To save water in Texas, these nonprofits are paying farmers to leave it in reservoirs

As Texas faces an increasingly fraught environmental future from climate change, a new approach to conservation is growing. Drought conditions have created a two-pronged problem for Texas aquifers, natural bodies of water that move through porous rock underneath the...
Dry riverbeds, dead fish, tapped-out wells: Drought takes toll in Hill Country

Dry riverbeds, dead fish, tapped-out wells: Drought takes toll in Hill Country

Kathleen Tobin Krueger stood on a low cliff last week, looking down on her family’s ranchland. Below her lay an expansive field laden with smooth white rocks, trees with exposed roots growing between them. There should be a full, flowing river here — there usually is...
Drought Stage 3 declared by Blanco-Pedernales Groundwater Conservation District

Drought Stage 3 declared by Blanco-Pedernales Groundwater Conservation District

With at least two months of a hot Texas summer left, the Blanco County water situation is becoming a serious concern. Water levels continue to decline in District Monitor Wells. Some well owners have had to lower pumps. Blanco County rainfall for 2022 is currently...
Commentary: Drought, growth and the future of the Hill Country

Commentary: Drought, growth and the future of the Hill Country

On Thursday, June 9, the North Llano River stopped flowing. On August 4, the U.S. Drought Monitor showed 80 percent of the Texas Hill Country in exceptional drought. The Pedernales, Guadalupe and Frio Rivers are dry, and many other Texas rivers are heading toward zero...

U.S. spares Western states from Colorado River water cuts – for now

The U.S. government spared seven Western states from mandatory Colorado River water cutbacks for now but warned on Tuesday that drastic conservation was needed to protect dwindling reservoirs from overuse and severe drought exacerbated by climate change. Read more...