Water Drought in Texas- 1950s vs NOW (San Antonio, Abilene: home, school)

[wehotex]

We are always hearing that Texas hasn't faced such a lack of water since the 1950s, but is this relative to the much lower population that Texas had back then?

[losttechnician]

The measure of a drought has nothing to do with population.

[Restrain]

The water we had was brown, smelly. The difference was that we didn't have the restrictions on building dams. Many of the dams we have today were either built or authorized during that period. So when the drought broke, dams filled up in a year.

[wehotex]

Originally Posted by losttechnician

The measure of a drought has nothing to do with population.

I'm not talking about rainfall alone, but supplies, groundwater sources, conservation techniques, etc. If I was referring to rainfall alone, the answer would be No since we obviously have many more people. I'm curious if we are in a better or worse situation now than then?

[losttechnician]

Originally Posted by wehotex

I'm not talking about rainfall alone, but supplies, groundwater sources, conservation techniques, etc. If I was referring to rainfall alone, the answer would be No since we obviously have many more people. I'm curious if we are in a better or worse situation now than then?

However your subject "Water Drought in Texas- 1950s vs NOW" specifically says DROUGHT, which is a lack of rainfall. One might even argue that 'water' and 'drought' are redundant in this case.

If you are interested in supplies, groundwater sources, and conservation techniques maybe you should have asked your question differently.

In many highly populated areas, potable water is sourced from surface water created by dams, the levels behind those dams are tied very closely to the amount of rainfall received as well as consumption of those resources.

In many rural areas, groundwater is used, the levels of which again are tied closely to amount of rainfall received and consumption of the resources.

We are always hearing that Texas hasn't faced such a lack of water since the 1950s, but is this relative to the much lower population that Texas had back then?

If you are wanting to quantify the amount of water per person in the state today, compared to the same period in the 1950's, I don't have the data for you nor do I have any idea where to send you to find it.

If you want subjective opinions, there will be plenty coming your way. Understand that the water situation is different all across the state, and whatever opinions you gather won't be worth much more than their weight.

My worthless opinionated input from the Texas Panhandle says we are darned dry. Water restrictions are likely this summer again, and our area lakes are so low that water is no longer pumped from them for drinking, instead the well fields are heavily relied on. I can't compare to the 1950's though, since #1 I was not around then, and #2 much of the lake system we have around here did not exist in the form we have it now.

Water rights in Texas are like much of the rest of the country, becoming more valuable every year.

[rynetwo]

San Antonio Area

Edwards aquifer hit a low around 621 feet in 1955 and today's level is roughly 636 feet.

San Antonio had 500,460 people in 1950 and today it has 2,277,000.

I would say 1950 was still way worse given the huge population increase in our area, but I don't have any facts for the panhandle that was hit the hardest during the dust bowl.




Moderator cut: link removed, linking to competitor sites is not allowed

http://recenter.tamu.edu/data/pop/popm/cbsa41700.asp

http://edwardsaquifer.org/

[shyguylh]

Given the huge amount of rain we've had in northeastern TX lately, and in prior days as well, I think any notion that we're in a "drought" around here anyway is absolutely silly at this point, unless what is being discussed here as a "drought" is different than what I'm thinking of.

I am NOT saying this to "hijack" the thread or rile up anyone with regards to the discussion, rather this: the people around here, I swear if it hasn't rained in the prior 3 days, they are yelling "We need rain now! It's so dry!" almost in an apocalyptic sort of way. You get tired of it. Apparently some people around here think we're in a "drought" unless the ground is perpetually soggy and mushy. I bet you within 5 days of right now, fresh on the heels of freaking FLOOD watches and warnings (second one in the last 2-3 weeks in fact), if it hasn't rained again they'll be going "man, it sure is dry, we need some more rain." Ugh. Me: it's not a "drought" until the lake levels are crazy low (they sure were in 2011, for sure), the grass is brown, the woods become dangerously flammable and the dirt is almost like a rock it's so dry and hard.

[Trainwreck20]

it's not a "drought" until the lake levels are crazy low (they sure were in 2011, for sure), the grass is brown, the woods become dangerously flammable and the dirt is almost like a rock it's so dry and hard.

Still describes a lot of the state, though....lake 'jumped' up 6" here due to rain....and I am happy it is something! But it is still at something like 34% capacity and that is after cutting off down-stream agriculture the last two years...

[TT Dave]

Originally Posted by Trainwreck20

Still describes a lot of the state, though....lake 'jumped' up 6" here due to rain....and I am happy it is something! But it is still at something like 34% capacity and that is after cutting off down-stream agriculture the last two years...

Yeah, many of us out here in West Texas are still in a drought. The lakes we use for city water here in Abilene are getting low so we badly need significant rainfall here soon. The mayor of Abilene has already warned us that unprecedented water rationing is possible this summer. My family moved to this area back in 1976 and this is by far the worst drought that we've had since then. I'm praying for rain every day!

[lonestar2007]

In times of droughts everything is affected, the lakes, rivers, streams, water tables, etc. When there is more water being used than Mother Nature supplies, all these sources are deleted to some extent.

In severe droughts, more drilling and deeper drilling is done and thus reduces the level of the water table which will make shallow wells go dry and has even in some cases caused the surface land to drop.

Texas has such varied climates within the state that sure, some areas are harder hit than others by droughts.

I see more and more cactus in the area where I live (north Texas) and I would have never thought I would see it this far north. I have seen pastureland lose a good 30 to 40 and in some cases 50% of it's grass, just large bare areas and sparse grass with mostly weeds. It is pitiful.

We are already on water restrictions here and I expect them to get increasingly stricter. We had a good rain 2 days ago and boy, was it a welcomed sight. I thank God for it.

I don't know the answer to the question of this thread though. Hopefully there will be some who have a better knowledge on it, who will respond. I would say we're probably pretty much in the same position though, and that is finding more ways to get water and more ways to conserve water.

As to the individual aspects of it, I get very depressed seeing the land dry up, the stock tanks go down to a muddy hole, selling good cattle you want desperately to keep, but there's no forage or water for them, so yes, I think this is horrible. Then I see on the TV pictures of a farmer's vast field of crops withered away and think, that is their very livelihood and just imagine the pain they are feeling.

I studied the dust bowl of the 30's in school and knew it was bad, but it really hit home even more when I saw the PBS film made about it. Don't you know the people who lived through that period thought they had died and gone to hell. I'm sure the farmers and ranchers back in the 50's in Texas felt about the same way.

Some people say, "There ain't no hell" but they've never farmed, so how can they tell?

TT Dave, I'm right in there with you praying for rain.