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).
Sections
talk+water: Reem Zoun
Texas+Water Editor-in-Chief Dr. Todd Votteler talks with Reem Zoun, PE, CFM, ENV SP, Director of the Flood Planning Division at the Texas Water Development Board, about developing the first state flood plan for Texas.
think+water: Conserving water in citrus groves, black outages matter, and a massive load of mercury for Galveston Bay
This month we explore academic articles on the topics of evaluating citrus grove-floor management strategies for water use efficiency and conservation in the Lower Rio Grande Valley, examining social disparities in Texas after Winter Storm Uri, and quantifying the sediment and mercury delivered to Galveston Bay from Hurricane Harvey.
outlook+water: 2022 was pretty drouthy, hot and dry is the new black, La Niña’s days are (still) numbered
Summary: 2022 was the 11th warmest, 13th driest, and 10th drouthiest on record for Texas, the next three months are expected to be warmer and drier than normal, and La Niña is still expected to transition to neutral conditions between February and April, with an 82% chance of neutral conditions existing for the March to May season.
talk+water: Maria Richards and Joseph Batir
Texas+Water Editor-in-Chief, Dr. Todd Votteler, talks with Maria Richards, Geothermal Laboratory Coordinator in the Department of Earth Sciences at Southern Methodist University (SMU), and Joseph Batir, Geothermal Lead at Petrolern, about the geothermal energy potential of Texas.