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Energy and Environment Reporting for Texas

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Texas Town Upset With Governor’s Water Veto

From the Texas Tribune: Officials in the North Texas town of Blue Mound and the town’s representative in the state House say they are upset and baffled by Gov. Rick Perry’s veto of a bill that would have made it easier for Blue Mound to gain control of its water system. The town’s water is […]

After Supreme Court Water Ruling, What’s Next for Texas?

On Thursday, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled on a major case pitting the water needs of North Texas against its northern neighbor. At issue was Texas’ ability to access water from the Red River in Oklahoma. The Tarrant Regional Water District serves 11 counties in fast-growing North Texas, including the city of Fort Worth. It […]

After Rice Farmers Cut Off Last Year, Water Use Cut in Half in Central Texas

In 2012, for the first time in history, most rice farmers on the Lower Colorado River in South Texas were cut off from water for irrigation. According to an emergency drought plan, there wasn’t enough water in the Highland Lakes of Buchanan and Travis to send water downstream. In the months since, those lakes have […]

This Week in Drought: The Two Sides of Texas

The rain in South Texas has been fickle this spring. “Oh, we’ve had some rain,” says Ed Walker, Manager of the Wintergarden Groundwater Conservation District. “But it’s been an inch here, a half-inch there. It’s really dry.” Walker’s work involves managing the underground water in the counties of Dimmit, La Salle and Zavala, a part of the state […]

State Tells River Authority Water Plan Needs More Review

In the ongoing battle over water in the Highland Lakes of Central Texas, the City of Austin and lake residents and businesses scored something of a victory this week when the state told the Lower Colorado River Authority (LCRA) that its water management plan will need more review. The LCRA manages the water in the […]

When Will the Texas Drought End?

There have been two constant questions since the drought began: Will we have another 2011? And how long will the drought continue?

Texas Water Plan Being Questioned by Court

From the Texas Tribune: Just as Gov. Rick Perry and lawmakers finalize plans to spend $2 billion on water-supply projects around the state, a court decision could force Texas to rethink its water-planning process. Last week, Texas’ 11th Court of Appeals ruled that two regional plans feeding into the 2012 state water plan — a 300-page […]

A Brief History of the Texas Water Plan

During the worst of the Texas drought, in 2011, when temperatures soared, dessicated lake beds cracked open, rivers dried to a trickle and several towns nearly ran out of water, Texas Governor Rick Perry asked all Texans to pray for rain. It was not a novel remedy to Texas’ recurring drought problem. Nearly 60 years earlier, in 1953, […]

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