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More than 80% of Texas is currently experiencing a persistent drought, resulting in wildfires, agricultural losses, and a depletion of water resources across the state.
Less than a year after Texas faced one of its most severe droughts on record in 2022, this year’s drought has arrived.
According to Texas State Climatologist John Nielsen-Gammon, we were fortunate to experience abundant rainfall in the final three weeks of August last year. However, this year, August did not come to our rescue, and although September has been slightly better, it has not brought about significant overall improvement.
After widespread rains in May and June that brought much of the state out of drought, Texas suffered through one of its hottest, driest summers on record. East Texas, Central Texas, South Texas and some parts of West Texas are now affected by some level of drought — areas where 24.1 million people live, according to Drought.gov. Nearly 40% of the state is in an extreme or exceptional drought, the most severe levels, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor.
Climate change both strengthens and lengthens heat waves, and the hotter temperatures make droughts more intense than they would be otherwise.
The National Weather Service forecasts that the drought will ease this fall.
In November, Texans will be casting their votes to determine if $1 billion should be allocated towards establishing a water fund, intended for the construction of fresh water supply initiatives.
Drought causes reservoirs to drop
The lack of rainfall has caused many public water systems across the state to issue varying levels of water restrictions or ask the public to conserve water, according to the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality.
Nielsen-Gammon noted that reservoirs in parts of Central Texas — which is facing its second driest summer on record for the second year in a row — are at record low levels: Lake Travis near Austin was 36% full on Thursday, down from 49% at the same time last year. Near Temple, Stillhouse Hollow Lake was 58.5% full on Thursday, compared to 76% this time last year.
In North Texas, North Fork Buffalo Creek Reservoir near Wichita Falls was only 29.7% full on Thursday, a huge drop from 49.6% last year.
As of Friday, the state’s reservoirs were 66% full, according to the Texas Water Development Board.
In an effort to bolster Texas’ dwindling water supply, state lawmakers earlier this year approved Senate Bill 28, which would spend $1 billion on new water projects and repair aging infrastructure. If voters approve it, the money would help jumpstart projects such as marine desalination and treating produced water — contaminated water produced during crude oil production — with an emphasis on helping rural communities with a population of less than 150,000.
“Small communities can’t afford to do those big projects anymore. … priority’s got to be given to the little guys,” said state Sen. Charles Perry, R-Lubbock, who authored Senate Bill 28.
As Texas continues to grow, lawmakers are worried the state’s water supply will not be able to keep up with demand as the state’s population continues to grow.
Perry mentioned, “We now have an increased number of individuals consuming water from the faucet. This situation has a multiplying effect. Although the drought may not be as intense as it was in 2011, the impact is greater due to the larger population affected by it.”
“It’s just another bad year for cotton”
Ronnie Schnell, an agronomist specializing in cropping systems at Texas A&M Agrilife Extension Services, explained that the spring showers greatly benefited the yields of grain crops such as corn and grain sorghum in South and Central Texas. However, the crops cultivated during the later months of the year have suffered due to the intense summer heat and drought, including cotton, which is known for its resilience in dry conditions.
It’s the second rough year for Texas cotton farmers, who reported $2 billion in crop losses last year.
John Robinson, a Texas A&M AgriLife Extension cotton economist, stated that cotton has a comparative advantage in hot, dry weather when compared to other crops. However, it is important to note that cotton can still suffer damage if it does not receive adequate rainfall. Robinson expressed that this year is yet another unfortunate one for the cotton industry.
According to Schnell, the current summer’s heatwave and drought have presented challenges for farmers to adequately irrigate their crops, despite having irrigation systems in place.
According to Schnell, during periods of drought and water resource scarcity, agriculture can be adversely affected due to the limited availability of water. This can hinder farmers from obtaining the necessary amount of water at the required time. Since crops heavily rely on water during specific periods of the year, its scarcity can significantly hamper their productivity.
Wildfires have slowed as fall arrives
The parched conditions have led to an active wildfire season: more than 1,000 fires have burned more than 120,000 acres so far this year, according to Texas A&M Forest Service.
While far below the numbers seen in 2011 and last year, the fire risk prompted 175 Texas counties to impose outdoor burn bans this summer, while Gov. Greg Abbott issued a wildfire disaster declaration throughout the summer and renewed it on Tuesday.
Brad Smith, head of predictive services at Texas A&M Forest Service, explained that as the environment becomes drier, wildfires become increasingly difficult to control. This is due to the abundance of vegetation, known as “fuel,” which ignites easily. The greater the amount of fuel available, the more intense the wildfires become. Consequently, the intensity of the wildfires makes them even more challenging to manage.
According to Smith, although rain in the past weeks has reduced wildfire activity, fires are still igniting across the state.
According to Smith, the agency addressed a total of 14 fires, which collectively scorched an area of 556 acres on September 22nd.
He mentioned that although there are still a considerable number of fires, the average size of the fires has decreased, and the extremely intense fires witnessed in August are no longer occurring. He expressed optimism that conditions have gotten better and expressed the desire for them to keep improving.
Disclosure: Texas A&M AgriLife and Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service have been financial supporters of The Texas Tribune, a nonprofit, nonpartisan news organization that is funded in part by donations from members, foundations and corporate sponsors. Financial supporters play no role in the Tribune’s journalism. Find a complete list of them here.
