Climate

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Drought, wildfires, and extreme weather — is this the new normal for Texas?

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February 2, 2012

More than One Million Gallons of Water Sold From Spicewood Beach Before it Ran Dry

Just how much water was sold from Spicewood Beach, the place with the dubious honor of being the first Texas town to run out of water during the current drought? We now have an idea. The paradox is clear: just weeks before water had to be trucked in to the dry wells of Spicewood Beach, water haulers […]

February 1, 2012

Why Did Spicewood Beach Run Dry? Maybe Because Their Water Was For Sale

(Update: We have learned how much water was sold from Spicewood Beach. Read our new reporting here.) When news first broke last week that the community of Spicewood Beach, about 40 miles outside of Austin, was going to run out of water within days, the blame was placed squarely on the drought by the Lower […]

5 Ways to Find Water for a Thirsty Texas

As rains fall at above-average levels in much of the state in recent months, people are starting to ask the question: “Is the drought over?” (In fact it’s a search term that often leads to this site.) No, it isn’t. Far from it. Just this week a town outside of Austin ran dry. But overall […]

January 31, 2012

What Do You Do When a Town Runs Dry?

Another milestone in the ongoing drought was reached yesterday when Spicewood Beach, a small community of about 1,100 people outside of Austin, ran out of water. As trucks began rolling in to replenish the town’s water tank, questions inevitably arose. It’s still not clear how things ended up here (the agency that owns the system […]

When Wells Run Dry: Spicewood Beach, Texas is Out of Water

This small community is making headlines for a lamentable first: It’s the first Texas town to run dry during the current drought.

January 30, 2012

How the Texas Oyster Made a Comeback

Texas Gulf oysters are back on the menu. In what could be the latest start ever for Texas oyster season, the bays of San Antonio and Espiritu Santu opened on midnight Thursday to oyster harvesting. Carol Huntsberger, who owns Quality Seafood Market in Central Austin with her husband, says the oysters should start showing up […]

Now Read This: StateImpact Texas Top 5

A Texas town came within days of running out of water, a mysterious accident at a coal power plant fell under investigation, and an oil boom in South Texas has locals grinning (when they’re not getting whiplash from potholes). In case you missed it, here’s our top five new stories from the last week: During […]

January 27, 2012

Surviving the Drought: One Rancher’s Story

How do you come back from a drought like this, especially one that’s still not over? While rains have eased conditions in parts of the state, there is still a very long way to go before we can say we’ve fully recovered from the worst single-year drought in Texas history. Doris Steubing ranches cattle in […]

More Than a Rain Dance: One Lawmaker’s Plan for a Thirsty State

Texas residents know from first-hand experience that you can’t control Mother Nature. Despite endless months of hopeful optimism, they’ve had little to no luck coaxing the skies to give us the extended rains we so desperately need. Even recent deluges have hardly put a dent in lake and river levels. With one town on the […]

January 26, 2012

Texas Gulf Oysters Are Back on the Menu. (Take That, Drought!)

Some good news today for fans of Texas Gulf oysters, which have been off the menu this season due to the drought. Those heavy rains we’ve been having in parts of Texas have alleviated the red tide and oyster harvesting will begin again at midnight tonight in the Espiritu Santo and San Antonio Bays northeast […]

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