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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January 16, 2013

What Are ‘Environmental Flows’ And How Does Texas Protect Them?

Even if the Lower Colorado River Authority (LCRA) doesn’t send water downstream to rice farmers this year, the Colorado River will still flow. Without that constant flow, the river would dry up, destroying and inland ecosystems and the brackish estuary near the coast. But how much water should be sent downriver to maintain the ecosystem? That’s […]

January 15, 2013

Report: As Drilling Grows, Fracking Using More Water

From The Texas Tribune: A new University of Texas at Austin study has found that the amount of water used in the drilling practice known as hydraulic fracturing has risen sharply in recent years as oil and natural gas production has surged. But the 97-page study, funded by the Texas Oil and Gas Association, also found that […]

January 11, 2013

5 Things You Might Not Know About the State Water Plan

The Texas legislature got underway this week, and one bit of spending that many seem to agree on, regardless of their political stripes, is water. Several proposals call for funding the 2012 State Water Plan, a bottom-up approach to Texas’ water needs. It relies on regional districts to come up with a wish list of projects that […]

January 10, 2013

In Brownwood, Unique Wastewater Plant Still Not a Done Deal

The small city of Brownwood, Texas could soon have something in common with the African nation of Namibia: a wastewater treatment facility that cleans wastewater (including the stuff from the bathroom) and returns it directly to city water pipes, where it becomes drinking water. The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality approved construction of the wastewater […]

Lawmaker Moves Forward to Start Funding Water Plan

A state representative filed legislation today to start funding new water projects in Texas, as the state continues to struggle with water supplies and drought. In two House Bills, State Rep. Allan Ritter (R-Nederland), Chairman of the House Natural Resources Committee, advocates taking $2 billion from the Rainy Day Fund to start “a new, dedicated […]

January 3, 2013

In Dry West Texas, Hoping the Lege Will Act to Fund Water Projects

The Texas state legislature meets next week for another session, and there’s a sense that this time around, serious measures will be taken to fund water projects. Texas is, after all, an ever-growing state in the midst of an extended dry spell. Hopes that the lege will act to fund water projects are high in […]

November 29, 2012

Dewhurst: Consider Using Rainy Day Fund for Water Projects

At a speech before the Dallas Regional Chamber of Commerce today, Lieutenant Governor David Dewhurst said lawmakers should look into using $1 billion from the state’s Rainy Day Fund to finance water projects this upcoming legislative session. You can watch his remarks above, the funding for water projects starts at the 22 minute mark. The […]

November 19, 2012

This Week in Drought: Inching Towards the Red

While many lawns in Texas might have recovered since last year’s record drought, the lakes and reservoirs that supply water to the state have not. According to recent data from the Texas Water Development Board, just 66 percent of the state’s water supply reservoirs are full. And judging by the latest U.S. Drought Monitor Map […]

October 31, 2012

Will Texas Lawmakers Fund the State Water Plan?

Even if the plan gets funding, some say it will not be enough.

September 18, 2012

Feds Pour Funds Into Texas’ Drinking Water

In our recent interview with Al Armendariz, the former regional administrator for the Environmental Protection Agency (now with the Sierra Club), he pointed out the role that the EPA plays in financing safe drinking water throughout the state. “You know, the majority of water and wastewater plants throughout Texas and neighboring states have been funded […]