{"id":6900,"date":"2012-03-02T00:12:11","date_gmt":"2012-03-02T06:12:11","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/?p=6900"},"modified":"2012-11-02T17:23:15","modified_gmt":"2012-11-02T22:23:15","slug":"how-rice-farming-in-texas-could-still-have-a-future","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/2012\/03\/02\/how-rice-farming-in-texas-could-still-have-a-future\/","title":{"rendered":"After Water is Cut Off, Texas Rice Farmers Say They Still Have a Future"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\t\t<style type=\"text\/css\">\n\t\t\t#gallery-1 {\n\t\t\t\tmargin: auto;\n\t\t\t}\n\t\t\t#gallery-1 .gallery-item {\n\t\t\t\tfloat: left;\n\t\t\t\tmargin-top: 10px;\n\t\t\t\ttext-align: center;\n\t\t\t\twidth: 33%;\n\t\t\t}\n\t\t\t#gallery-1 img {\n\t\t\t\tborder: 2px solid #cfcfcf;\n\t\t\t}\n\t\t\t#gallery-1 .gallery-caption {\n\t\t\t\tmargin-left: 0;\n\t\t\t}\n\t\t\t\/* see gallery_shortcode() in wp-includes\/media.php *\/\n\t\t<\/style>\n\t\t<div id='gallery-1' class='gallery galleryid-6900 gallery-columns-3 gallery-size-thumbnail'><dl class='gallery-item'>\n\t\t\t<dt class='gallery-icon landscape'>\n\t\t\t\t<a href='https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/2012\/03\/02\/how-rice-farming-in-texas-could-still-have-a-future\/edited_2012_02_27_rice_farmers_water012\/'><img width=\"150\" height=\"150\" src=\"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/files\/2012\/03\/edited_2012_02_27_Rice_Farmers_Water012-150x150.jpg\" class=\"attachment-thumbnail size-thumbnail\" alt=\"\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" aria-describedby=\"gallery-1-6920\" srcset=\"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/files\/2012\/03\/edited_2012_02_27_Rice_Farmers_Water012-150x150.jpg 150w, https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/files\/2012\/03\/edited_2012_02_27_Rice_Farmers_Water012-140x140.jpg 140w, https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/files\/2012\/03\/edited_2012_02_27_Rice_Farmers_Water012-60x60.jpg 60w, https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/files\/2012\/03\/edited_2012_02_27_Rice_Farmers_Water012-100x100.jpg 100w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 150px) 100vw, 150px\" \/><\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/dt>\n\t\t\t\t<dd class='wp-caption-text gallery-caption' id='gallery-1-6920'>\n\t\t\t\tRice farmers Billy Mann in Bay City, Texas. \n\t\t\t\t<\/dd><\/dl><dl class='gallery-item'>\n\t\t\t<dt class='gallery-icon landscape'>\n\t\t\t\t<a href='https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/2012\/03\/02\/how-rice-farming-in-texas-could-still-have-a-future\/edited_2012_02_27_rice_farmers_water001\/'><img width=\"150\" height=\"150\" src=\"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/files\/2012\/03\/edited_2012_02_27_Rice_Farmers_Water001-150x150.jpg\" class=\"attachment-thumbnail size-thumbnail\" alt=\"\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" aria-describedby=\"gallery-1-6918\" srcset=\"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/files\/2012\/03\/edited_2012_02_27_Rice_Farmers_Water001-150x150.jpg 150w, https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/files\/2012\/03\/edited_2012_02_27_Rice_Farmers_Water001-140x140.jpg 140w, https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/files\/2012\/03\/edited_2012_02_27_Rice_Farmers_Water001-60x60.jpg 60w, https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/files\/2012\/03\/edited_2012_02_27_Rice_Farmers_Water001-100x100.jpg 100w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 150px) 100vw, 150px\" \/><\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/dt>\n\t\t\t\t<dd class='wp-caption-text gallery-caption' id='gallery-1-6918'>\n\t\t\t\tThe drought has affected Texans across the state. Haskell Simon, a rice farmer in Bay City, could go without water a third year in a row.\n\t\t\t\t<\/dd><\/dl><dl class='gallery-item'>\n\t\t\t<dt class='gallery-icon landscape'>\n\t\t\t\t<a href='https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/2012\/03\/02\/how-rice-farming-in-texas-could-still-have-a-future\/edited_2012_02_27_rice_farmers_water137\/'><img width=\"150\" height=\"150\" src=\"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/files\/2012\/03\/edited_2012_02_27_Rice_Farmers_Water137-150x150.jpg\" class=\"attachment-thumbnail size-thumbnail\" alt=\"\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" aria-describedby=\"gallery-1-6926\" srcset=\"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/files\/2012\/03\/edited_2012_02_27_Rice_Farmers_Water137-150x150.jpg 150w, https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/files\/2012\/03\/edited_2012_02_27_Rice_Farmers_Water137-140x140.jpg 140w, https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/files\/2012\/03\/edited_2012_02_27_Rice_Farmers_Water137-60x60.jpg 60w, https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/files\/2012\/03\/edited_2012_02_27_Rice_Farmers_Water137-100x100.jpg 100w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 150px) 100vw, 150px\" \/><\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/dt>\n\t\t\t\t<dd class='wp-caption-text gallery-caption' id='gallery-1-6926'>\n\t\t\t\tThe intake from the Lower Colorado River sends water into irrigation canals. This year it will sit idle.\n\t\t\t\t<\/dd><\/dl><br style=\"clear: both\" \/><dl class='gallery-item'>\n\t\t\t<dt class='gallery-icon landscape'>\n\t\t\t\t<a href='https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/2012\/03\/02\/how-rice-farming-in-texas-could-still-have-a-future\/edited_2012_02_27_rice_farmers_water108\/'><img width=\"150\" height=\"150\" src=\"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/files\/2012\/03\/edited_2012_02_27_Rice_Farmers_Water108-150x150.jpg\" class=\"attachment-thumbnail size-thumbnail\" alt=\"\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" aria-describedby=\"gallery-1-6925\" srcset=\"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/files\/2012\/03\/edited_2012_02_27_Rice_Farmers_Water108-150x150.jpg 150w, https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/files\/2012\/03\/edited_2012_02_27_Rice_Farmers_Water108-140x140.jpg 140w, https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/files\/2012\/03\/edited_2012_02_27_Rice_Farmers_Water108-60x60.jpg 60w, https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/files\/2012\/03\/edited_2012_02_27_Rice_Farmers_Water108-100x100.jpg 100w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 150px) 100vw, 150px\" \/><\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/dt>\n\t\t\t\t<dd class='wp-caption-text gallery-caption' id='gallery-1-6925'>\n\t\t\t\tRice farmers in southeast Texas like Billy Mann may face another year of little to no water from the Highland Lakes for irrigation. \n\t\t\t\t<\/dd><\/dl><dl class='gallery-item'>\n\t\t\t<dt class='gallery-icon landscape'>\n\t\t\t\t<a href='https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/2012\/03\/02\/how-rice-farming-in-texas-could-still-have-a-future\/edited_2012_02_27_rice_farmers_water025\/'><img width=\"150\" height=\"150\" src=\"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/files\/2012\/03\/edited_2012_02_27_Rice_Farmers_Water025-150x150.jpg\" class=\"attachment-thumbnail size-thumbnail\" alt=\"\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" aria-describedby=\"gallery-1-6921\" srcset=\"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/files\/2012\/03\/edited_2012_02_27_Rice_Farmers_Water025-150x150.jpg 150w, https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/files\/2012\/03\/edited_2012_02_27_Rice_Farmers_Water025-140x140.jpg 140w, https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/files\/2012\/03\/edited_2012_02_27_Rice_Farmers_Water025-60x60.jpg 60w, https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/files\/2012\/03\/edited_2012_02_27_Rice_Farmers_Water025-100x100.jpg 100w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 150px) 100vw, 150px\" \/><\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/dt>\n\t\t\t\t<dd class='wp-caption-text gallery-caption' id='gallery-1-6921'>\n\t\t\t\tJoe Crane in front of his rice drying and storgage plant in Bay City, Texas. \n\t\t\t\t<\/dd><\/dl><dl class='gallery-item'>\n\t\t\t<dt class='gallery-icon landscape'>\n\t\t\t\t<a href='https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/2012\/03\/02\/how-rice-farming-in-texas-could-still-have-a-future\/edited_2012_02_27_rice_farmers_water219\/'><img width=\"150\" height=\"150\" src=\"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/files\/2012\/03\/edited_2012_02_27_Rice_Farmers_Water219-150x150.jpg\" class=\"attachment-thumbnail size-thumbnail\" alt=\"\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" aria-describedby=\"gallery-1-6929\" srcset=\"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/files\/2012\/03\/edited_2012_02_27_Rice_Farmers_Water219-150x150.jpg 150w, https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/files\/2012\/03\/edited_2012_02_27_Rice_Farmers_Water219-140x140.jpg 140w, https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/files\/2012\/03\/edited_2012_02_27_Rice_Farmers_Water219-60x60.jpg 60w, https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/files\/2012\/03\/edited_2012_02_27_Rice_Farmers_Water219-100x100.jpg 100w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 150px) 100vw, 150px\" \/><\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/dt>\n\t\t\t\t<dd class='wp-caption-text gallery-caption' id='gallery-1-6929'>\n\t\t\t\tMany rice mills and drying and storage facilities in Southeast Texas didn&#8217;t see much work last year. If they&#8217;re cut off again this year, the slow business will continue. \n\t\t\t\t<\/dd><\/dl><br style=\"clear: both\" \/>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\n<p>As the clock struck midnight Thursday, many rice farmers across southeast Texas had to face a sobering reality: for the first time in history, they will not have water for their crops. \u201cIt saddens me because like I said, <a href=\"http:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/topic\/texas-rice-farming\/\">my family\u2019s been farming rice since 1905,<\/a>&#8221; says rice farmer Paul Sliva. &#8220;This will be the first year we haven\u2019t. There\u2019s no other crop than rice for me. It\u2019s gonna be a weird year. It\u2019s gonna be a sad year for me.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>How did this happen? Under an <a href=\"http:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/2012\/02\/28\/deadline-imminent-for-texas-rice-farmers\/\">emergency plan to deal with the drought<\/a>, the <a href=\"http:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/topic\/lcra\/\">Lower Colorado River Authority<\/a> cut off water to the rice farmers downstream in Matagorda, Wharton and Colorado counties because there <a href=\"http:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/2012\/02\/29\/its-going-to-be-close-but-outlook-is-grim-for-rice-farmers-this-year\/\">wasn\u2019t a enough water in the lakes<\/a>. They were about <a href=\"http:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/2012\/02\/29\/its-going-to-be-close-but-outlook-is-grim-for-rice-farmers-this-year\/\">a billion gallons short<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n<p>The lakes that hold that water mean different things to different people. For the people that live on the lakes \u2013 and many of whom make their living off of them \u2013 they\u2019re a boon to property values and business. But when massive amounts of water were sent downstream to rice farmers last year,\u00a0more than three times the amount used by all of Austin,\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/topic\/drought\/\">in the midst of a record drought<\/a> no less, the lakes neared historic lows. And that hurt the lake interests, like the construction company owned by Buster Cole. He says rice farmers don&#8217;t appreciate the financial impact of their\u00a0withdrawals\u00a0from the lake.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThey have no respect for the impact of what\u2019s happening on our Highland Lakes, from economic property values, business owners, all the things involved,&#8221; Cole says. &#8220;Everybody\u2019s involved in this, and it\u2019s bad.\u201d<!--more--><\/p>\n<div class=\"related-content alignright\"><h4 class=\"related-header\">Related<\/h4><div class=\"links\"><h5>Posts<\/h5><ul><li class=\"link\"><a href=\"http:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/2012\/02\/22\/lcra-passes-new-water-plan-more-water-for-lakes-less-for-farming\/\">LCRA Passes New Water Plan: More Water for Lakes, Less for Farming<\/a><\/li><li class=\"link\"><a href=\"http:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/2012\/02\/22\/few-satisfied-with-new-lcra-water-plan\/\">Few Satisfied With New LCRA Water\u00a0Plan<\/a><\/li><li class=\"link\"><a href=\"http:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/2012\/02\/28\/deadline-imminent-for-texas-rice-farmers\/\">Deadline Imminent for Texas Rice Farmers<\/a><\/li><li class=\"link\"><a href=\"http:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/2012\/02\/29\/its-going-to-be-close-but-outlook-is-grim-for-rice-farmers-this-year\/\">It\u2019s Going to Be Close, But Outlook is Grim for Rice Farmers This Year in\u00a0Texas<\/a><\/li><li class=\"link\"><a href=\"http:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/2012\/03\/01\/in-their-own-words-what-no-water-would-mean-for-rice-farmers\/\">In Their Own Words: What No Water Would Mean for Rice Farmers<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/div><div class=\"topics\"><h5>Topics<\/h5><p class=\"topic\"><img class=\"alignleft\" src=\"http:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/files\/2011\/08\/Lake_Travis_Economic_Impact_Pics-103-60x60.jpg\" height=\"60\" width=\"60\" \/><a href=\"http:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/topic\/lcra\/\">What Is The Lower Colorado River Authority?<\/a><\/p><p class=\"topic\"><img class=\"alignleft\" src=\"http:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/files\/2011\/11\/119835727-60x60.jpg\" height=\"60\" width=\"60\" \/><a href=\"http:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/topic\/drought\/\">Everything You Need to Know About the Texas Drought<\/a><\/p><p class=\"topic\"><img class=\"alignleft\" src=\"http:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/files\/2012\/02\/493626935_a62784f191_z-60x60.jpg\" height=\"60\" width=\"60\" \/><a href=\"http:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/topic\/texas-rice-farming\/\">All About Rice Farming in\u00a0Texas<\/a><\/p><\/div><\/div>\n<p>For the city of Austin and many factories and some power plants, the lakes are a crucial source of water. And for the rice farmers? They say the water in the lakes is practically a birthright.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIn a sense it\u2019s our water,\u201d says\u00a0Haskell Simon, a rice farmer in Matagorda County. He says that without people like him growing rice, we wouldn\u2019t have the lakes and dams we do today.\u00a0\u201cIn order to give a more assured supply of water for that burgeoning industry, there was a pressure to develop those storage facilities which are now the Highland Lakes,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n<p>But as the population of Central Texas has grown, with new factories and power plants along with it, rice farmers have faced an uphill battle convincing people that the water belongs to them. And in the future \u2013 they\u2019ll be getting less water.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt\u2019s no doubt that there\u2019s more and more of a claim on the water in the basin every year,&#8221; says Joe Crane, who has a rice farm in Bay City and several other businesses that rely on the rice industry. &#8220;The rice industry just needs time. We\u2019re right on the cusp of some technological changes that will allow us to grow more rice with less water.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Some of those technological changes include new genetically-modified strains of rice that need less water. Farmers are also drilling their own wells, but that can cost a quarter million dollars. And many farmers have used lasers to level their fields, resulting in significant reductions in how much water they use.<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_6707\"  class=\"wp-caption module image right\" style=\"max-width: 300px;\"><a class=\"fancybox\" title=\"Haskell Simon represents rice famers in Bay City, Texas.\" href=\"http:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/files\/2012\/02\/IMG_0913.jpg\" rel=\"\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-6707\" title=\"IMG_0913\" src=\"http:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/files\/2012\/02\/IMG_0913-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" srcset=\"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/files\/2012\/02\/IMG_0913-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/files\/2012\/02\/IMG_0913-620x465.jpg 620w, https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/files\/2012\/02\/IMG_0913-220x165.jpg 220w, https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/files\/2012\/02\/IMG_0913-138x103.jpg 138w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a><p class=\"wp-media-credit\">Photo by Terrence Henry\/StateImpact Texas<\/p><p class=\"wp-caption-text\">Haskell Simon represents rice famers in Bay City, Texas.<\/p><\/div>\n<p>But none of these options solves the problem of finding more water for a thirsty crop. That\u2019s where a new plan comes in: take water flowing into the Lower Colorado below the Lakes and store it.\u00a0\u201cThe drainage area of the Colorado river below Austin is sufficiently large that in good rainfall years, enough water flows into the Colorado below the dams for our needs,\u201d says Haskell Simon, the Matagorda County rice farmer.<\/p>\n<p>To store that water, the <a href=\"http:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/topic\/lcra\/\">LCRA<\/a> is making a plan to build \u201coff-channel reservoirs:\u201d small offshoots of the river that capture water during heavy rains.<\/p>\n<p>But who\u2019s going to pay for it? The LCRA says that\u2019s still an open question. The rice farmers are looking to the Department of Agriculture for help.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cTo be a farmer you have to be optimistic,&#8221; says the rice farmer Paul Sliva. &#8220;Because so many things can go against you, the weather being the main thing. But we\u2019re optimistic that we\u2019ll get the water that we want next year. That the lakes will recover enough where we\u2019re not curtailed and we get the water that we want.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The rice farmers say they can make it one year without water, thanks to crop insurance and planning ahead. But more than one year without water might mean the end of their way of life in southeast Texas.<\/p>\n<h5>Video: In Their Own Words &#8212; What No Water Means for Texas Rice Farmers<\/h5>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"http:\/\/player.vimeo.com\/video\/37684233?title=0&amp;byline=0&amp;portrait=0\" frameborder=\"0\" width=\"626\" height=\"352\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Many rice farmers across southeast Texas have to face a sobering reality today: for the first time in history, they will not have water for their crops. What happens next?<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":50,"featured_media":6918,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[60],"tags":[61,31,112,85],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6900"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/50"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=6900"}],"version-history":[{"count":13,"href":"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6900\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":6930,"href":"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6900\/revisions\/6930"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/6918"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=6900"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=6900"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=6900"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}