The latest water supply news from The Texas Tribune.
The Texas Tribune and KUT 90.5 FM are running a five-part series this week on water supplies in Central Texas, looking specifically at the long-term future of two key lakes that supply water to Austin and other growing cities, as well as to rice farmers a few hundred miles down the Colorado River. Full Story
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Austin hopes to keep plenty of water in the nearby Highland Lakes over the long term, to reduce the risks posed by drought. Full Story
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As Austin prepares to tighten its watering restrictions to once a week later this summer, trees and lawns — not to mention the water utility's revenues — are suffering. Long-term, Austin and nearby cities want to ensure the continued health of the Highland Lakes. Full Story
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As Lake Buchanan and Lake Travis drop lower each day, worried locals are seeing their swimming coves dry up, and it's not just because of lack of rain. Rice farmers and Central Texas cities are taking a good share of the water. Full Story
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With Lake Buchanan and Lake Travis getting lower by the day, local business owners fear for their livelihoods. Full Story
The state's record dry spell has rice farmers, growing cities and a proposed coal plant competing for water from drought-stricken lakes. This is the first in a five-part print and radio series, "Water Fight," with KUT News. Full Story
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The current drought, drier than any other October-through-May stretch in Texas history, has heightened the stakes in an already contentious long-term planning battle over water from the Highland Lakes. Full Story
Aaronson and Murphy visualize what happened to the nearly 5,800 bills introduced in the 82nd Lege, Aaronson, Hasson and Swicegood interactively recap the budget battle, Aguliar on the surge in illegal re-entry cases prosecuted by the Obama administration, Galbraith on a coal plant that wants a water deal from the LCRA, Grissom interviews a man wrongly imprisoned and nearly executed — twice, Hamilton on a controversial UT regent who wants a do-over in the debate over higher ed reform, Ramshaw on the continuing fight over pre-abortion sonograms, Root on Rick Perry's newsmaking trip to NYC and M. Smith on whether cash-strapped school districts will raise taxes: The best of our best content from June 13 to 17, 2011. Full Story
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In parts of the Permian Basin, less than 0.2 inches of rain has fallen since September. As the drought grows increasingly dire, officials and residents are taking more drastic measures to reduce water use. Full Story
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Faced with extreme drought, the Midland City Council approved a plan today to fine residents $500 for violating watering restrictions, the first time the city has ever enacted such restrictions. Full Story
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The board of the Lower Colorado River Authority wasted no time in naming a long-time staffer to take over as the organization's general manager, following the resignation of Tom Mason a week ago. Full Story
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With the Big Dry upon us, the fight over the water percolating under the surface in Texas' underground aquifers was bound to get contentious before the end of the legislative session. And it did, at least for a while, because of one modifier. Full Story
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The Lower Colorado River Authority, a major supplier of water for Central Texas, warned today that the drought gripping the state is likely to continue for months and urged its customers to conserve water. Full Story
Aaronson on a freshman lawmaker's rogue antics, Aguilar on how cartel violence affects tick eradication, Galbraith on Midland's water woes, Hamilton on the exit of a higher ed reformer, Murphy maps voting age by county, Philpott on the data breach at the Comptroller's office, Ramsey on why Susan Combs needs to eat crow, my TribLive interview with U.S. Sen John Cornyn, Ramshaw on Cornyn's refusal to take the "nickel tour" of Planned Parenthood, M. Smith annotates the contracts of superintendents, Stiles on a GOP-friendly redistricting map and Tan on a possible Rainy Day Fund raid: The best of our best content from April 18 to 22, 2011. Full Story
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A nasty drought is gripping all of Texas, but Midland's situation is especially precarious. Since the beginning of October, barely one-tenth of an inch of rain has fallen, and regional reservoirs are getting close to empty. Full Story
Texas faces a hefty reduction in federal funding for drinking water and sewer projects as a result of a recent budget cut to the Environmental Protection Agency in Washington. Full Story
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The Texas Senate passed a much-discussed piece of groundwater legislation, voting 28-3 to approve a bill stating that landowners in the state have a "vested ownership interest" in the groundwater beneath their land. Full Story
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Grissom on threats to re-entry programs for criminals, Hamilton on the tempest over the direction of UT, E. Smith's interview with Joe Straus, Stiles and Chang's new lobbying app, M. Smith and Weber on where state officeholders send their children to school, Aaronson on allowing new nuclear power plants, Aguilar on how Hispanic Republicans are handling immigration issues, Ramshaw talks abortion with Planned Parennthood's Cecile Richards, Tan and Dehn on tapping the Rainy Day Fund and Galbraith on San Antonio and its water: The best of our best content from March 14 to 18, 2011. Full Story
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Despite tough economic times, San Antonio is continuing an unusual and aggressive program to protect its aquifer, by using public money to purchase land or easements to prevent development in critical areas. Full Story
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Ramshaw and Stiles on the tepid growth of Big D during the last decade, Hamilton talks immigration with state Rep. Leo Berman, M. Smith on Texas education's Race to the Top efforts and more: The best of our best content from Feb. 28 to March 4, 2011. Full Story
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