Report Warns Of Looming Water Crisis In Texas

By Kevin Westerling, Web Editor

Is Texas in danger of running dry? According to the 2012 state water plan recently published by the Texas Water Development Board (TWDB), it is a very real possibility.

The introduction to the 295-page draft states: "The primary message of the 2012 state water plan is a simple one. In serious drought conditions, Texas does not and will not have enough water to meet the needs of its people, and its businesses, and its agricultural enterprises."

As noted by The Texas Tribune, the Lone Star State is currently enduring the worst-ever single-year drought in its history, which surely lends weight to the ominous projections listed in the report.

According to the TWDB:

• By 2060, the state's population is expected to increase from 25 million to 46 million, while existing water supplies will fall 10% over that span.
• Without proper planning, severe drought conditions — such as those experienced in the 1950s — could cost Texans $116 billion per year by 2060, as well as more than one million jobs.

In addition to the warnings, the state water plan listed the following recommendations to help resolve the water scarcity issue:

• Follow through on the development of the Turkey Peak Reservoir, the Millers Creek Reservoir Augmentation, and the Coryell County Reservoir.
• Facilitate the transfer of water between areas, as well as the development of new reservoir sites.
• Require public water utilities to audit water losses every year, as opposed to the current standard of every five years.

The report estimates that the necessary water infrastructure improvements, including the building of new reservoirs and wastewater treatment plants, would cost $53 billion.

The TWDB also made reference to several controversial factors that contribute to the projections and recommendations made in the draft plan. Regarding climate change, the board stated the following:

"In Texas, temperatures are likely to rise; however, future precipitation trends are difficult to project. If temperatures rise and precipitation decreases, as projected by climate models, Texas would begin seeing droughts in the middle of the 21st century that are as bad or worse as those in the beginning or middle of the 20th century."

Furthermore, the TWDB asked that it be removed from handling petitions of protest with regard to the groundwater planning tool that sets 50-year goals for the handling of Texas aquifers. The "desired future conditions" set forth in the plan have set off legal wrangling over water rights.

Finally, the board noted that the "mining" category of the draft plan does not account for the recent boom in hydraulic fracturing, known as "fracking," which is a contentious and water-intensive method of natural gas extraction.

On the plus side, some relief may come from the anticipated decrease of water demand for irrigation, projected to drop from the current rate of 60% to 45% in 2060.

Overall, water demand in Texas is expected to rise 22% by 2060. Though that figure is less than the projected rate of population growth, the report is a clear warning of a pending water shortfall and a potential crisis.

With water shortages threatening much of the American southwest, making news in Texas and also Nevada, it is clear that the water scarcity issue has hit home for the United States. What thoughts do you have on the future of America's water supply? Share your comments below...