What the Texas Water Development Board Means to You

Background

The Texas State Legislature created the Texas Water Development Board in 1957 (by act and by amendment to the state constitution) to manage the state’s water resources in the urgency following the drought of the 1950s. The board has found a new urgency after the drought of 2011. Water supplies are only slowly recovering (if at all), but demand for water is growing.

The board is charged with, “leadership, planning, financial assistance, information, and education for the conservation and responsible development of water for Texas,” according to its mission statement. It’s made up of six members appointed by the governor and meets every third Wednesday of the month in Austin. Their mission includes issuing State Water Plans; the last of nine over the course of its existence was submitted to the governor in January 2012.

The plan includes suggested changes to water management. Debate over the plan will further play out in the 2013 legislative session.

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May 21, 2013

Last Day for House to Consider Key Water Measure

Today is the final day the House can bring the measure to a vote under House rules

May 17, 2013

New Measure for State Water Plan Heads to the House Floor

A new version of a plan to pay for Texas water projects is heading for the House floor today.

May 13, 2013

What’s Happening This Week at the Texas Legislature

In the gauntlet that is the Texas Legislature, the bills that have made it this far are looking at the final few obstacles in the way of becoming law. StateImpact Texas has compiled a short list of bills pertaining to water, the environment and energy that could be heard by House and Senate this week. […]

May 7, 2013

Texas Groundwater Levels Suffer Sharp Drop, Study Finds

Photo Illustration by Sean Gallup/Getty Images From the Texas Tribune: Groundwater levels in Texas’ major aquifers dropped considerably between 2010 and 2011, as the state’s drought intensified, according to a report published recently by the Texas Water Development Board. The report showed significant declines in the Ogallala Aquifer, which underlies much of the Panhandle. The water board […]

May 1, 2013

With Fate of Water Plan in Limbo, House Committee Pushes Smaller Water Bills

Quicker than a spring thunderstorm, the House Natural Resources Committee met and pushed forward several bills at the Capitol this morning. While several smaller pieces of legislation were approved, representatives at the meeting managed to avoid talk of HB 11, a marquee piece of water legislation torpedoed on the House floor Monday evening. A bill […]

April 30, 2013

After Bill Falters, What’s Next for Water Funding in Texas?

Last night on the House floor, a major piece of legislation that would put $2 billion towards water projects in a growing, thirsty state met fierce resistance, ultimately falling victim to a legislative maneuver that effectively sank it. While the legislation to create a water infrastructure bank that would give out loans for water development […]

Plan for Funding Water Projects Sinks in House

It was possibly the most high profile piece of legislation at the capital this session. It had the backing of the governor, the state’s business community, and many environmental groups. But last night House Bill 11, the plan to pull $2 billion from the state’s rainy day fund to put to Texas water projects, could […]

April 29, 2013

What to Watch For at the Texas Legislature This Week

Time is running out for Texas legislators as the 83rd legislative session nears its conclusion. This week will see plenty of activity on bills that deal with water, eminent domain and roads. In our weekly installment, we pick some of the energy and environment legislation we’re watching this week. Think we missed something? Feel free […]

April 25, 2013

2013 Brings Bad Spring for Some Texas Farmers

Recent rains helped pull more of the state out of drought- but 92 percent of Texas is still experiencing at least a moderate drought and in some of the state drought has worsened. The U.S. Drought Monitor maps released Thursday morning show a slight decrease from last week in the percent of the state facing […]

April 16, 2013

As Water Plan Legislation Gets Closer to Reality, Little Opposition Found

While there are different routes proposed to get there, one goal is clear this legislative session: lawmakers want to do something to address the state’s water woes. Texas faces shrinking water supplies, persistent drought and a growing population. One major initiative that would likely take $2 billion from the state’s Rainy Day Fund to start […]