The Secrets Behind San Antonio’s Water Conservation Success. Proposal would eliminate Texas rice acres in favor of urban growth. No one will argue that current drought conditions are forcing Texans everywhere to expand water conservation efforts and to reconsider water use as resources shrink as a result of abnormally dry conditions.
But the latest proposal by Central Texas Water Coalition President Jo Karr Tedder that rice farmers should simply sell their farms to lower water demands from the Colorado River to ensure residents of Austin enough water to irrigate their lawns is not only an unfair solution, but one that favors urban development over food production. To be fair, Tedder and the CTWC are to be commended for aggressively pursuing solutions to help alleviate pressures of the drought and lower demand for water for the present crisis and for years to come. The organization has supported such worthy projects as rainwater harvesting, protecting natural springs, and promoting conservation programs and projects. Maybe Texas should seriously consider recycled water - Houston Political Buzz. Drought like conditions are returning to the West Texas region and already, there’s water restrictions in place.
Texas has experienced drought conditions since 2011. Of most concern is Mexico honoring the “Treaty of the Utilization of Waters of the Colorado and Tijuana Rivers and of the Rio Grande.” Texas lawmakers have accused the country of once again, ‘falling short on its part of the agreement and that water users in the Rio Grande basin are feeling the impact,' which is a move West Texas can’t afford year in, and year out. Texas must get serious about water planning. Texas has been growing rapidly for many decades, and it seems that we are also getting hotter and drier.
Many Texans are “water short” now or will be in the future. Whether this was caused by too much growth, poorly planned growth, water waste or declining local water resources — or a combination — varies. Environmentalists score a win in case with big water implications. In a case with significant implications for how much water is set aside for environmental purposes, a federal judge Monday held that the Texas state environmental agency is responsible for the deaths of 23 endangered whooping cranes several years ago.
The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality failed to manage the waters of the Guadalupe River to ensure the survival of the cranes, district judge Janis Jack wrote. “Inactions and refusal to act by the TCEQ defendants proximately caused an unlawful ‘take’ of at least twenty-three whooping cranes” in violation of the endangered species act, Jack held. This morning, officials at TCEQ were still reviewing the ruling. Bill would set state fee for oil field wastewater disposal. As the summer of 2013 threatens to bring an intensifying drought, Texas legislators are looking for ways to conserve water.
One such proposal, HB 379, set to be debated in the House Energy Resources Committee on Wednesday, would impose a 1-cent-per-barrel fee on oil and gas wastewater disposed of in wells. Injection of wastewater underground is drawing scrutiny as lawmakers consider water recycling and other options that could reduce the amount of fresh water used in hydraulic fracturing, often called fracking, and other oil and gas extraction processes.
The bill introduced by Rep. Lon Burnam, D-Fort Worth, would dedicate the proceeds from the injection well fees to an oil and gas regulation and cleanup fund. “This penny-a-gallon fee is not enough to cover the difference between recycling and not recycling from fracking, but it does put a thumb slightly on the scale,” said Conor Kenny, chief of staff for Burnam. Commissioner David Porter declined to comment specifically on Burnam's bill. Rainfall barely can slow decline of Medina Lake. Photo By Photos by Billy Calzada / San Antonio Express-News In an area that normally is covered by water, a field of bluebonnets (at bottom right of photo) now is blooming at Elm Cove.
A chair and other debris sit on the dry bottom of Medina Lake. As the water drops, more items are exposed. Environment. Edwards Aquifer Recovery Implementation Program - Final_HCP.pdf. Edwards Aquifer plan will reconcile endangered species protection with stakeholder needs. Rain boosts aquifer, but drought not over. SA Conservation. San Antonio's cheapest source of water is conservation — water we don't use.
That's why our proven conservation programs have become a cornerstone of the community's long-term water management strategy. With your help, we can keep SAWS rates among the lowest in the nation while saving tomorrow's water today. Ordinance These provisions help San Antonians save up to 1.3 billion gallons per year while preserving the Edwards Aquifer. Case Studies Need some motivation? Calendar Expand your conservation/environmental knowledge at workshops, seminars and lectures held throughout the San Antonio area. State, river authority to partner on desalination plant study. By Asher Price - American-Statesman Staff Tying endangered whooping cranes to state water demands, Land Commissioner Jerry Patterson announced Monday that his office would partner with the Guadalupe-Blanco River Authority to spend roughly $2 million to study the feasibility of a desalination plant by the Texas Gulf coast.
Patterson said such a plant could transform salty Gulf water into freshwater, thus easing demand on the Guadalupe River. The story you're reading is premium content from the Austin American-Statesman. Subscribers get total access to all our in-depth news, digital editions and exclusive premium content. You can now also buy a 24-hour digital pass or 7-day digital pass.