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HOUSTON CHRONICLE
THE TEXAS TRIBUNE More Bad News for Texas Drought: No End in Sight Tuesday, October 18, 2011, by Claire Cardona JUNCTION — More anthills than blades of grass are visible in some of the cracked earth around Junction. The year-long drought has plagued the town — as it has the rest of the state — and for a painful, six-week stretch, Junction banned all outdoor watering. ... READ MORE THE WASHINGTON POST Drought conditions fueling 'red tide,' decade's largest algae bloom along Texas Gulf Coast Monday, October 17, 2011, by Associated Press SOUTH PADRE ISLAND, Texas — Historic drought conditions are fueling the largest algae bloom in more than a decade along the Texas Gulf Coast, killing fish, sparking warnings about beach conditions and making throats scratchy, researchers said Monday. ... READ MORE OFFICE OF THE LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR David Dewhurst FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Lt. Governor Dewhurst Issues Select Interim Charges Focusing on Drought and Wildfire Preparedness Tuesday, October 18, 2011 AUSTIN—Today, Lt. Governor David Dewhurst issued select Interim Charges to six Senate Committees and one Subcommittee focusing on the extreme drought conditions and destructive wildfires that have burned across Texas this year. ... READ MORE TEXAS TRIBUNE Carolyn Brittin: The TT Interview Tuesday, October 11, 2011 Last month the Texas Water Development Board released its water plan for the state, with a number of sobering predictions. Overseeing the 295-page publication was Carolyn Brittin, the deputy executive administrator of water resources planning and information. ... READ MORE DAVE McNEELY COLUMN Water: We Take It For Granted -- Cheap, Easily Available -- but... Saturday, September 29, 2011 Gov. Rick Perry called for Texans to pray for rain a couple months ago, but either it didn't work, or God's aim was a few states off. ... READ MORE AUSTIN AMERICAN STATESMAN By Farzad Mashhood | Thursday, September 29, 2011, 02:29 PM The current drought that has been called the state’s worst one-year drought on record could be just the start of dry spell that could last until 2020, the Texas state climatologist said today. Water planning, at the state level and with regional water board and river authorities, often relies on benchmarks set by the 1950s drought of record, a nearly 10-year spell. But, John Nielsen-Gammon, the state climatologist and a Texas A&M professor of atmospheric sciences, said the current drought could last substantially longer that what we have planned for. “Sooner or later there will be a drought that’s worse (than the drought of record),” Nielsen-Gammon said. “The planning needs to be able to cover the bases not just for the worst that we’ve seen but also have a plan going forward in case conditions become worse than that.” Record low rainfall means the period between October and August was Austin’s driest since records started being kept more than a century ago. Meteorologists predicted dry conditions to last from a La Niña system returning in 2012 and dry conditions lasting long-term beyond the next decade. TEXAS TRIBUNE State Water Plans Says "Texas Will Not Have Enough" Tuesday, September 27, 2011 by Kate Galbraith Every five years, the Texas Water Development Board publishes a water plan for the state. The 295-page draft of the 2012 plan, published last week in the midst of the worst-ever single-year drought Texas has ever experienced, is a sobering read. ... READ MORE DALLAS MORNING NEWS Lets at least learn from this drought Tuesday, September 13, 2011, by William McKenzie If any good is to come from the drought that is ravaging Texas -- and I have trepidation about suggesting anything positive can come out of this disaster -- the siver lining is that we now know why the state must secure sufficient water supplies. ... READ MORE STAR-TELEGRAM Texas slow to prepare for future water needs Friday, September 23, 2011 by Ramit Plushnick-Masti SANFORD, Texas — On paper, at least, Texas is well-prepared to meet the water needs of its rapidly expanding population - even when Mother Nature lays down a harsh and lengthy drought. ... READ MORE TEXAS TRIBUNE Inside Intelligence: Amid Fires and a Drought... Monday, September 19, 2011, by Ross Ramsey Amid a record-setting drought and neighborhood-devouring wildfires, we asked the insiders this week about water and fire policy. ... READ MORE TEXAS TRIBUNE Drought Could Pose Problems for Texas Power Plants Friday, September 16, 2011, by Kate Galbraith Amid a record-setting drought and neighborhood-devouring wildfires, we asked the insiders this week about water and fire policy. ... READ MORE AUSTIN AMERICAN STATESMAN LCRA directors may ask for OK to cut water for farmers Thursday, September 15, 2011, By Farzad Mashhood Farmers downstream from Austin may be without any water from the Colorado River as a crippling drought shrinks water reserves in a major water source for Central Texans. ... READ MORE TEXAS TRIBUNE A Dry Odessa Looks Longingly to El Paso for Help Wednesday, September 14, 2011, by Ari Auber Odessa, running seriously low on water, is looking to the example set in El Paso, a desert city that has poured money into a desalinization plant and invested in conservation. ... READ MORE HOUSTON CHRONICLE BERGER: When will the terrible Texas drought end? Wednesday, September 7, 2011 A couple of weeks ago I reported on the possibility of the current drought plaguing Texas extending into next summer. ... READ MORE DALLAS MORNING NEWS Editorial: Fires point to need to better manage drought Tuesday, September 6, 2011 Labor Day travelers who spotted the ominous plumes of smoke rising up around Possum Kingdom Lake or flames licking the byways of Central Texas probably momentarily thought they were looking at TV images from California. ... READ MORE SAN ANTONIO EXPRESS NEWS Editorial: State must pay for a water plan: Without funding, most Texans will lack water during a drought Wednesday, September 7, 2011 Texas lawmakers approved a dynamic state water plan more than 14 years ago. But as with many state issues, funding is an unsolved problem. ... READ MORE THE TEXAS TRIBUNE Drought Scrambles Texas Water Utilities' Finances Tuesday, August 30, 2011 by Kate Galbraith Many of the effects of the worst one-year drought in recorded Texas history are obvious: brown lawns, shriveled crops, wildfires and even cracked building foundations. ... READ MORE HOUSTON CRONICLE Under Perry, projects to meet water needs stall Close-up: Texas under Perry Water projects for the future have stalled since '97 Updated: Friday, August 19, 2011 NPR Texas drought takes it's toll on wildlife. Posted Friday, August 19, 2011 The unfolding calamity that is the Texas drought has thrown nature out of balance. Many of the wild things that live in this state are suffering. ... READ MORE SAN ANTONIO EXPRESS NEWS Texas Water Resources Are Drying Up Posted Friday, August 19, 2011 AUSTIN — When the Legislature approved a statewide water plan in 1997, then-Lt. Gov. Bob Bullock hailed it as "the heart of our legacy," while its sponsor, Sen. J.E. "Buster" Brown, promised it would provide plentiful supplies of the crucial resource "for our grandchildren and our grandchildren's grandchildren." ... READ MORE AUSTIN AMERICAN-STATESMAN Latest state agriculture report: $5.2 Billion in Dought Losses a Record Updated: Thursday, August 18, 2011, By Farzad Mashhood, AMERICAN-STATESMAN STAFF ASSOCIATED PRESS Texans ready to tap sewage amid severe drought. Posted Sunday, August 14, 2011, By Angela K. Brown FORT WORTH - In parched West Texas, it is often easier to drill for oil than to find new sources of water. ... READ MORE MIDLAN REPORTER TELEGRAM Options are needed with water delivery in West texas Posted Sunday, August 14, 2011 The Colorado River Municipal Water District and the city of Big Spring are embarking on an experiment that ultimately could play a broad role in water management and resources for the entire Permian Basin ... READ MORE GO SAN ANGELO STANDARD TIMES Updates: Farmer-friendly programs fight drought By Jerry Lackey, Posted Saturday, July 31, 2011 SAN ANGELO, Texas — Agricultural researchers at Texas Tech University have released two new farmer-friendly computer tools to help battle the state's prolonged and brutal drought. ... READ MORE DALLAS MORNING NEWS Editorial: Texans need to plan now for future droughts Friday, July 29, 2011 H2O4TEXAS PRESS RELEASE Drought, drought, and more drought Callegari: Long-term water supply solutions cheaper than drought Friday, July 29, 2011 WATSON WIRE UStream, H2O Streams Tuesday, July 26, 2011 Next week, the place to be is wherever you're reading this. So you'd better RSVP and do it quick ... READ MORE TREEHUGGER Drought brings Texans falling water well levels & sinking foundations Monday, July 25, 2011 How dry is it in Texas? It is so dry that water-well levels are noticeably dropping ... READ MORE AUSTIN STATESMAN Water trickling into Highland Lakes at record low. By Asher Price AMERICAN-STATESMAN STAFF Updated: 12:24 a.m. Thursday, July 21, 2011 In the latest sign of how dry the current drought has been, Lower Colorado River Authority officials say the flow of water from streams and creeks into the Highland Lakes in June was the worst ever recorded. ... READ MORE H2O4TEXAS PRESS RELEASE Water bonds are Proposition 2 on November ballot Texans 4 Prop 2 Campaigning Commences Thursday, July 21, 2011 The Secretary of State recently announced that Senate Joint Resolution 4 (SJR 4) was awarded Proposition 2 on the November 8 ballot. ... READ MORE MY SAN ANTONIO NEW YORK TIMES On the cliffs surrounding Lake Buchanan in Central Texas, a white ring extends some 13 feet above the shoreline, marking where the water reaches when the lake is full ... READ MORE
The plague of drought has captured Texas headlines. On the heels of withering droughts in 2006 and 2009, nearly the entire state is enduring drought conditions ... READ MORE
REPORTER NEWS - YOUR ABILENE ONLINE Water woes: Drought endangers Big Country water supply, with no relief in sight Area lakes and wells hit lower levels amid no rain by Larry Zelisko Saturday, July 16, 2011 EDITOR'S NOTE: How have the heat wave and drought affected lake levels and water supplies? ... READ MORE PRESS RELEASE - H2O4TEXAS Record drought stirring concern, action -- "Water woes threaten growth" Austin - Jun 27, 2011 As Scott Stroud of the San Antonio Express News noted in a recent column, "The current drought should remind us that water is no sure thing." READ MORE TEXAS WATER DEVELOPMENT BOARD - Press Release Texas Water Development Board Explains Fracking and Drought Austin - Jun 17, 2011 Recent articles in the press have suggested that the natural gas industry, specifically that part of the industry that is using hydraulic fracturing, known as fracking, to increase production, is highly susceptible to the current drought in Texas. READ MORE SAN ANTONIO EXPRESS - NEWS Groundwater woes threaten growth By Scott Stroud- Jun 19, 2011 Late this summer, a new state water plan will warn Texans - not for the first time - that they're running out of water... READ MORE THE TEXAS TRIBUNE Dwindling Lakes, Growing Water Demand in Central Texas By Kate Galbraith - Jun 19, 2011 On the cliffs surrounding Central Texas’ large Lake Buchanan, a white ring extends some 13 feet above the shoreline, marking where the water reaches when the lake is full. At nearby Lake Travis, staircases that once led to the water’s edge now end well above it... READ MORE H2O4TEXAS COALITION - PRESS RELEASE H2O4TEXAS celebrates 82nd Legislature's water victory Friday, May 27, 2011 Attention now turns to November 8 constitutional amendment election As the 82nd Texas Legislature digs down deep to finish out the session, the H2O4TEXAS Coalition would like to take a moment to celebrate the passage of Senate Joint Resolution 4 (SJR 4) – one of the most important measures to pass the 82nd Legislature ... READ MORE SAN ANTONIO EXPRESS-NEWS Water legislation goes down the drain By Matthew Tresuauge / matthew.tresaugue@chron.com Published 12:20 a.m., Monday, May 23, 2011 Two bills to fund new reservoirs die in House due to money woes. The severe drought across Texas apparently hasn't made it dry enough for lawmakers to pour billions of dollars into a plan to increase the state's water supply over the next 50 years. ... READ MORE DALLAS MORNING NEWS Editorial: Pass these bills on higher ed, water plan money, smoking ban Published 17 May 2011 06:00 PM Most college students drop a course on occasion. Some drop them often, change majors on a whim or drop out of school entirely ... READ MORE THE TEXAS TRIBUNE Texas Drought Not Abating, Water Supplier Warns Wednesday May 18, 2011 by Kate Galbraith The Lower Colorado River Authority, a major supplier of water for Central Texas, warned today that the drought gripping the state is likely to continue for months and urged its customers to conserve water ... READ MORE DALLAS MORNING NEWS Editorial: Pass these bills on higher ed, water plan money, smoking ban Published 17 May 2011 06:00 PM Most college students drop a course on occasion. Some drop them often, change majors on a whim or drop out of school entirely ... READ MORE SAN ANGELO STANDARD TIMES KIAH COLLIER: A political dry hole for the water problem Posted Friday, May 13, 2011 at 3:46 PM SAN ANGELO, Texas — Most issues have taken a back seat to the budget during the legislative session. But, there's one issue that may be even more crucial — if less pressing — to Texas than the state budget: water. ... MORE TEXAS MONTHLY On the Lege video - Allan Ritter Posted Monday, May 09, 2011 by paulburka at 9:13 PM We sat down with Allan Ritter, chairman of the House Natural Resources committee, to ask him about HJR 138, his proposed constitutional amendment to provide funding for the state water plan. ... VIDEO DALLAS MORNING NEWS Editorial: Texas House needs to create a way to fund water plan Posted Wednesday, May. 11, 2011 Here is the hard, cold reality: Texans won’t have enough water in the future unless we’re willing to start paying for it now. Our rapidly expanding population, along with those nasty droughts, place extra stress on our supplies ... Legislative heros make water a priority Hinojosa and Ritter pass SJR 4, give voters the opportunity to advance state water plan-related projects Posted Friday, May. 09, 2011 THE TEXAS TRIBUNE Texas Governor Declares Weekend of Prayer for Rain Posted Thursday, April 21, 2011 With Texas in the throes of a terrible drought and wildfires raging across the state, Gov. Rick Perry designated April 22 to April 24 (the Easter weekend) as official days of prayer for rain. ... READ MORE Effort to revive water plan faces uncertain fate Posted Sunday, April 17, 2011 AUSTIN -- Ever since the State Water Plan was created in 1997, legislators have been struggling to find a way to pay for it. ... READ MORE Ritter's vision and bold leadership drive crucial water hearing Thursday, April 14, 2011 As the Dallas Morning News pointed out in an editorial that was published yesterday, our state's current method of funding our State Water Plan ... READ MORE DALLAS MORNING NEWS EDITORIAL: Meeting Texas' Water Needs Published 13 April 2011 02:06 PM Austin is looking at crucial measures that would help the state and this region deal with serious water demands. ... READ MORE Quorum: RITTER LOOKS TO FORMER WATER PLAN LAWMAKERS FOR ADVICE ON FUNDING Tuesday, April 12, 2011 "Mount Rushmore" says Keffer as he looks at water warrior panel-Ken Armbrister, Kip Averitt, Buster Brown and Ron Lewis The "four horsemen of water in Texas" ... READ MORE Reauthorizing Water Development Board's bonding authority is #1 priority Monday, April 11, 2011 Without passage of HJR 137, critical water infrastructure projects could be halted "We strongly support and encourage reauthorization of TWDB bonding authority in some form to ensure that we continue to implement critical water projects across Texas," ... READ MORE TCEQ warns of possible curtailment of water rights Monday, April 11, 2011 Actions may need to be taken because of draught Drought conditions are widespread across the state. As a result, the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality informed water rights holders today that the agency may need to administer water rights on a priority basis, if drought conditions persist. ... READ MORE ... TCEQ Press Release Quorum: Figuring Out How to Fund the State Water Plan Friday, April 8, 2011 Ogden worried about rolling bonding authority The state agency tasked implementing the state's long-term water plan is near the end of its debt capacity. READ MORE Changes in landscape increase momentum of crucial water plan legislation Thursday, March 31, 2011 Coalition’s new supply-side members unite with industrial users to support legislation recognizing the link between water infrastructure investments and the state’s economic growth ... READ MORE On the back-burner, environmental bills come to low boil Proposals claim to have no cost in tight budget season. Published: 8:36 p.m. Monday, March 28, 2011 Halfway through a legislative session hot with talk about budgets and voter identification, some environmental issues are now reaching a low boil, even if they remain on the back burner ... READ MOREWater funding quickly emerging as 82nd Session priority New coalition members and Dallas Morning News support Ritter’s efforts to advance water plan funding this session In a March 18 editorial, the Dallas Morning News astutely noted that, “Communities can’t just wake up one day and realize they need more water. It takes years of planning to supply enough.” ... READ MORE DALLAS MORNING NEWS Editorial: House should approve fund to finance Texas' water plan Published 18 March 2011 02:48 PM Water planners, state officials and business executives heard plenty of reasons last week why Texas must gut up and start investing in the state’s long-term water needs ... READ MORE U.S. Chamber Praises Texas for Leadership in Water Planning to Meet Future Demands Texas Association of Business, Austin Chamber, and AGC of Texas Join Chamber’s ‘Invest in Water’ Initiative FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – March 16, 2011 Contact: Bryan Goettel 202-463-5682 AUSTIN, TX—The U.S. Chamber of Commerce joined with the Texas Association of Business, Austin Chamber of Commerce, and Associated General Contractors (AGC) of Texas today to discuss the steps Texas is taking in water planning to meet future demands ... READ MORE Legislative Action Report Thank you, Rep. Ritter and Sen. Fraser, U.S. Chamber Praises Texas for Leadership in Water Planning to Meet Future Demands Texas Association of Business, Austin Chamber, and AGC of Texas Join Chamber’s ‘Invest in Water’ Initiative FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – March 16, 2011 Contact: Bryan Goettel 202-463-5682 ... READ MORE FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Friday, March 4, 2011 RITTER FILES LEGISLATION TO ADVANCE STATE WATER PLAN IMPLEMENTATION, ADDRESS FUTURE WATER NEEDS Water package promises to fulfill 14 years of water planning efforts (AUSTIN) State Rep. Allan Ritter (R-Nederland), Chairman of the House Committee on Natural Resources, today filed legislation that would give Texas voters the opportunity to approve full implementation of the state water plan. An investment in full implementation of the plan would protect public health and the economy by ensuring that the state has an adequate supply of clean, affordable water. READ MORE. H2O4TEXAS Coalition highlights positive fiscal impact of investment in State Water Plan Every $1 billion invested in Texas water supply projects generates $790 million annually in income for Texans, creates or supports 14,000 Texas jobs The H2O4TEXAS Coalition, a diverse collection of private and public sector entities committed to securing full implementation of the State Water Plan, today announced their formation and rolled out their agenda for the 82nd Legislative Session ... READ MORE THE BOND BUYER The daily newspaper of public finance TREND IN THE REGION Texas Keeps Local Issues Covered Offers Alternatives To Bond Insurance Tuesday, January 25, 2011 By Patrick McGee and Richard Williamson DALLAS — For issuers who need it, bond insurance nowadays is very expensive, even if it is available. But local governments in Texas are still finding their way to market with state guarantees that offer low up-front costs and result in attractive long-term rates ... READ MORE THE BOND BUYER The daily newspaper of public finance Ward Exiting Texas Water Agency To Run Trinity River Authority Tuesday, January 25, 2011 By Richard Williamson DALLAS — J. Kevin Ward, executive administrator of the Texas Water Development Board, is leaving the agency after 22 years to become general manager of the Trinity River Authority. Ward, 52, will replace general manager Danny Vance, who is retiring after 31 years at the agency. His last day is Feb. 28. Melanie Callahan, a certified public accountant with more than 28 years of experience in public-sector financial management, will become the Water Development Board's interim director ... READ MORE Back to top DALLAS MORNING NEWS Editorial: Our agenda for 2011 Published 30 December 2010 01:22 AM More on this story Texas legislators gather in Austin in nine days. Dallas faces a mayoral race in May, when voters will elect new City Council members at the same time that several Dallas school trustee candidates will stand for election. If ever there were a year for progress on some of this newspaper's goals for our city, region and state, this is it. We warned last year that the price continues to grow for the state and city as our leaders keep kicking major problems down the road. Texas and Dallas have a chance to find solutions this year. In fact, 2011 is the year for our leaders (and wannabes) to stand and deliver. You may recall the 1980s movie by that title, the one about crusading school principal Jaime Escalante. We see no reason the same couldn't be said for our legislators, council members and school trustees - and their constituents. Enough kicking the can. Stand and deliver. Fund Texas' water plan ... READ MORE AUSTIN AMERICAN STATESMAN Experts Fear Texas Heading Into Another Drought December 9, 2010 Experts are watching to see if Texas is heading for another drought. State climatologist John Nielsen-Gammon told the Houston Chronicle that continuing dry weather is likely to persist at least into the spring. Nielsen-Gammon, who's also a professor of atmospheric sciences at Texas A&M University, says "it's probably going to get worse before it gets better." An updated U.S. Drought Monitor was expected to be released Thursday. Back to top DALLAS MORNING NEWS Editorial: After Tuesday, legislators need to find a way to finance Texas' water plan 04:59 PM CDT on Friday, October 29, 2010 One result that must flow from tomorrow's election is a renewed push by legislators to deal with Texas' basic needs. Sounds obvious, even simple. But Texas legislators haven't been doing enough to take care of those basics. Most important is a reliable water supply. The state has identified future sources. But as this newspaper has noted before, what's lacking is a precise way to finance their development and get the water to our homes and workplaces. Instead, communities statewide limp from legislative session to legislative session, hoping to squeeze out dollars for water projects. That's no way to prepare – not when Texas has at least $30 billion in water needs over the next 50 years ...READ MORE SAN ANGELO STANDARD-TIMES KIAH COLLIER: Conserving water pumps up issues By Kiah Collier Saturday, September 4, 2010 SAN ANGELO, Texas — When Gov. Rick Perry was in San Angelo last month, I asked him what he would do if re-elected to ensure that municipalities in the more underrepresented areas of the state have equal access to long-term water supply. His answer? The Texas Water Plan ... READ MORE Back to top Dallas Morning News’ Pulitzer Prize winning editorial writer, Bill McKenzie talks Texas water DALLAS MORNING NEWS WILLIAM MCKENZIE: What Rick Perry should say By William McKenzie Published 02 August 2010 05:13 AM Last week, we discussed what Democratic incumbent Bill White should say in his stump speech during Texas' fall gubernatorial campaign. This week, here's a suggestion for what Republican Gov. Rick Perry should say as he seeks re-election a third time: ... READ MORE |
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