Lake Travis is 61% Empty - Austin Water Supply Alternatives (Cleveland: to buy, salaries)

[CarnivalGal]

Our grass usually goes dormant in November anyway, and we don't water when it's dormant, so going to stage 3 then shouldn't really have much of an impact. And the heat won't be so bad (hopefully), so impact to foundations should be minimal.

However, my bigger concern is that next year will be a repeat of this year, in which case we're in serious trouble.

[CptnRn]

Originally Posted by neddy

I eat Texmati as much s the next person I do think that the farmers that are crying about being cut off (not till March and then only 170 farmers out of 250 from what I read) should have a plan and not put all the eggs in one basket. What I don't understand is that LCRA said this is emergency action to cut off..doesn't that mean immediate action is needed not 6 months down the line?

Why make a decision in January to cut off water in March, when winter rains could make that decision unnecessary? It would be an "emergency" measure IF implemented in March.

LCRA delays sale vote; approves water plan for rice farmers

The original plan would have cut off water, needed in the spring, to farmers based on lake levels in January. Public commenters criticized the board Tuesday for rushing to make a decision in January when water isn't needed until months later.
The new plan would instead look at lake levels on March 1, giving rice farmers two extra months for rainfall to boost lake levels.

Originally Posted by neddy

I think LCRA and Austin water dropped the ball not imposing mandatory rules earlier in the summer...I am not supplied by Lake Travis but Edwards Aquifer and we have had some sort of rules since last April and even on stage 4 ,no outside watering at all. The hoa had to close the pool early due to it, no refilling pools etc now we can water shrubs and trees outside once a week but that is about it. I think the city of Austin in this case needs to look at SAWS in SA because I think they do a much better job with water there.

Austin implemented Stage 1 water restrictions and made them mandatory since last summer. Austin has more water available to it in the Highland Lakes, then San Antonio does so there is no reason for it to take as extreme measures. SA gets most if its water from the aquifer, which has been hit hard. The Austin water supplies still remain in fairly good condition considering this prolonged drought. We have seen the Highland Lakes water supply get this low or close to it several times in the 35 years that I have lived here. The fall and spring rains have filled it back up to flood stage almost every year. Chances are we will see some of that again this year even with lower then normal percipitation predicted.

[CptnRn]

Originally Posted by keller52

Is it possible or even feasable to truck in desalinated water from the ocean or flood waters from the East coast? It may sound stupid but it is an idea that might need to be explored.

No, not feasible....

The Gulf is closer, if this were to be explored why wouldn't we be piping it in from the Gulf?

[mickey65]

Or may be even setting up a pipe line from all those areas that tend to get flooded back east and have it come down here to fill up our lakes.

[CptnRn]

Originally Posted by mickey65

Or may be even setting up a pipe line from all those areas that tend to get flooded back east and have it come down here to fill up our lakes.

Otherwise known as rivers...

[mickey65]

I was referring to all those STATES back east getting flooded.

[20yrsinBranson]

Originally Posted by mickey65

Or may be even setting up a pipe line from all those areas that tend to get flooded back east and have it come down here to fill up our lakes.

Mikey65, it's good to see that I am not crazy, because I have been saying this for YEARS. This country needs to install a network of viaducts that are capable of pumping water from areas that are flooding into areas that are drought stricken. It's not rocket science. Ancient Rome had these viaducts! If ancient Rome can do it, why can't we?

This, coupled with a comprehensive rainwater harvesting program would provide more than enough water for everybody!

Great minds think alike, I guess.

20yrsinBranson

[20yrsinBranson]

Even if they collected all the water from the air conditioning units in town, can you imagine how much water that would be? So much is wasted.


20yrsinBranson

[centralaustinite]

Originally Posted by 20yrsinBranson

Mikey65, it's good to see that I am not crazy, because I have been saying this for YEARS. This country needs to install a network of viaducts that are capable of pumping water from areas that are flooding into areas that are drought stricken. It's not rocket science. Ancient Rome had these viaducts! If ancient Rome can do it, why can't we?

This, coupled with a comprehensive rainwater harvesting program would provide more than enough water for everybody!

Great minds think alike, I guess.

20yrsinBranson

Ancient Rome was a city, you could do rainwater capture etc in a city but the engineering required to move water from Louisana or Arkansas (Mississippi river basin) not to mention the environment impact would be great. And the cost . . . it would be measured in trillions. It would be cheaper to move the people closer to the water than the other way around!

[cBach]

If you think about historical settlement patterns, towns and cities developed along the ocean or along rivers and lakes where there was a water source and reliable and cheap transportation.

With roads, the requirement to live on a major river is no longer valid, but reliable water sources are very important.

We keep increasing the populations in low rainfall states (AZ/NV/NM/CA/TX) and the population is decreasing in states where this is plenty of rain and then some (MI/NY/MA/CT/PA/etc...)

Oddly enough, the reasons why people move to the sunbelt is because of cheap raw materials and abundant land, but eventually will scarcity of water prevent growth?

When a steel mill went up in Pittsburgh, it would locate right along the river and have abundant and cheap water available. When a chip factory sets up in Austin, it uses municipal water that we don't have.

I'm afraid the pipelines may be the only solution to solve the drought issue here.