The question of how Texas will provide adequate water supplies to support a projected 70% population increase in the next 50 years was address at the Texas Panhandle Water Conservation Symposium in Amarillo on Feb. 16.
The event, held every two years, is an opportunity to address water conservation opportunities and challenges.
Texas had a population of 19 million in 1997. This jumped to 30 million in 2020, which reflects a 57% increase, according to Dr. Robert Mace, executive director of the Meadows Center for Water & Environment. Texas has seven of the 15 most rapidly growing cities in the nation. He said 86% of the increase is occurring with 25 of the highest total population growth counties.
State Climatologist John Nielsen-Gammon spoke about the impacts of drought and a changing climate on Texas' water supplies. He said drought changes will have a variety of different impacts upon soils, vegetation, groundwater, and surface water. Nielsen-Gammon noted that drought years are driven by a lack of rain--but the consequences will change. It will be difficult to get spe cific about these consequences.
Ben Weinheimer, P.E., chairman of the Region A Water Planning Group, gave an overview of the current five-year water planning process. He outlined the scope of work that is required for each task in the plan. Initially prepared plans for each of the 16 regional water planning groups are due to the Texas Water Development Board in March 3, 2025. The final Regional Water Plans are to be submitted by Oct. 20, 2025. He is President and CEO of the Texas Cattle Feeders Association.
Approximately 31% of the water conservation strategies in the current State Water Plan involve agriculture. However, saving groundwater on the farm involves many decisions.
Dr. Dana Porter, P.E. discussed several items that producers must consider when adopting agricultural water conservation strategies, which include economics, climate and crops, operation-specific items, effectiveness of strategies, new technologies, and changing policies. She is a professor and agricultural engineering specialist with Texas A&M AgriLife Research and Extension Service at Lubbock.
Roger Gloe offered tips for efficient irrigation in lawns and gardens. He discussed the benefits of designing landscapes to collect water for use in rain gardens, rather than letting it run off into storm drains. Other recommended water conservation practices include rainwater harvesting, checking for irrigation system leaks, and proper turf irrigation/fertilization. He is a licensed irrigator and a Master Gardener.