DROUGHT
Drought Happens. Buckle Up.
In Texas, three things are certain: death, taxes and drought. The best way to prepare for all of them is to plan ahead. For the first two, you’re on your own. But for drought, we’re all in this together. We know drought is coming, we know it’s inevitable, and we know conserving water is our best new source of water. We can’t stop drought but, between us, we can be ready.
The Texas Living Waters Project is committed to protecting our shared water resources by helping Texas plan for inevitable drought.
We do this by:
Advocating for the inclusion of drought response in our state’s water planning processes.
Empowering everyday Texans to use water efficiently, so that communities will have greater water reserves on hand before drought begins.
Recommending solutions to major drought management policy issues.
Drought in Texas
Droughts are, and will continue to be, a fact of life in Texas. A drought occurs when there is lack of adequate precipitation over an extended period of time.
During a drought, not as much rainfall fills our rivers and reservoirs or recharges our aquifers. This lack of rainfall, combined with extreme heat, has devastating impacts on our state, causing drinking water shortages, severe wildfires, loss of human life and property, and other environmental and economic damages.
Bastrop Fire, 2011 Drought Photo courtesy of Chase Foundation
Instead of relying narrowly on drought response as a short-term fix for water supply shortages, one of the best ways to prepare for drought is to have an excellent year-round water conservation program. Smart water conservation and reducing nonessential water use, such as watering the lawn in the middle of the day or washing cars during summer months, lessens drought’s environmental burdens and saves money by reducing the size of costly water infrastructure.
Did you know?
The best way to prepare for drought is to conserve water year-round. You can start by conserving water at home.
Thinking big? Contact your water supplier and advocate for improving drought planning in your area.
