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.

think+water: Vista Ridge, aquifer storage and recovery in New Braunfels, and a rollercoaster of land deformation in the Delaware Basin of West Texas

This month, Dr. Robert E. Mace explores academic publications on the topics of analyzing the impact of the Vista Ridge project on water levels in Lee County, identifying water quality issues for aquifer storage and recovery projects, and examining how oil production and wastewater injection in the Delaware Basin lead to significant ground surface changes, including uplift, subsidence, and faulting.

outlook+water: Drought slightly decreases but expected to persist and expand, El Niño fading, and active hurricane season predicted

Drought conditions declined to 26% of the state (D1–D4); statewide reservoir storage rose to 77.5% full but still about seven percentage points below normal for this time of year. La Nada has an ~80% chance of arriving in April-May-June, with a 70% chance of La Niña in July-August-September. Drought is expected to remain and expand in the western half of the state, including most of the Hill Country.

outlook+water: Drought expands, reservoirs fuller, drought expected to expand in West Texas

Drought conditions expanded to 27% of the state (D1–D4); statewide reservoir storage rose to 75.1% full but still about ten percentage points below normal for this time of year. El Niño has a 95% chance of extending through the March-April-May season, with La Niña favored in June-July-August and through at least November-December-January. Drought is expected to remain and expand in West and Far West Texas and improve in parts of the Hill Country.

outlook+water: Drought conditions persist, a La Niña Watch, and drought expansion in the South

Summary: The amount of the state under drought conditions (D1–D4) remained the same as four weeks ago at 23%. El Niño has a 100% chance of extending through the February-March-April season, giving way to neutral conditions in April-May-June and greater odds of La Niña developing in the summer. Drought is expected to expand across the Edwards Plateau and down the Rio Grande Valley