exTRA by the Trinity River Authority of Texas

A Bee Cave city official said this was due to an increased number of residences irrigating their lawns amid drought restrictions. 

“We had a string of very hot days, and we had the highest irrigation demand that we’ve had so far this year,” Bee Cave City Manager Clint Garza said.

At a June 28 meeting, the Houston City Council approved an ordinance to add funding to ongoing flood-control efforts. Council members voted to approve the city entering into a second contract with HDR Engineering, Inc., a nationwide engineering firm that works toward construction and environmental goals.

Excessive demand for water amid ongoing line repairs has prompted the Texas Water Company to issue emergency drought-stage watering conditions due to low water storage. TWC officials said the low water storage could potentially impact the ability to provide safe, clean drinking water to its service area.

The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department said that since the beginning of the year, there have been 77 heat-related incidents reported at Texas State Parks, more than what was reported at this time last year. TPWD is asking visitors to stay safe and hydrated during the summer heat, as temperatures have been exceeding 100 degrees. 

If south Texas continues to experience dry conditions due to a lack of rain, the city could resort to a mandatory irrigation schedule. Officials with the City of Laredo are clarifying that right now we are under a voluntary water conservation period.

Opponents of the Marvin Nichols Reservoir were looking to have it removed from the state’s water plan this legislative session. That didn’t happen, but the reservoir foes walked away with a small win when, earlier this month, Gov. Greg Abbott signed House Bill 1, approving the state’s budget.

The new city commission is launching a series of workshops, planning to draft a budget aimed at capping proposed hikes in some of the Rio Grande Valley’s highest water rates while speeding up street repairs and boosting low employee wages.

The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, in cooperation with several organizations, is preparing to launch an “Operation Dry Water” campaign to raise awareness of the dangers of alcohol and drug-related incidents on the water. The campaign will also focus on enforcement of penalties for these illegal activities.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has put together a new proposal with the Lower Colorado River Authority to protect freshwater mussels in Texas’ lower Colorado River basin. The proposal, which is called a Candidate Conservation Agreement with Assurances, is an agreement between the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and landowners to help conserve habitats for at-risk species, the release states.

NOAA and the Office of the Texas State Climatologist have released an updated drought monitor across the Brazos Valley. While portions of the Brazos Valley managed to see some rain last week, those west of Highway 6 stayed dry. As a result, abnormally dry conditions have crept into Milam, Lee, Burleson, Washington, and Austin Counties.

As of June 29, the Lower River Colorado Authority is reporting combined storage is at 52% capacity at Lake Buchanan and Lake Travis. As we continue to experience a dry season, officials are asking cities that get their water supply from LCRA, to conserve water usage by 5 percent.

The two-year project will consist of repairing four of the piers, which were built in 1994, one in 1990, and docK “L” which was demoed in 2021. Corpus Christi Marina Manager Jonathan Atwood said they hope to begin phase 1 of the repairs sometime after Labor Day this year.

Minimal rainfall and the ongoing heat wave have resulted in a decline in the Edwards Aquifer levels. As of June 28, the 10-day Edwards Aquifer level average is 637.2 cubic feet per second, the metric used to measure water pressure, which is below the Stage 3 trigger of 640 cfs, according to New Braunfels Utilities. After nearly a year in Stage 3 drought restrictions, New Braunfels moved to Stage 2 on May 29 due to recent rains in the region.

The city of Coppell says power has been restored to a pump station that was knocked offline early Wednesday, temporarily interrupting the city's water supply. Even though the pump station is back online and the city's water supply is being replenished, Coppell City Manager Mike Land told NBC 5 Wednesday afternoon that residents and businesses will still need to boil any water to be used for consumption until at least Thursday morning.

Some residents in Ringgold claim they’ve gone days without water. Red River Water Authority admits they are having problems.

Some New Mexico lawmakers are warning that leaving farmland unplanted along one of North America’s longest rivers won’t be a long-term answer to ensuring Texas gets its share of the Rio Grande under a pending settlement that would end a yearslong fight over the river’s management.

The city of San Marcos will enter Stage 3 drought restrictions Sunday, due to dropping aquifer levels. The tighter restrictions will take effect at noon on Sunday, July 2. The city said Stage 3 restrictions are implemented when the 10-day average index well level on the Edwards Aquifer drops below 640′ above mean sea level. As of Monday, the 10-day average was 638.5′.

Fifteen-hundred residents of an overwhelmingly Hispanic community in Far West Texas now have access to clean drinking water thanks to state and federal grants. Vinton Mayor Rachel Quintana and other dignitaries on Tuesday celebrated the completion of a water distribution system several years in the making. It eliminates exposure to arsenic and bacteria that plagued the system it replaced.

To do this repair work, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Fort Worth District Water Management will begin drawing down the lake July 3, to a target elevation of 58 feet above mean sea level by July 17; normal lake elevation is 82.5 feet above msl. This action will eliminate lake access because all boat ramps on the lake will be dry.

Horseshoe Bay will continue with stage 2 water restrictions. The City maintains a twice-weekly watering schedule for all utility customers based on odd or even addresses, or if the customer is a commercial or multi-family property.