Texas Water Journal
Online, peer-reviewed journal for Texas
water resources management, research, and policy
22Jan
A Refined Hydrogeologic Framework Model for Gaines, Terry, and Yoakum Counties, Texas
Declining groundwater levels in Gaines, Yoakum, and Terry counties in the Southern High Plains have raised concerns about the amount of available groundwater and the potential for water-quality changes resulting from dewatering and increased vertical groundwater movement between adjacent water-bearing…
Read More04Feb
Commentary: Water Fuels Our Future
Sen. Charles Perry authors a commentary outlining water and flooding legislation he has filed in the 86th Texas Legislature. Editor’s note: The opinion expressed in this commentary is the opinion of the individual author and not the opinion of the…
Read More22Feb
An Internet for Water: Connecting Texas Water Data
The Connecting Texas Water Data Workshop brought together experts representative of Texas’ water sectors to engage in the identification of critical water data needs and to discuss the design of a data system that facilitates access to and the use…
Read More22Apr
Floating Solar: An Emerging Opportunity at the Energy-Water Nexus
Texas is experiencing tremendous growth, which puts pressure on resources including water and electricity supplies. Texas leads the nation in renewable energy production and is experiencing tremendous growth in the solar energy sector, with the Solar Energy Industries Association reporting…
Read More17Jun
A Tool for Rapid Assessment of Hydrological Connectivity Patterns in Texas Coastal Wetlands: Linkages between Tidal Creeks and Coastal Ponds
Coastal salt marshes are heterogeneous, spatially complex ecosystems. The degree of hydrological connectivity in these systems can be a significant driver in the flux of energy, organisms, and nutrients across the marsh landscape. In tidally driven systems, the frequency and…
Read More19Jul
Economically Recoverable Water in Texas: An Underappreciated Water Management Strategy?
Conversations about the value or “true cost of water” and the nationwide infrastructure maintenance gap encourage a reconsideration of the value of utility water losses. Water loss audit data for 2014 for two planning regions that are home to almost…
Read MoreImmediate Past Issue (2018)
13Mar
San Antonio’s Edwards Aquifer Protection Program: review and analysis
The City of San Antonio’s Edwards Aquifer Protection Program utilizes land and conservation easement acquisitions to protect the quality and quantity of Edwards Aquifer recharge. This review considers four key components of its viability: (1) establishing the need for action,…
Read More13Mar
The international law of transboundary groundwater resources
I once heard that water should not be considered a human right but a survival right. This simple statement can change the paradigm in which international law evolves toward the construction of an international groundwater legal framework, which today is…
Read More20Mar
Peak flow trends highlight emerging urban flooding hotspots in Texas
In the aftermath of flooding disasters, a temptation is to pursue recovery while also dismissing the event as unlikely to recur. Is it possible that underlying streamflow trends, which often avoid detection, help explain individual flooding episodes and should influence…
Read More15May
Effects of the Rincon Bayou Pipeline on salinity in the upper Nueces Delta
A pipeline to pump water from the Nueces River to the upper delta at Rincon Bayou was constructed to mitigate the reduction of inflow from impoundments. Pumping has restored ecological function to the Nueces Estuary by increasing inflow and decreasing…
Read More21May
Economic valuation of groundwater in Texas
Groundwater is a strategic economic asset, and recent Texas Supreme Court decisions have strengthened private ownership rights in groundwater. Despite the economic and political stakes, debate on how to actually value groundwater has been sparse. In response, this article sets…
Read More20Jun
Seasonal changes of groundwater quality in the Ogallala Aquifer
The Ogallala Aquifer extends beneath eight states in the Great Plains region of North America. It stretches from Texas to South Dakota and is among the largest aquifers in the world. In Texas, extraction of groundwater, primarily for cropland irrigation,…
Read More24Jul
Systems-level thermodynamic and economic analysis of a seawater reverse osmosis desalination plant integrated with a combined cycle power plant
This study includes thermodynamic and economic analyses of a seawater reverse osmosis (RO) plant integrated with a small-scale combined cycle natural gas (CCGT) plant ranging from 36–71 megawatts (MW). These analyses model electricity produced by the CCGT plant as power…
Read More21Sep
Integration of the Community Collaborative Rain, Hail, and Snow Network (CoCoRaHS) observations into the West Gulf River Forecast Center operations
This article will introduce the Community Collaborative Rain, Hail and Snow (CoCoRaHS) network and illustrate its integration into the daily operations at the National Weather Service West Gulf River Forecast Center (WGRFC). An example will be shown on how the…
Read More24Oct
Texas’ water quality challenge and the need for better communication in an era of increasing water quality contamination events
As Texas cities experience an increase in incidents associated with water quality contamination, the need for public education and engagement increases. The discussion in this paper identifies, based on publicly available data, three of the most common incidents in Texas…
Read More19Nov
Water security for Texas: a post-secondary education pathway for water workforce readiness
Water and wastewater industry leaders in Texas and throughout the United States have expressed concern over high rates of retirement eligibility and difficulties finding and attracting workers ready to fill job openings, especially for work in smaller systems. In late…
Read More17Dec
Surface water-groundwater interaction issues in Texas
In Texas, surface water is owned and regulated by the State of Texas, whereas groundwater is owned by respective property owners under the rule of capture. Owners of surface water rights, issued by the state, and groundwater may use and…
Read MoreVolumes 1 to 10 (2010 – 2019)
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SPECIAL ISSUE – Water Texas Style
Contents
Water, Texas Style: An Introduction. Extremes of climate and geography make managing water in a state as large as Texas a challenge. In response, Texas has created an array of institutions to handle that challenge. Author: Todd Votteler
Planning, Financing, and Providing for the Needs of 23 Million More Texans by 2070. People have been moving to Texas for decades with no signs showing that the migration is slowing down. How much water will they need, where will that water come from, and how will it be paid for? Author: Peter Lake
Groundwater Governance, Management, Regulation, and Emerging Issues in the Lone Star State. Groundwater provides most of the water that Texans use. However, groundwater supplies are projected to decrease by nearly a quarter between 2020 and 2070. As one of the last rule of capture states how is Texas managing its groundwater in the face of declining supplies? Author: Robert Mace
Surface Water Management, Regulation, and Flooding: Planning for Feast or Famine. The first major new reservoir in Texas since the 1980s is now under construction. Is Texas in the beginning of a new period of reservoir construction? If so, should all new water supply projects be required to provide flood protection benefits in the wake of Hurricane Harvey? Author: Sara Thornton
The Rise of Water Conservation and Efforts to Protect Environmental Flows. Texas first began to address the surface water needs of the environment in 1985. Conservation is now a major focus of the state’s efforts to stretch its existing supplies. What are these efforts and could they be examples for other states? Author: Kathy Alexander
Hands Across the Waters: How Texas Works with River Compacts. Many of the rivers in Texas are located wholly within the state’s boundaries. There are a few notable exceptions, however. How does Texas manage transboundary rivers? Author: Suzy Valentine
The Texas Energy and Water Nexus. Texas is both a major producer and user of energy. Some sources of energy relied upon by Texas use far more water than others and could be vulnerable to shortages during future droughts. Author: Gabe Collins
Water Research in Texas: An Ever Evolving Topic and a Highly Engaged Community. Texas has a robust water research effort spread across many universities as well as other institutions. How are these efforts organized and what is the focus of their research? Author: John Tracy
Water Education Leadership in Texas: Pathway for Students from Middle School to University Degree. Like most states Texas is experiencing a generational change in the water workforce created by retiring baby boomers. How will Texas fill the jobs needed to quench its growing thirst? Author: Rudolph Rosen
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SA’s Water Tech Startup Finds New Life as Nonprofit
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Commentary: Elequa moves closer to achieving founder's vision by tapping into its educational potential.Newly discovered mussels by Texas A&M Natural Resources Institute may help refocus conservation efforts in Texas. via AgriLife Today buff.ly/33LcgL1 #txwater #conservationmatters #conservation
Newly discovered mussels may help refocus conservation efforts in Texas | AgriLife Today
A team of researchers recently discovered two new freshwater mussel species in Texas, which may impact current conservation efforts related to the Endangered Species Act.New publication: Special issue of Water Resources IMPACT, Volume 21, Number 4, titled “Water, Texas Style.” - mailchi.mp/twj.media/new-texas-water-journal-article-loftus-948445
Cover image for Texas Water Journal Volume 10, Number 1: Painted Bunting at Madla Park, Grey Forest, Texas. ©2018 Grace Hardy.
Just out Texas+Water, Vol. 2, Issue 7, published by Texas Water Journal Texas Water Resources Institute & The Meadows Center for Water and the Environment. What's inside: Q&A: Roberto F. Salmón Castelo, Mexican Commissioner for International Boundary and Water Commission, podcast with Clint Wolfe & Daniel Cunningham, @AgriLifeWaterU and more👉
Texas + Water is a monthly newsletter published by The Meadows Center for Water and the Environment, the Texas Water Journal and the Texas Water Resources Institute and the Texas A&M Natural Resources...
Water, Texas Style! Download your FREE copy of Water Resources IMPACT. Texas Water Journal Guest Editor Dr. Todd H. Vottler's issue reflects a number of different perspectives on many of the elements crucial to the future water needs of Texas.
Consistently chosen by members as one of AWRA's top benefits, Water Resources IMPACT is a practical, solution-oriented magazine containing diverse and timely articles written for water resources profe...