Conservation News

One of Texas’ largest cities plans $464M project to avoid water crisis

Water has become the hottest topic in Texas to start the year, and we haven’t even entered the summer months. Georgetown enacted a $291 million plan to make sure it doesn’t run out of water, Jacob’s Well is set to be closed to swimming for a fourth-straight year and Corpus Christi is fending off a state takeover if its water crisis doesn’t improve. Meanwhile, one of the fastest-growing cities in Texas is investing hundreds of millions to protect its residents from future water threats.

Source: One of Texas’ largest cities plans $464M project to avoid water crisis | mySA

Scientists finally know where the Colorado River’s missing water is going | ScienceDaily

For years, water managers have been puzzled as the Colorado River kept delivering less water than expected—even when snowpack levels looked promising. New research reveals the missing piece: spring rain, or rather, the lack of it. Warmer, drier springs mean plants are soaking up more snowmelt before it can reach rivers, fueled by sunny skies that boost growth and evaporation. In fact, this shift explains nearly 70% of the shortfall, tying the mystery directly to the long-running Millennium drought.

Source: Scientists finally know where the Colorado River’s missing water is going | ScienceDaily

Central Texas Aquifer Faces Unprecedented Drought Crisis – Austin Today

With the Barton Springs and Edwards aquifers at historic low levels, the new general manager of the Barton Springs-Edwards Aquifer Conservation District, Charlie Flatten, is sounding the alarm on the growing water crisis in Central Texas. Rapid population growth combined with years of below-average rainfall have put immense strain on the region’s finite groundwater supply, raising the specter of unprecedented Stage 4 drought restrictions if conservation efforts don’t ramp up soon.

Source: Central Texas Aquifer Faces Unprecedented Drought Crisis | Austin Today

Oklahoma lawmakers add data center restrictions to groundwater metering measure | KGOU – Oklahoma’s NPR Source

Lawmakers advanced a bill that would reshape how Oklahoma tracks the water it pulls out of the ground. After a change during the legislative process, the measure would also add requirements for data centers seeking to use Oklahoma groundwater.

Source: Oklahoma lawmakers add data center restrictions to groundwater metering measure | KGOU – Oklahoma’s NPR Source