Now Read This: StateImpact Texas Top 5

Photo by Jeff Heimsath/StateImpact Texas

Billy Mann says he can survive one year without a crop, but worries about the effect it will have on the many businesses that rely on rice farming

There was a lot of action on the state level in the last week, with the Supreme Court of Texas reinforcing an earlier opinion that sides with landowners fighting claims of eminent domain by pipeline companies on their land. We also analyzed another recent decision by the Court on groundwater, and looked at the past and future of the current Texas drought. In case you missed them, here are the top five stories from StateImpact Texas in the last week:

1. Farmer’s Restraining Order Against Keystone XL Pipeline Reinstated: Just a week ago, a temporary restraining order taken out by a farmer in northeast Texas against the company building the Keystone XL pipeline was dissolved. But late on Friday this week, that restraining order was reinstated by an appellate court.
2. Taking a Deeper Look at the Texas Supreme Court’s Ruling on Water: Timing is everything, and the Texas Supreme Court’s recent decision on groundwater rights is no exception. After two years of nail-biting and speculation by land owners, conservationists, policy experts and a small army of lawyers, the ruling came down on a Friday afternoon.
3. After Water is Cut Off, Texas Rice Farmers Say They Still Have a Future: Many rice farmers across southeast Texas have to face a sobering reality: for the first time in history, they will not have water for their crops. What happens next?
4. The Texas Drought: How We Got Here, and Where We’re Going:  A new report gives us the opportunity to look at some of the science behind the drought that affected every Texan, and what may lie ahead in the future.
5. Texas Supreme Court Reinforces Denbury Decision, Favors Landowners:  The Court released an updated opinion in the Texas Rice Land Partners v. Denbury Green Pipeline-Texas case that could have big implications for the oil and gas industry and private landowners in Texas.