A water war between the U.S. and Mexico dominates headlines amid a record drought. But some experts caution that a larger issue is boiling beneath the surface: the mining of unregulated transnational aquifers.

Every summer night, a swirling vortex of Mexican free-tailed bats emerges from Bracken Cave, the largest such colony in the world. It's a sight the cave's protectors say is threatened by a developer's plans. 

At Monday's TribLive conversation, Texas Commission on Environmental Quality Chairman Bryan Shaw and James Marston of the Environmental Defense Fund talked about the ongoing war between Texas and the Environmental Protection Agency.

As investigators search for the cause of the explosion, environmentalists said that the situation highlighted lax regulations in Texas for plants handling dangerous chemicals — especially those located near schools.

Several Texas cities have plans to implement potable reuse projects, which put treated wastewater through extra chemical and biological processes before it eventually becomes part of the drinking supply.

Texas homeowners associations often require members to keep plush lawns. But some are easing their rules as the drought continues, and two Texas lawmakers have introduced legislation to prevent the groups from restricting xeriscaping. 

The Lower Colorado River Authority, the utility that controls water flowing from the Highland Lakes to the Gulf Coast, is set to approve a new plan for allocating water. But as Mose Buchele of StateImpact Texas reports, the authority will first hear from the various — and often feuding — communities relying on the affected water sources.

The drought's effect on Spicewood Beach, a community in Burnet County that recently became the first Texas town to run out of water, has raised concerns about areas of the state on the brink of similar situations. Mose Buchele of StateImpact Texas reports.

A report released Monday by the conservative Texas Public Policy Foundation renewed its criticism of the Environmental Protection Agency. Environmentalists say the group's concerns are misplaced.