Is the Texas desert moving East? (Houston, Austin: amusement park, cost, agriculture)

[Mouldy Old Schmo]

With the exception of Houston, it seems to me that all of Texas's major cities are built in areas with insufficient rainfall. Farmers in the South Plains are sucking the Oglalla Aquifer dry. Unlike California, Texas can't rely on melted snow from a long range of mountains flanking its border for irrigation. What to do, what to do?

[High_Plains_Retired]

The Texas High Plains ranges from 300 to 3,000 feet in altitude. Most of Texas is a lot closer to the groundwater than we are. Pumping water for agriculture will eventually cost more than it's worth on the Texas High Plains and farming here will definitely have to change. However, for Texas in general, the State may not be flanked by mountains with snow melt but they are flanked by the Gulf Coast. They also have much of the nation's energy reserves to make use of the water from the Gulf if they need to.

As to Texas deserts moving east, as long as they don't move north, the Texas South Plains will not be affected. However, I don't know of any data that supports significant movements in any direction for the Chihuahuan Desert which is the only desert in Texas.

[Mouldy Old Schmo]

Of course I didn't mean the deserts would literally move!

[Trainwreck20]

With the exception of Houston, it seems to me that all of Texas's major cities are built in areas with insufficient rainfall.

http://www.wrcc.dri.edu/pcpn/tx.gif

SA, Austin, and DFW all have about 30 inches a year, give or take a few.

Compare to the Western U.S.:

http://www.wrcc.dri.edu/pcpn/westus_precip.gif

And even with all those mountains, CA has got to watch their water, too, as the mountains don't really get all the much precipitation.

El Paso, ofc, is a whole 'nuther thing....but El Paso has the largest desalinization plant in the U.S. that draws water from brackish bolsons below the desert.

[Mark Senior]

Not so funny, maybe, 20-30 years ago, a major amusement type park or development was talked about at some length for the area. Heck, it may have been 40 years ago.

[High_Plains_Retired]

Originally Posted by Mark Senior

Not so funny, maybe, 20-30 years ago, a major amusement type park or development was talked about at some length for the area. Heck, it may have been 40 years ago.

What area are you talking about?

[Metro Matt]

I'd say anywhere West of I-35 it starts getting pretty dry. East & Southeast Texas are relatively lush due to higher humidity & rainfall.

[High_Plains_Retired]

I meant where was the major amusement park planned?

[An0nym0us88]

Originally Posted by High_Plains_Retired

I meant where was the major amusement park planned?

I'd bet he's talking about being planned in New Caney, TX off of I-69.

[An0nym0us88]

If it weren't for Gulf of Mexico, the whole south U.S. would be a desert.