Texas Water: the Drought that Drove the Creation of a Water Advocacy Agency

Part 1 in a Series about Texas Water and Conservation

The lifeblood of our planet is water. It takes center stage of all life. With 29 million people living in Texas currently, and 50 million projected in the next 50 years, water is among the most pressing issues we face. As our population booms and more water is pumped from wells, rivers and aquifers to feed boundless development, some wonder, will Texas dry up?

During the great drought that plagued Texas between 1950-57, more than 100,000 farms and ranches crumbled, and residents living in rural communities that made up more than a third of the population dwindled, as they moved into towns (npr.org) to seek work because of the shrinking rural economies. The economic damage resulting from crop and livestock losses combined with the migration to the cities was devastating. To protect such tragic events from occurring again, the Legislature created a water security system that evolved into the Texas Water Development Board (TWDB) in 1957 with the mission “to lead the state’s efforts in ensuring a secure water future for Texas and its citizens.” New reservoirs were borne out of this effect which effectively doubled the state’s water supply.

As Texas’ population grew, and to streamline data collection related to regional water needs, The Texas Legislature in 1997 passed Senate Bill 1, charging local entities to participate in preparing regional water plans every five years; with these plans and data, the TWDB then created a comprehensive statewide water plan. The mainstay of the plan has been to protect the state in case of drought, measured against the benchmark of the 1950s drought of record. The primary water usage categories addressed in both the regional and state water plans include municipalities, agriculture, manufacturing, livestock, mining and steam-electric power. 

Fast forward 16 years, and the Texas Legislature and voters approved House Bill 4 and HB 1025 that authorized a $2 billion investment, from the Economic Stabilization Fund, to the State Water Implementation Fund for Texas (SWIFT). The SWIFT was created to provide affordable, on-going state financial assistance for projects in the state water plan. The program helps communities develop cost-effective water supply programs by providing low-interest loans to fund water projects in the approved state water plan.  A portion of SWIFT monies must be spent on water projects in rural areas and on water conservation. Since SWIFT was established in 2015, the Texas Water Development Board has, through its innovative structure and efficient subsidies, helped finance the implementation of more than 50 recommended state water plan projects that provide roughly 1.5 million acre-feet per year of additional water supply; part of their long-term water development strategies. These funds, grants, and authorized loans keep the water flowing in communities throughout our state.

Currently Texas is operating under the 2022 State Water Plan, which was adopted in July 2021. According to the document, Texas will need an extra 3 million acre-feet of water by 2030. To visualize what an acre-foot of water looks like, which is about 326,000 gallons, imagine a one-acre plot of land, nearly the size of a football field, one foot deep. This means Texas will need to supply an additional 800 billion gallons of water to meet the demand in the coming decade. 

It is no easy feat to keep the water running, that is why in Texas, legislatively created agencies like the Texas Water Development Board are reviewed to ensure they are practicing efficiently. This process is known as a Sunset Review. A group of five state representatives, five state senators and two members of the public evaluate the practices of a state agency and make recommendations to the Legislature as to how the agency can improve policies or procedures to make the organization perform more competently. This year, the TWDB is up for review and the public is invited to be a part of the exchange to offer comments and/or suggestions as to how to improve the organization. Want to be a part of the conversation? You can submit your confidential recommendations via their online form here: https://www.sunset.texas.gov/input-form or send comments online at: www.sunset.texas.gov.