Summary: The amount of the state under drought conditions (D1–D4) decreased from four weeks ago at 75% to 44% this week. El Niño conditions are expected to persist through the March-April-May season. By one measure, the odds of drought ending in the state by the end of May range from 8% to 32%.
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: Conserving water for power, the straight poop on stormwater retention, and water for peanuts
In this issue, we explore academic publications on the topics of evaluating the cost of water saved by power plants switching to dry cooling, testing the effectiveness of best management practices for mitigating fecal pollution, and examining how increasing carbon dioxide levels might affect peanut production in West Texas.
outlook+water: Short-term improvements, drought expected to linger, and winter is coming
Summary: The amount of the state under drought conditions (D1–D4) decreased from four weeks ago at 81% to 75% this week (with more improvements on the way).The winter projection shows normal temperatures and wetter-than-normal conditions for Texas, but drought conditions are expected to persist.
think+water: Adaptation and unhappiness due to Winter Storm Uri, cold-weather fish kills, and the importance of topsoil
In this issue, we explore academic publications on the topics of household adaptations to mitigate impacts from electric power and water outages in Texas, the relationship between fish mortalities and winter stress, and the impacts of vegetation and topsoil removal on soil erosion, soil moisture, and infiltration
outlook+water: Drought remains, wetter-than-normal conditions may be on the way, and the odds of a super El Niño
Summary: The amount of the state under drought conditions (D1–D4) increased slightly from five weeks ago at 79% to 81% this week, the seasonal projection suggests wetter-than-normal conditions are on the way, and the odds of a Super El Niño look slim, but the odds of a strong El Nino are at 71%.