Farmers Look to TCEQ to Restore Water to Dry Crops
Farmers who rely on the Brazos River say they are “out of water and out of luck” because the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality has curtailed their use of water from the river. Full Story
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![Collapsed bridge structure on the Double Mountain Fork Brazos River viewed from U.S. Route 83 at Rath City, Texas.]()
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Turner: Needy Should Apply for Electricity Rebates
State Rep. Sylvester Turner, D-Houston, on Thursday urged low-income Texans to participate in a program that provides rebates on their electric bills. The Legislature increased the discount to 82 percent this year, but the program is set to expire. Full Story
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![February 6th, 2013 House appropriations committee hearing with Rep. Sylvester Turner D-Houston and Rep. Jim Pitts R-Waxahachie.]()
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Despite Challenges, Texas' Electric Grid Ranks High
A new report ranks Texas first out of 41 states for improvements in its electric grid. But that doesn't mean electricity prices are lower for most Texans — or that the grid doesn't face serious challenges. Full Story
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![Grid technicians monitor screens at the Electric Reliability Council of Texas' state-of-the-art backup control center in Bastrop.]()
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New Technology Aids in Search for Untapped Oil Fields
In Texas, scientists have found that small amounts of oil and gas seepage lead to subtle changes in soil and rock formations — a discovery that could prove fruitful for oil and gas companies looking for undiscovered oil fields. Full Story
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![Local pumper Bobby Thomason works on cleaning up an old well that was recently worked over to start producing again on a lease in Caldwell County near Luling, January 22, 2012.]()
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Debate Builds Over How to Save San Saba River
About 140 miles long, the San Saba River in Central Texas is not considered one of the state’s major waterways, but it illustrates — in a state still dealing with a serious drought — the sensitivities surrounding the use of a limited resource. Full Story
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Interactive: Abbott vs. the Federal Government
Led by Attorney General Greg Abbott, Texas has fought the federal government for control over various issues, including environmental regulation and oversight of voting laws. Use this interactive to look at the current legal battles. Full Story
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Natural Gas Bill Could Have Big Impact on Texas
Texas, the country's leading natural gas producer, could benefit from a federal bill that focuses on permits for pipelines. But critics of the measure say that there are environmental issues that should not be ignored. Full Story
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Galveston County Public Water Systems Face Restrictions
The Gulf Coast Water Authority, which serves most of Galveston County, could run out of water in less than 180 days, according to a state list of public water systems that have placed usage limits on municipal areas. Full Story
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![The Brazos River in Pickwick, Texas - June 30, 2012]()
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Abbott: State Has No Obligation to Aid TWIA Financially
In an opinion issued this week, Attorney General Greg Abbott says the state is under no legal obligation to help cover any potential shortfall faced by the Texas Windstorm Insurance Association. Full Story
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In the Panhandle, an Experiment to Help Farmers Save Water
Deep in the Panhandle, a groundwater district is running a closely watched demonstration project aimed at showing farmers how to use less irrigation water on their crops. As the Ogallala Aquifer drops, saving water is an increasingly urgent task. Full Story
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![A device that transmits information on soil moisture in a cornfield belonging to David Ford (standing) a farmer near the Texas Panhandle town of Dumas. He is participating in a water-saving demonstration project.]()
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Video: West Texas Town Dealing With Water Shortages
This month, the sole public water well in Barnhart went dry for nearly three days. Residents in the Permian Basin community say that the area's thriving fracking industry is important but that a proper balance must be struck. Full Story
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North Texas Town Upset With Perry's Veto of Water System Measure
State Rep. Charlie Geren and leaders in the North Texas town of Blue Mound are upset that Gov. Rick Perry vetoed a bill that would have made it easier for the town to gain control of its water system. Full Story
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![Roy Thornhill Sr. (center) voices his concern as residents of the City of Blue Mound, Texas, gather at their community center, on Monday, March 4, 2013. The small North Texas City of Blue Mound held a town hall meeting on Monday, March 4, for its residents to sign a petition against what they say are unjustifiably high water rate increases.]()
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Medina Leading Coalition Targeting Pipeline Expansion
Citing concerns about eminent domain abuse and the potential contamination of water resources, a coalition is asking state lawmakers to conduct interim studies and hold public meetings on the issue of oil pipeline expansion. Full Story
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![Former gubernatorial candidate Debra Medina on Sept. 22, 2011, at a press conference on cronyism in Texas politics]()
Credit: Marjorie Kamys Cotera -
Lawmakers Seek Lessons From West Explosion
A panel of House lawmakers on Monday agreed to join other state officials in calling on the federal government to send additional aid to the small town of West, which was rocked in April by a massive plant explosion. Full Story
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![A vehicle near the remains of a fertilizer plant burning after an explosion in West, Texas, near Waco.]()
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Perry Issues More Than Two Dozen Vetoes
Gov. Rick Perry issued more than two dozen vetoes Friday, including a line-item veto that wipes out funding for the Travis County prosecutors who investigate government fraud and public corruption. He also vetoed a bill that would have had Texas law mirror gender wage protections in the federal Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act of 2009. Full Story
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![The Texas Tribune Festival 2012 Opening Session: A Conversation with Gov. Rick Perry and Evan Smith, Sept. 21, 2012.]()
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Rivers Tested by Drought, Population Growth
As the drought continues to blanket most of the state, demands for water are increasing from a growing population and industrial base. These pressures are squeezing Texas waterways, whose average streamflow remains well below normal. Full Story
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Interactive: Texas Public Water Systems At Risk
Hotter days are back, and cities across Texas are again at risk of running out of water. Barnhart, a small community in West Texas, already ran out of water just this month. Use our redesigned interactive to track water systems at risk. Full Story
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Federal Legislation Targets Mexico Over Water Treaty
Saying that Mexico is violating the terms of a 1944 water treaty, federal lawmakers from Texas filed legislation Monday that they hope will compel the United States' southern neighbor to meet its obligations. Full Story
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Focus on Border Aquifers Urged During Push for More Water From Mexico
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. Full Story
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![Rio Grande as seen from Chapeno, Starr Co.]()
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Old Oilfield Equipment Raises Pollution Fears
Abandoned oilfield equipment is a common problem in Texas, but some fear that the recent surge in hydraulic fracturing will set off worrisome new encounters with old wells. Full Story
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![Landowner Stuart Carter, in Central Texas near the town of Luling, has years of abandoned oil equipment on his property. Here, two oil wooden oil tanks that he says date to the 1920s.]()
Credit: Callie Richmond