Why Texas Still Has a Way to Go to Recover From the Drought

A new map from the Texas Tribune shows water levels in lakes and reservoirs across the state.

A new interactive map from our friends at the Texas Tribune allows you to see up-to-date levels for major lakes and reservoirs in the state. The map was created by the Tribune’s environmental reporter Kate Galbraith and data reporter Ryan Murphy.

Although overall drought conditions have improved in much of the state, our water storage hasn’t fully recovered. As you can see from the Tribune’s map, many lakes and reservoirs in the western parts of the state are still no more than a quarter full. On the eastern half of Texas, however, nearly all of the lakes and reservoirs are between 75 and 100 percent full. You can see the map in full at the Texas Tribune.

In the latest drought monitor released today, over 17 percent of the state is completely drought-free. But much of the western part of the state is still in the worst stages of drought, as is clear in the map to the right. These new maps put in stark relief the difference between the two halves of the state in their recovery from the drought.

Just how much damage has the drought done to Texas? For the first time, you can see an interactive map and several visualizations that show just how severe the drought has been our new interactive web app, ‘Dried Out: Confronting the Texas Drought.’