Contact: Kathy Wythe, Communications Coordinator
The drought in Texas and the Southwest is continuing in 2006, affecting farmers, ranchers and urban citizens. Lakes and aquifers are lowering rapidly, wildfires are breaking out across the state and cities are implementing water conservation rules earlier in the year.
When the drought will end, no one knows. However, solutions to many of the state’s water needs are within reach. Existing and new technologies can enable agricultural producers to increase irrigation efficiency and reduce water use. Desalination of brackish ground water and seawater, reuse of water from oil and gas production and municipal and agricultural wastewater are making “new” water available for other beneficial uses. Likewise, application of new technologies to public and residential landscapes can help all Texans conserve water resources.
The following information is a short list of links and contacts about the
Drought
| Web sites: | Texas Weather Connection |
|---|---|
| Texas Forest Service | |
| Keetch-Byram Drought Index (KBDI) | |
| Drought Monitor for the United States | |
| Contacts: | John W. Nielsen-Gammon, Ph.D., Texas State Climatologist 979-862-2248, n-g@tamu.edu |
| Jim Hull, State Forester, Texas Forest Service 979–458–6606, jhull@tfs.tamu.edu |
|
| Raghavan Srinivasan, Ph.D., Director, Spatial Sciences Laboratory 979.845.5069, r-srinivasan@tamu.edu |
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| Travis Miller, Ph.D., TAMU Soil and Crop Sciences Department 979.845.0884, td-miller@tamu.edu |
Alternative Sources of Water
| Web sites: | Texas Water Development Board’s Alternative Technologies |
|---|
Desalination of Brackish or Sea Water
An alternative source for water expanding in usage in Texas is desalinated brackish water naturally occurring from oil and gas production or seawater. In 2002, Gov. Rick Perry announced a seawater desalination initiative as one-step toward securing an abundant water supply to meet Texas’ future water supply needs. There are currently more than 100 desalination installations in Texas.
El Paso Water Utilities and Fort Bliss are collaborating to build the country’s largest inland desalination plant for municipal use. On the Texas Gulf Coast near Freeport, Dow Chemical is collaborating with Poseidon Resources to build a seawater desalination plant, which may eventually be the largest seawater desalination plant in the country.
Research at Texas A&M University and other universities is making headway on making oilfield “produced” water safe for drinking.
| Web sites: | Global Petroleum Research Institute |
|---|---|
| Texas Water Development Board Questions and Answers about Desalination | |
| Contacts: | David Burnett, Director of Technology, Global Petroleum Research Institute 979.845.2274, david.burnett@pe.tamu.edu |
| Bill Batchelor, Ph.D., Professor, Department of Civil Engineering 979.845.1305, bill-batchelor@tamu.edu |
|
| Jorge Arroyo, P.E., Texas Water Development Board 512.463.7847, Jorge.Arroyo@twdb.state.tx.us |
Reclaimed Wastewater
Reusing municipal and agricultural wastewater has been explored. Water reuse has the benefit of being a drought-proof water source. Treated wastewater is the only source of water that increases as economic and population growth occurs and the source of the wastewater is usually located near the intended use.
| Contacts: | George Di Giovanni, Ph.D., TAMU Agricultural Research and Extension Center at El Paso 915.859-9111, gdigiovanni@ag.tamu.edu |
|---|---|
| Naomi Assadian, Ph.D., TAMU Agricultural Research and Extension Center at El Paso 915.859.1908, n-assadian@tamu.edu |
|
| Onsite Wastewater Treatment Systems Bruce Lesikar, Ph.D., TAMU Biological and Agricultural Engineering 979.845.7453, blesikar@ag.tamu.edu |
Rainwater Harvesting
Rainwater harvesting is an innovative approach anyone can use. Even if you live where annual rainfall averages only 12 inches, you can save money by collecting and storing rainwater and using it to irrigate your trees, shrubs and lawn.
| Web sites: | Texas Water Development Board’s Rainwater Harvesting site |
|---|---|
| TAMU’s Rainwater Harvesting site | |
| Contacts: | Monty Dozier, Ph.D., TAMU Soil and Crop Sciences Department 979.845.2761, m-dozier@tamu.edu |
| Mike Mecke, Extension Program Specialist - Water Management, Texas Water Resources Institute 432.336.8585, MBMecke@ag.tamu.edu |
|
| Billy Kniffen, County Extension Agent. Menard County Extension 325.396.4787, BKNIFFEN@ag.tamu.edu |
Water Conservation
Home Water Conservation
| Web sites: | TAMU’s Home Water Conservation |
|---|---|
| Contacts: | Janie Harris, Extension Housing and Environment Specialist 979.845.3850, Jl-harris@tamu.edu |
Landscape Water Conservation
| Web sites: | TAMU’s Aggie Turf |
|---|---|
| Organic Lifestyles | |
| Aggie Horticulture | |
| Contacts: | Doug Welsh, Ph.D., Horticultural Sciences Department 979-845-8568, DWelsh@ag.tamu.edu |
| Roger Havlak, Texas Cooperative Extension - Turfgrass and Water Management 979.845.4826, RHavlak@ag.tamu.edu |
Agricultural Irrigation and Crop Efficiency
The depletion of aquifers and the increased competition for water by municipal and industrial uses have limited water available for irrigation. Under deficit irrigation, crops must be drought tolerant to withstand stress.
| Web sites: | USDA-NRCS Defending Against Drought |
|---|---|
| Precision Irrigation | |
| USDA-Agricultural Research Service Soil and Water Management Research Unit | |
| Contacts: | Irrigation management and drought tolerant crops Giovanni Piccinni, Ph.D., TAMU Agricultural Research and Extension Center in Uvalde 830.278.9151, g-piccinni@tamu.edu |
| Travis Miller, Ph.D., TAMU Soil and Crop Sciences Department, College Station 979.845.0884, td-miller@tamu.edu |
|
| Charles Stichler, Texas Cooperative Extension Agronomist, Agricultural Research and Extension Center at Uvalde 830.278.9151, CStichle@ag.tamu.edu |
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| Terry A. Howell, P.E., Agricultural Engineer, USDA Agriculture Research Service 806.356.5746, tahowell@cprl.ars.usda.gov |
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| Precision Irrigation Zhuping Sheng, Ph.D., P.E., P.HG., Texas A&M Agricultural Research and Extension Center at El Paso 915.859.9111, ZSheng@ag.tamu.edu |
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| Dana O. Porter, Ph.D., P.E., Texas A&M Agricultural Research and Extension Center at Lubbock 806.746.6101, d-porter@tamu.edu |
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| Leon New, Texas A&M Agricultural Research and Extension Center at Amarillo 806.677.5600, LNew@ag.tamu.edu |
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| Thomas H. Marek, Texas A&M Agricultural Research and Extension Center at Amarillo 806.677.5600, t-marek@tamu.edu |
|
| James P. Bordovsky, P.E., Texas Agricultural Experiment Station at Lubbock 806.889.3315; j-bordovsky@tamu.edu |
