Between an increasing population and some shifting weather patterns, water supplies in Texas are going to be an issue going forward. I will start with a discussion of areas within the Colorado River basin. Other areas of Texas are open for discussion, but somebody else will need to spark those conversations. There used to be a fair amount of rice farming in the areas around Eagle Lake, El Campo etc. Roughly a decade ago the LCRA (Lower Colorado River Authority) that controlled usage of water from the Colorado River cut back what the rice farmers could use to protect the water levels in the lakes above Austin. Starting from the coast and going North * Matagorda * Bay City * Wharton * Columbus * La Grange aren’t experiencing huge population growth and thus should have modest growth in water usage. There has been some reservoir storage built South of Wharton and there have been adjustments in water usage by the farming industry in that part of the Colorado River basin. The areas in Central Texas around Austin have experienced tremendous population growth and are projected to grow some more. There is going to be a need for development of water storage in Central Texas beyond the Highland Lakes above Austin. With the slower growth near I-10 and southward (La Grange to the Gulf Coast), it seems more practical to build reservoirs closer to the areas with projections of strong population growth which is in Central Texas. Has there been much work done for the additional water storage such as * Needs assessment * Project planning * Discussion of funding * Identification of possible reservoir sites to get things pointed in the right direction?
We have a state water plan and 50 year funding mechanism. I believe we just approved the creation of three new reservoirs (I’m going off memory here) for the first time in decades.
You want electricity AND water? I'm sure Abbott and Patrick have plans for those of you who survive their negligence.
This is one of the major reasons I moved away from Las Vegas to Oregon. Lake Mead levels were dropping like crazy during the ten years I lived there...and with each snow season producing less and less snowpack up North, the writing was on the wall that trouble was coming. When the Water Wars happen, I've partnered up with the Subaru driving lesbians and crazy extreme right-wing Eastern Oregonians to help defend our PNW water supplies. Come and take it!
So you are blaming California for climate change and being a place that lots of people wants to live?
Water is expensive where I live in Cypress. We not only pay a MUD, but a Water Control Improvement District (WCID) as well. I pay the WCID monthly and pay taxes on it annually. We don't use much water but our bill comes to ~$200/month with the WCID fees. I don't know why we have the WCID. When trying to read up on it, it uses surface water instead of ground water; that apparently adds to the cost. So I'm assuming it is all in the name of getting water in a more sustainable way, but don't know.
The current water shortages are almost wholly due to over population, the same with energy shortages. Here in FL, climate change has not affected water usage nor energy shortages.
