This month we explore publications on the topics of predicting future household water affordability in El Paso under conditions of climate change, examining the role of rangeland science for tackling the dwindling supplies of the Ogallala Aquifer, and tracking the water infrastructure resilience one year after Winter Storm Uri.
Author: Robert Mace
Robert Mace is the Executive Director and Chief Water Policy Officer at The Meadows Center for Water and the Environment and a Professor of Practice in the Department of Geography at Texas State University. Robert has over 30 years of experience in hydrology, hydrogeology, stakeholder processes, and water policy, mostly in Texas.
outlook+water: La Niña now La Nada, drought expanding, drought expected to continue
Summary: La Niña is no more! Neutral (La Nada) conditions are expected to hold through summer with a 60% chance of El Niño this fall, drought conditions have grown to encompass 64% of the state, with extreme or worse drought conditions intensifying to include 14% of the state, and statewide reservoir storage remained about the same at 75% full.
lege+water: February 2023 Update
Every month during the 88th Regular Session of the Texas Legislature, Dr. Robert Mace and Dr. Todd Votteler provide an update on water-related legislation.
think+water: Induced earthquakes, bad algae, and fishing guides
We explore academic articles on the topics of investigating how oil and gas production (in combination with disposal) can induce seismic activity, examining the occurrence and diversity of harmful algae species along the Texas Gulf Coast, and characterizing the style of participation among Texas inshore recreational fishing guides.
outlook+water: Drought up, reservoir storage up, and La Niña (going) down
Summary: Drought conditions have grown to encompass 58% of the state, with extreme or worse drought conditions intensifying to include 10% of the state, statewide reservoir storage increased by 1.2 million acre-feet to 75% full, and La Niña is expected to transition to neutral conditions over the next couple of months (with a possible El Niño in the fall).