drought

Environmentalists Push For Perry's Signature On Water Conservation Bills

Ryan Poppe — Fri, 31 May 2013 18:24:03 +0000

Members of Environment Texas gathered in front of the Governor’s Mansion to urge Gov. Rick Perry to sign into law two bills that address residential water conservation efforts.

Governor Perry Signs "Landmark" Water Infrastructure Bill

Ryan Poppe — Wed, 29 May 2013 11:26:32 +0000

Gov. Rick Perry has signed into law bill providing $2 billion for water-related projects . The bill provides the funding for the next 50 years of water-projects.

ERCOT Predicts Another Grid-Busting Summer

Eileen Pace — Wed, 22 May 2013 16:04:52 +0000

National forecasters are predicting another hotter-than-normal summer. That could mean more of the rolling blackouts likes those San Antonio experienced in 2011.

Climatologists predict temperatures will be above normal this year and the power grid may not be able to keep up. The North American Electric Reliability Corporation projects the Texas grid will have the lowest percentage of power reserves this summer of any region in the country.

House Republicans Have Backup Plan To Revive Water Bill

Ryan Poppe — Fri, 03 May 2013 20:29:21 +0000

Republicans in the Texas House are planning to revive a water bill that died on the House Floor last week due to a technically.

Senate Passes Water Funding Bill, House Variation Is "Doorknob Dead"

Ryan Poppe — Tue, 30 Apr 2013 15:25:06 +0000

Lawmakers in the Texas Senate wasted no time passing a bill to fund the future of Texas’ water needs, passing Senate Bill 4 by unanimous vote within the stretch of just a few hours.

Sen. Troy Fraser, R-Horseshoe Bay, authored the bill that sets up the structure of awarding 500 water projects over the next 50 years.

Hays Seeks Alternative Groundwater Sources, Could Affect San Antonio

Nathan Bernier, KUT News — Tue, 30 Apr 2013 14:58:32 +0000

Hays County is looking for alternative groundwater supplies. An open Request for Proposals seeks to pipe in water from aquifers that could be tapped to supplement water from the Edwards and Trinity aquifers.

County Commissioner Ray Whisenant (R-Precinct 4) says the existing supply of water appears to be unsustainable with the county's current growth rate.

SAWS Discontinues Use Of Medina Lake Water

Joey Palacios — Mon, 29 Apr 2013 22:08:23 +0000

The water in Medina Lake has fallen so low that the San Antonio Water System is no longer drawing water from it. The shift will affect the water source for the southern portion of Bexar County.

At the end of last week, SAWS shut off its pump in Medina Lake, which is now only five percent full.

"The water remaining is developing some water quality issues," said SAWS Spokeswoman Ann Hayden.

The decision to stop pumping was due to a concern about the water quality level and the amount of algae.

President And Politicians Rally Community For West, Texas

David Martin Davies — Fri, 26 Apr 2013 16:26:27 +0000

Officials are still trying to pin down who is responsible for the explosion at the fertilizer plant in West, Texas, but national and state politicians attended a tribute to urge a national sense of community. Also on this show: The Geroge W. Bush Library was dedicated this week, which is bringing up conversation about the meaning of the former president's legacy. As Texas continues to cope with drought conditions, residents who depend on rivers like the San Saba are battling agriculture interests for water rights. The U.S. Supreme Court weighs in on the cross-border Texas-Oklahoma water war.

Senate Passes Joint Resolution To Use Rainy Day Fund For Water, Roads & Education

Ryan Poppe — Wed, 24 Apr 2013 20:58:21 +0000

A Texas comptroller report has spurned lawmakers to approve a measure that will provide about $6 billion for roads, water and education.

In the report, Comptroller Susan Combs said the last bienum revealed a higher than expected rise in property tax revenues, which the state could use to help fund school districts.

Texas Vs. Mexico Water Fight Takes Turn In State's Favor

Ryan Poppe — Mon, 15 Apr 2013 17:39:25 +0000

Since the start of the legislative session, Rep. Eddie Lucio, D-Harlingen, has made it clear that Mexico needs to release the over 400,000 acre feet of water owed to Texas.