Rains Fail to Fill West Texas Reservoirs
COLLEGE STATION, Texas, November 13, 2013 (ENS) – Rains have recharged many Texas reservoirs over the last few months, yet some remain at critical levels, according to a water specialist with the Texas Water Resources Institute and reports from Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service personnel. While Central, East and Coastal Bend regions have seen improvements to reservoir levels, other parts of the state are still coping with water issues, said Allen Berthold, program specialist with the institute. In some cases, the available water supply is measured in months, and severe usage restrictions are in place. “When I talked to county commissioners in the Wichita Falls area last week, I was told some cities had approximately 180 days of water left at current usage levels,” Berthold said. The commissioner’s court planned to supplement reservoir levels with wells, but the overall effect on long-term supplies will be minimal, Berthold said. The Texas Water Development Board says monitored reservoir levels were about 62 percent full as of today. But the average is skewed by reservoirs generally being in fair to good shape east of U.S. Interstate 35. Many reservoirs in West Texas remain critically low and the Twin Buttes Reservoir is empty. Dallas and Fort Worth have seen some relief in recent months, Berthold said. Long range planning by the North Texas Municipal Water District water conservation and new supply systems may offset losses from the drought and the quarantine of Lake Texoma for a zebra mussel infestation. For cities and rural towns without a plan and funding in place, some help may be in sight, Berthold said, as Texas voters approved Proposition 6, which allowed the transfer of money from a rainy day fund. The plan proposes to reduce borrowing costs for municipalities to build and enhance water projects during the next 50 years. Copyright Environment News Service (ENS) 2013. All rights reserved. |