A Rush for Water Wells as Texas Drought Drags On
As the drought drags on, many Texans are getting their own water wells drilled. But the growing demand has some worried that the groundwater could start drying up, too. Full Story
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![Workers with Bee Cave Drilling install a jackhammer bit on the drilling rig while putting in a water well on a private lot in Spicewood, Texas on February 6, 2012.]()
Credit: Spencer Selvidge -
TribWeek: In Case You Missed It
Aguilar on an environmental battle in South Texas, Galbraith on the impact of the drought, Grissom on the latest in the Michael Morton case, Hamilton and Theobald on plans for greater scrutiny of faculty performance, Murphy on Rick Perry's campaign donors and expenditures, Ramsey on where we stand on redistricting, Ramshaw on the intense interest in stem cell rules, Root on a congressman's controversial pipeline holdings, M. Smith on the backlash against student testing and Tan on the fight for a new medical school in Austin: The best of our best content from February 6-10, 2012. Full Story
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What if There's a Mega-Drought? Comptroller Considers Impact
A report released Wednesday by the Texas comptroller's office looks at the impact of the current drought and other scenarios. Full Story
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BP Spill Money for Texas: $100M — and Counting
Unlike other Gulf states, Texas beaches did not get soaked with oil after the BP spill two years ago. Nonetheless, $100 million — and possibly far more, depending on the courts and Congress — is about to start flowing to Texas from BP for coastal restoration. Full Story
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![The beach in the Laguna Atascosa National Wildlife Refuge on South Padre Island.]()
Credit: Eddie Seal for The Texas Tribune -
Spicewood Beach Days Away From Running Out of Water
The community of Spicewood Beach, about 40 miles northwest of Austin, is just days away from running out of water. As Andy Uhler of KUT News reports, the owner of Spicewood's water system is preparing to truck in water to meet residents' needs. Full Story
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TribWeek: In Case You Missed It
Root on the end of Rick Perry's presidential campaign, Murphy on what happens to his campaign cash, Ramsey on his next act, Ramshaw, Aaronson, Murphy, Chang and Seger interactively chart the rise and fall of his run, Aguilar talks Juárez violence with a documentary filmmaker, Galbraith on the tug-of-war over surface water, Grissom and Murphy on three decades of capital punishment in Texas, Hamilton and Aaronson on our workforce needs in 2018 and Tan on the state's much-reduced list of women's health clinics: The best of our best content from January 16-20, 2012. Full Story
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With Surface Water, It's First Come, First Served
The long-lasting Texas drought has sparked an unprecedented tug of war for surface water, between those whose rights date back centuries and those who only secured water rights in the 20th century. The system may sound weird, but it is slowly changing. Full Story
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Fracking Disclosures to Include Water Totals
Starting Feb. 1, drillers will have to report many of the chemicals they use in hydraulic fracturing. But a less-publicized part of the regulation is what some water experts are most interested in: the mandatory disclosure of the amount of water needed to “frack” each well. Full Story
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![Field distribution water tank used in the fracking process of natural gas well drilling in DeWitt County, Texas, complete with life buoy and "No Swimming" sign.]()
Credit: Eric Schlegel -
At Senate Hearing, Warnings of Drought and Power
At a committee hearing Tuesday about the impact of drought on power generation, state senators voiced concerns that a lack of adequate water could harm Texas' long-term growth. Full Story
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Despite Drought, Trinity River Still Flowing
In a curious development amid the year's record-setting drought, the Trinity River — which runs south from Dallas and empties into the Gulf just east of Houston — has kept on flowing. Dave Fehling of KUHF News reports on where all the water is coming from. Full Story
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Tree Ring Study Warns of Long Droughts
A new study of tree rings indicates droughts are typically a once-a-decade phenomon in Texas and that the state has had several "mega-droughts" lasting 15 to 30 years over the centuries. Full Story
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S. David Freeman: The TT Interview
The former general manager of the Lower Colorado River Authority talks about rebuilding the organization after the "Trailergate" sex scandal, the environmental failures of public power and why electricity deregulation is a "huge mistake." Full Story
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![David Freeman, when he was general manager of the LCRA during the 1980s]()
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Updated: Interactive Map: Texas Cities at Risk of Running Out of Water
Eleven communities are on the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality’s “high priority” water list, meaning there is a risk they could run out of water within six months or do not know how much water they have remaining. Use our map to see where each community is located and how many days of water it has left. Full Story
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Experts: Texas Drought to Continue Through Spring
The drought that has plagued Texas is virtually certain to continue at least until early summer, climate experts said on Tuesday at a conference in Fort Worth. But what happens after that is anyone's guess. Full Story
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Groesbeck, Nearly Out of Water, Hopes to Build Pipeline
City officials in Groesbeck — facing a water shortage that could leave the town completely dry by Thanksgiving — are scrambling to build a new pipeline, after their last effort to pump water from a nearby rock quarry failed. Full Story
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![Keith Tilley, director of public works for the town of Groesbeck , photographed at Fort Parker Lake i Fort Parker State Park.]()
Credit: Allison V. Smith -
Residents Counting the Days in Groesbeck Until the Tap Runs Dry
Groesbeck, which has received no measurable rainfall since April, ranks near the top of the state’s list of communities in danger of running out of water. Local leaders are attempting a quick fix, lest the town run out of water by Thanksgiving. Full Story
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![Keith Tilley, director of public works for the town of Groesbeck , photographed at Fort Parker Lake i Fort Parker State Park.]()
Credit: Allison V. Smith -
TribWeek: In Case You Missed It
Ramshaw and Root on the debate that dominated the nation's political news, Tan and Ramshaw on how it will affect Rick Perry's campaign, Philpott on what "oops" might mean for Perry in South Carolina, Root on what it means in Iowa, Dehn with the latest Weekend Insider video, Galbraith on the split fates of water-related constitutional amendments, Grissom on an arrest in a 1986 murder case, Hamilton on UT-Arlington's efforts to control tuition costs and M. Smith, Murphy and Gerdau on West Texas schools raising money with wind farms: The best of our best content from November 7 to 11, 2011. Full Story
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Water Propositions Meet Different Fates at Ballot Box
Amid the most intense drought in state history, Texas voters split on a pair of water-related constitutional amendments that had the backing of many environmentalists and businesses. Analysts are scrambling to explain their differing fates. Full Story
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Voters to Decide City Elections, Amendments
It's Election Day, and voters across the state will decide whether to add 10 amendments to the Texas Constitution. Voters in several cities also will be picking mayors and city council members. Full Story
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Amid Drought, McCaul's Water Use Raises Eyebrows
Over 12 months of the worst drought in recorded Texas history, U.S. Rep. Michael McCaul was Austin's sixth-largest water user. It's a disappointing record, critics say, at a time when many Texas leaders are urgently calling for conservation. Full Story
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![The entrance to Michael McCaul's community, photographed in early November 2011.]()
Credit: Muliadi Soenaryo