A Thirsty Future for Texas

As Texas struggles through the worst single-year drought in its recorded history, the state is looking uneasily toward its future. Rainfall is down, groundwater sources are being depleted, and the state is growing. All these conditions combine to envision a not-so-distant future in which Texas won’t be able to meet its water needs, according to warnings in a draft of the 2012 state water plan.

The plan, “Water for Texas,” is published every five years by the Texas Water Development Board. With three of the ten most populous cities in the nation, Texas is a large user of water. And if recent growth rates are an indication, the state’s population can be expected to continue to rise. Between 2000 and 2010, Houston grew by 7.5 percent, San Antonio by 16 percent, Austin by 20.4 percent and Fort Worth by 38.6 percent.