planning in Texas. The site is full of current information on all water planning processes. Recently the project added new features to their website illustrating the “interconnectivity” of surface and ground water supplies. Check out the Living Waters Project and specifically the latest material on interconnectivity here.

March 10, 2010

Water Conservation in Texas: Good, Bad And Ugly

Perhaps the timing isn’t best (the drought has lifted and attention has drifted elsewhere) but the National Wildlife Federation and the Sierra Club released a report this week on water conservation efforts in nineteen Texas cities. As the two groups note, the “quality and extent of water conservation programs in Texas’ cities vary considerably.” Read full Texas Observer article here.

March 8, 2010

Drop by Drop: Seven Ways Texas Cities Can Conserve Water

The National Wildlife Federation and the Lone Star Chapter of the Sierra Club released a joint report today recommending seven common-sense water conservation measures. The report reviews 19 cities around the state to see where these measures are in place and concludes that, with some exceptions, most of the cities surveyed are not doing enough to make the most efficient use of existing water supplies. Read more...

February 10, 2010

Edward Aquifer moves towards impervious cover limits in the Hill Country

The board of the Edwards Aquifer Authority on Tuesday moved toward limiting development over the entire recharge zone of the aquifer from Hays to Uvalde counties. Controlling the amount of impervious cover, or the square footage of parking lots and roofs, on top of the recharge zone is a step the authority has contemplated since 2003 to protect water quality. Read full SA Express article here.

January 26, 2010

LCRA wants input for long range water supply planning

Now is the time to let LCRA know your ideas for managing the water in the Highland Lakes. Meetings will be held in Austin, Burnet and El Campo, you can also provide input in writing or take an online survey. Learn more...

November 19, 2009

State environmental agency rejects request to repeal discharge ban

The state environmental office Wednesday denied a request to repeal a ban on the discharge of treated wastewater into the Highland Lakes, which serve as the prime recreation and water supply reservoirs in Central Texas. The decision, made at a meeting of the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, ends a public policy discussion that boiled down to water quality versus water quantity. Read full Statesman.com article here.

October 21, 2009

13 Million pounds of toxics discharged into Texas rivers and streams

Industrial facilities dumped 13 million pounds of toxic chemicals into Texas’ waterways in 2007, according to a report released today by Environment Texas: Wasting Our Waterways: Industrial Toxic Pollution and the Unfulfilled Promise of the Clean Water Act. The report also finds that toxic chemicals were discharged in 1,900 waterways across all 50 states. The information detailed in this report was compiled from the Environmental Protection Agency’s database on toxic release inventories. Read full media release here.

August 23, 2009

Our Water Supply, Down the Drain

In the United States, we constantly fret about running out of oil. But we should be paying more attention to another limited natural resource: water. A water crisis is threatening many parts of the country -- not just the arid West. Read full article here.

August 4, 2009

Cypress Creek Project

The spring-fed Cypress Creek and surrounding Hill Country landscape is a unique and cherished natural system located in and around Wimberley, Texas. Learn about what’s being done to protect this resource, check out the latest Cypress Creek Project newsletter here.

June 8, 2009

The Back Porch - Water and wildlife in the marketplace

Texas contains nearly 200,000 miles of streams and rivers. Thirteen of the state’s 15 rivers flow through metropolitan areas supply-ing water for more than 22 million people. Twenty percent of those people depend on a single river: the Trinity. To supply water for people while balancing the needs for wildlife, positive things must happen on the landscape — 95 percent of which is in private hands. - Read full TPWD article here.

May 20, 2009

TPWD Hears about proposed permit to remove sand/gravel from Llano River

On May 12th, about three-dozen Llano County neighbors and their attorneys and consultants made the trip to Texas Parks and Wildlife Headquarters to discuss a proposed permit to remove sand and gravel from the Llano River. Joining them in Austin were several interested persons who offered insight into how a decision on this permit could shape state policy towards the management of rivers. Read full Llano News article here.

May 15, 2009

Silent Springs - is it too late to save Hill Country water?

Sixty feet below the shimmering surface of Jacob’s Well, an artesian spring that for thousands of years has pulsed iridescent blue-green water from the Trinity Aquifer to the surface, a sophisticated instrument measures the spring’s vital signs. The results are beamed almost instantaneously to the Internet. These days the gauge detects only the thinnest of pulses. Read the full Texas Observer article here.

March 1, 2009

Hydrologist concerned about effect of drought on Llano's water supply

"In a called meeting following Monday’s Presidents’ Day holiday, the Llano City Council on Tuesday heard a report from local hydrologist Tyson Broad on how the current drought will continue to adversely affect the city’s water supply unless we receive more rain," writes Dale Fry for the Bandera Bulletin. "Citing current stream flow figures, Broad expressed concern for the future of Llano’s water supply and recommended that the city begin now to determine at what point it should take steps to conserve its supply of the precious liquid." Read the full Bulletin story here.

February 18, 2009

A Wrap-Up of Drought Conditions in Texas

"The River Systems Institute has prepared an overview of drought conditions in Central Texas from several sources. In summary, it appears difficult to compare the current situation to the 50s because of the duration of the 50s drought, and Central Texas did have rain in 2007. But although on a shorter time frame, this drought has been more severe than even portions of the 50s drought, especially in the Central Texas." Read the full summary from the River Systems Institute at TSU here.

January 26, 2009

San Antonio Water System's hopes evaporating

"The Colorado River may be drying up as a potential source of drinking water for San Antonio," writes Jerry Needham for the San Antonio Express-News. "The San Antonio Water System is spending millions of dollars looking into bringing Colorado River water to the Alamo City, but scientific studies, and now maybe policy decisions by the board that oversees the river, continue to shrink the amount of water available and cause the estimated costs to skyrocket." Read the full Express-News story here.

November 6, 2008

NRC: Watershed boundaries are the way to manage runoff

"Although urban areas take just three percent of U.S. land, their loss of water-retaining soil and vegetation -- and their polluted runoff from impervious surfaces, lawns, vehicles, industries, and construction sites -- have harmed all urban streams, and, on a larger scale, caused most impairment of 13 percent of rivers, 18 percent of lakes, and 32 percent of estuaries, concludes the National Research Council's Committee on Reducing Stormwater Discharge Contribution to Water Pollution," Smart Growth News reports. Read the full story here.

November 5, 2008

Second symposium on Texas Water issues Nov. 13 in San Antonio

HCA is partnering with Schreiner University, Texas Tech University and Texas Public Radio to present a series of four free lectures and forums designed to engage Central Texans in the water and growth issues of our area. Read about the Texas Water Symposia here, and read the full press release for the event here.

November 2, 2008

Preserving the S. Llano River: Join the Project Nov. 15

"Environmental Defense Fund's South Llano River Project was initiated in early 2008 to begin discussions with local and regional stakeholders on the interest and feasibility of developing a plan of action to ensure the long-term protection of this rich and unique resource," writes Texas Water Matters. "Work will initially focus on the South Llano River, however there is potential for eventually widening the project area to include the greater Llano River watershed." Join the project on November 15 in Junction and read the details and pre-register to attend here.

Jacob's Well stops flowing

"Jacob's Well, the famous natural spring known to be the longest underwater cave in Texas, stopped flowing for the second time in recorded history on the evening of October 20th," reports the Wimberley Valley Watershed Association in a press release. "Jacob's Well has been hovering at between one and two cubic feet per second for the past several months. Jacob's Well is the barometer for the health of the aquifer; the well ceasing to flow at this time is a major environmental event, as it stopped for the first time in recorded history in the summer of 2000." Read more after the jump.

TCEQ has a new Water Quality division

"The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality recently formed a new Water Quality Planning Division dedicated to improving water quality with Kelly Keel as director," reports the Texas Water Resources Institute. "The division has three sections: Planning and Implementation, Monitoring and Assessment and the Houston Laboratory." Read the full story here.

News from Preserve Our Water

In the latest edition of Preserve Our Water's newsletter, the organization discusses: Current Blanco County drought conditions, Blanco-Pedernales Groundwater Conservation District's drought stage, Jacob’s Well running dry, Central Texas' drought, an update to the GMA 9 Desired Future Conditions, and our own Hill Country Alliance 2009 Calendars. Read more after the jump.

October 22, 2008

Protecting Cibolo Creek saves more than money

"The tendency of humans to build, live and play in and near attractive riparian areas has resulted in stream banks having been stripped of vegetation, paved, compacted and littered with all kinds of trash," writes Jan Wrede, Director of Education at Cibolo Nature Center. "These highly impaired riparian zones now cost taxpayers hundreds of millions of dollars to restore...Protecting the Cibolo Creek from degradation and preserving its natural good health is part of our generation's mandate to provide for sustainable living in this wonderful town." Read more after the jump.

October 6, 2008

Lawmakers looking into Texas water laws

The Texas Legislature is gearing up for another session and these lawmakers are working on changes to Texas Water Laws. New topics include "dam safety, new electric generation sources and technologies, mercury and arsenic emissions, water and energy needs and challenges, water salinity technology, monitoring implementation of HB 1763 as it relates to Groundwater Management Areas, related groundwater issues in areas without a groundwater conservation district, evaluation of increasing caps on export fees, and review of the powers of state river authorities," according to an article in Livestock Weekly. Read their full story after the jump.

Canyon Lake nearing record low

"Drought and an agreement to release water to help keep downstream trout alive have left Canyon Lake just inches above the lowest level ever reached after the reservoir was first filled in 1968," writes Roger Croteau for the San Antonio Express-News. "Canyon Lake's normal level is 909 feet above mean sea level, and its historic low was 899.7 feet in December 1984. On Monday the lake, which has been dropping about an inch a day, stood at 900.11 feet."' Read the full Express-News story here.

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