San Antonio’s Lessons for a Nation Parched By Drought
As drought grips parts of the country less accustomed to water shortages, folks here think they may have some lessons for other cities.
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August 9, 2012
August 8, 2012
Why Most Texans Haven’t Turned to Graywater Recycling
If water was gold, graywater recycling might be a watershed. But even in these drier times, a graywater recycling system remains a bit beyond the average homeowner’s budget and Texas’ water options.
Why Most Texans Haven’t Turned to Graywater Recycling
If water was gold, graywater recycling might be a watershed. But even in these drier times, a graywater recycling system remains a bit beyond the average homeowner’s budget and Texas’ water options.
August 2, 2012
Why Most Smart Irrigation Controllers Failed the Drought Test
A new report by the Texas AgriLife Extension Service says that only a few smart irrigation systems worked right during the drought. What’s a smart irrigation system? Normal sprinkler systems require their owners to manually set irrigation schedules. But, smart irrigation controllers use an array of sensors to determine just how much water is needed […]
Why Most Smart Irrigation Controllers Failed the Drought Test
A new report by the Texas AgriLife Extension Service says that only a few smart irrigation systems worked right during the drought. What’s a smart irrigation system? Normal sprinkler systems require their owners to manually set irrigation schedules. But, smart irrigation controllers use an array of sensors to determine just how much water is needed […]
July 18, 2012
How to Score a Free Toilet in Texas: The Water Rebate Round-Up
Photo by ORLANDO SIERRA/AFP/Getty Images At last week’s “Life By the Drop” panel on solutions for solving the water crisis in Texas, not everyone agreed on what the next steps should be. But there was universal acknowledgment that greater conservation efforts were essential for the state’s future. And Texas’ many water utilities aren’t behind the punch. Many have […]
How to Score a Free Toilet in Texas: The Water Rebate Round-Up
Photo by ORLANDO SIERRA/AFP/Getty Images At last week’s “Life By the Drop” panel on solutions for solving the water crisis in Texas, not everyone agreed on what the next steps should be. But there was universal acknowledgment that greater conservation efforts were essential for the state’s future. And Texas’ many water utilities aren’t behind the punch. Many have […]
July 11, 2012
Texas’ Biggest Cash Crop, Cotton, Makes Gradual Rebound
Texas is cattle country, an image known the world over. What’s perhaps not so well known is the primacy of the other big C: Cotton. In fact, Texas has led the country in cotton production for over a century. The fate of the state’s cattle industry as it recovers from last year’s drought is well […]
Texas’ Biggest Cash Crop, Cotton, Makes Gradual Rebound
Texas is cattle country, an image known the world over. What’s perhaps not so well known is the primacy of the other big C: Cotton. In fact, Texas has led the country in cotton production for over a century. The fate of the state’s cattle industry as it recovers from last year’s drought is well […]
July 5, 2012
The Kids Are All Right: The Lower Colorado Is Low on Oxygen
Some high school ecological enthusiasts have collected new data showing the Lower Colorado river ecosystem might be in jeopardy. The river not only supplies much of Texas with its drinking water, it’s also a cherished destination for summer recreation. But all is not well on the Colorado, and authorities might not have known about the […]
The Kids Are All Right: The Lower Colorado Is Low on Oxygen
Some high school ecological enthusiasts have collected new data showing the Lower Colorado river ecosystem might be in jeopardy. The river not only supplies much of Texas with its drinking water, it’s also a cherished destination for summer recreation. But all is not well on the Colorado, and authorities might not have known about the […]
July 3, 2012
For Texas Bays and Beaches, Pick Your Poison: Rainfall or Drought
We find ourselves at a bit of a catch-22 under the state’s historic drought. On the one hand, the lack of rainfall is creating a struggle for wildlife. When hot temperatures cause evaporation, salt remains, and that increases the salinity of the water in Texas bays. “You definitely saw the salinities were really high [during […]
For Texas Bays and Beaches, Pick Your Poison: Rainfall or Drought
We find ourselves at a bit of a catch-22 under the state’s historic drought. On the one hand, the lack of rainfall is creating a struggle for wildlife. When hot temperatures cause evaporation, salt remains, and that increases the salinity of the water in Texas bays. “You definitely saw the salinities were really high [during […]
June 29, 2012
Census Bureau: Everyone is ‘Gone To Texas’
Texas schoolchildren learn the legend surrounding the letters “GTT.” This abbreviation for “Gone to Texas” allegedly became a common sight on the doors of people who had left their homes in search of opportunity in Texas during the mid-nineteenth century. People may no longer be posting the signs, but the sentiment couldn’t be more timely. A […]
Census Bureau: Everyone is ‘Gone To Texas’
Texas schoolchildren learn the legend surrounding the letters “GTT.” This abbreviation for “Gone to Texas” allegedly became a common sight on the doors of people who had left their homes in search of opportunity in Texas during the mid-nineteenth century. People may no longer be posting the signs, but the sentiment couldn’t be more timely. A […]
June 27, 2012
Life By the Drop: When the Sky Ran Dry
While the drought we’re only now making real progress out of is still fresh in every Texan’s mind, there’s a whole generation in the state that can remember a time that was arguably more trying. The drought of record in the 1950s lasted for seven years. Imagine seven 2009s or 2011s back to back and […]
Life By the Drop: When the Sky Ran Dry
While the drought we’re only now making real progress out of is still fresh in every Texan’s mind, there’s a whole generation in the state that can remember a time that was arguably more trying. The drought of record in the 1950s lasted for seven years. Imagine seven 2009s or 2011s back to back and […]
June 22, 2012
Life By the Drop: Where the Colorado Meets the Gulf
Does a river have a right to flow? People in Texas bays and coastal areas that depend on fresh water inflows might answer in the affirmative.
Life By the Drop: Where the Colorado Meets the Gulf
Does a river have a right to flow? People in Texas bays and coastal areas that depend on fresh water inflows might answer in the affirmative.