Vol 2, Issue 17

San Antonio's water utility is negotiating to pipe in 16 billion gallons of water a year from Burleson County. Officials say the plan is key to securing future water needs, but others still have questions.

Water systems in the Panhandle and South Plains last week started drawing water from a once-empty lake that is now just over 4 percent full. It's a sign of just how strapped the region is for water supplies. 

Algal blooms like the one that caused a water crisis in Ohio's fourth-largest city this weekend are possible in Texas. But no state requires treatment plants to test their water for the toxins, which can be lethal. 

In which we review the latest from Colin and Erich's excellent Rio Grande adventure. Check out the dispatches and photos!

In this week's Q&A, we interview Amy Hardberger, a water law professor at St. Mary's School of Law.

In this week's Bookshelf, our content partner Kirkus Reviews highlights The Price Of Thirst.

A workshop titled "Getting in Step — Top 10 Outreach Tips That Won't Break the Bank" will be held in Austin on Sept. 29 for organizations involved in water resources, as part of the Texas Watershed Planning Program. 

An op-ed by William McKenzie calls for more private-sector initiatives and adding more geologists to the staff of the Texas Water Development Board in order to explore the potential of turning brackish water into viable water sources for the state.

The Lower Colorado River Authority Board has agreed to delay approval of a new water management plan to deal with the issue of diverting water from the Highland Lakes to downstream agricultural users.

As the drought continues, waters from the Comal Springs will receive extra monitoring, including evaluations of endangered species and their habitats, through the Habitat Conservation Plan created by the Edwards Aquifer Recovery Implementation Program.

In response to extreme drought conditions, the University of Nevada, Reno, and the Desert Research Institute are partnering with the U.S. Geological Survey to assess climate change and ways to protect northern Nevada's water resources.

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