The 2011 statewide drought is ranked as the most severe one-year drought on record. In the five years since, 16 regional water planning groups throughout the state have worked to develop regional water plans that would form the basis for the 2017 State Water Plan.
“On behalf of the hundreds of Texans that assisted with its development, we are so proud to make available the published 2017 State Water Plan,” stated a Texas Water Development Board (TWDB) news release announcing the plan.
Regional water plans are developed in five-year planning cycles and enable the planning groups to adapt to changes and apply lessons learned into the next state water plan. The regional plans are detailed, comprehensive evaluations that comprise 28 volumes and more than 20,000 pages combined, according to TWDB.
TWDB relies on the planning groups for specific advice and input as the experts on their local and regional water issues.
The plan provides a roadmap for how to address water needs that will accompany the state’s population growth by identifying specific water management strategies and associated projects and costs for communities across the state. The information shows how Texas can ensure adequate water supplies for Texas’ communities both now and in the future.
For an at-a-glance overview of the state water plan, see this infographic. An online, interactive state water plan provides additional information through customized views of planning data at the local, regional and statewide levels.
Read the full TWDB news release for more details.