Vol 2, Issue 14

State and local water planning agencies in Texas were handed a narrow victory by federal judges on Monday, vindicating decisions to supply more water to cities and industries at potential expense of wildlife.

Last month, the Railroad Commission of Texas rejected an argument that drilling activity was to blame for methane migrating into a North Texas neighborhood's water supply. But independent geoscientists remain divided on the issue.

In this week's Q&A, we interview Blair Fitzsimons, CEO of the Texas Agricultural Land Trust.

Forthcoming work on water issues in the Legislature will include protection of watersheds and aquifers — a complicated issue, since most of these lie within private lands.

At a House Natural Resources Committee meeting, the Texas Water Development Board said applications for funding by the new State Water Implementation Fund will be ranked using a point system.

A new study that analyzed reports from gas wells in the Marcellus shale region has found that some wells leak methane gas more than others, with the worse offenders being newer wells drilled with unconventional methods — i.e., fracking.

Despite its splashy fountains and Venetian-style canals, Las Vegas is facing a water crisis, largely because of its reliance on Lake Mead, which is rapidly diminishing after a 14-year drought.

Researchers have found that bisphenol A, a chemical that is used in plastics and finds its way into our waters, can affect the hormones of turtles that are exposed to it. 

Using data from the Texas Water Development Board's reservoir status tracker, our auto-updating map visualizes the current state of Texas reservoirs.