The Texas Water Journal has published a new article in the Volume 11 issue titled “Exploring Groundwater Recoverability in Texas: Maximum Economically Recoverable Storage,” by Justin C. Thompson, Charles W. Kreitler and Michael H. Young.
The 2017 Texas state water plan projects total water supply deficits of 4.8 and 8.9 million acre-feet under drought-of-record conditions by the year 2020 and 2070, respectively.
Reductions in groundwater supply account for 95% of anticipated declines in total water supply. According to the abstract, Texas’ best estimates of recoverable groundwater volumes reflect only the volume in storage and take no account of well design or economic constraints.
This study addresses the question: What are the economic and physical limits to recoverability? The authors suggest that Texas groundwater managers, stakeholders, and policymakers assessing groundwater availability need an alternate approach for estimating recoverability.
The journal — an online, peer-reviewed journal published by the nonprofit The Texas Water Journal and the Texas Water Resources Institute — publishes papers as they are completed. It is devoted to the timely consideration of Texas water resources management, research and policy issues from a multidisciplinary perspective that integrates science, engineering, law, planning and other disciplines. It also provides updates on key state legislation and policy changes by Texas administrative agencies.
Subscribe to receive emails when papers are published.