exTRA by the Trinity River Authority of Texas

The American West is experiencing its driest period in human history, a megadrought that threatens health, agriculture and entire ways of life. DRIED UP is examining the dire effects of the drought on the states most affected - as well as the solutions Americans are embracing.

On Sept. 30, the Buchanan Lake Village Landowners Association president, Theo Van Eeten, received a letter from the Lower Colorado River Authority, LCRA, informing him that South Street Park, the community-owned land, will now have free public access free public access for boating and general recreation on Lake Buchanan. The letter comes nearly a month after KXAN’s investigation addressed Van Eeten’s concerns about a land lease.

Gary Cheatwood, almost 84, has spent nearly half his life worried about a yet-to-be-built human-made lake that would destroy everything important to him. The threat of the 66,000-acre Marvin Nichols Reservoir has loomed for decades. He and other Northeast Texans have been fighting the project that would push them out of their homes, some of which were built before Texas was annexed into the U.S., since it was first proposed in 1984.

San Pedro Creek Culture Park is a one-of-a-kind urban greenspace on the western edge of downtown San Antonio. The world-class linear park is the result of a joint effort by Bexar County, the San Antonio River Authority and the City of San Antonio to transform San Pedro Creek into a restored natural creek habitat and greenspace, while also serving as a flood mitigation project.

People living in Hull and Daisetta, Texas have been without drinking water for more than four days. An estimated 2,000 people live in Hull and Daisetta combined. 

The state’s drought is bringing some unwelcome visitors to Central Texas. Due to the stress it has taken on trees, experts say Central Texans can expect to see more pests...and less fall colors this year. According to the U.S. Drought Monitor Monday, most of Central Texas is in ‘severe’ drought with some parts under ‘extreme’ and ‘exceptional’ drought, which is causing trees to show signs of stress...and insects like beetles and aphids feed on that stress.

Whether families pick them up at local farms for Halloween crafts or from the supermarket for a range of decorative and culinary endeavors, pumpkin season is in full swing in Texas. However, according to the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service, pumpkin producers in the state saw their second subpar season in a row, leaving fewer available to meet high demands.

At the Oct. 3 City Council meeting, Public Works Director Ken Gill explained that due to low flow on the Guadalupe River, the city is relying on its water reserves and alternate water permits to meet demand. Under Stage III restrictions, residents must limit certain types of nonessential water usage to the hours of 6-10 a.m. and 8 p.m.-midnight to avoid water loss through evaporation.

Off the corner of Abelino Farias Street and South Conway Avenue, the city’s only wastewater treatment plant has been operating since the early 1950s. The neighborhoods in the area were built decades after that. Mission Assistant City Manager John Paul Terrazas says because of the open carousels, where the water gets slushed around and treated, the wind may be a main factor why residents are smelling the rancid odors.

Phase I of San Antonio’s San Pedro Creek Culture Park is now open to the public after a grand opening ceremony on Friday and Saturday. The project celebrates the creek and its waters that over time has changed dramatically, and more than once.

The surging growth of North Texas underscores the need for additional water supplies to prepare for the future. Bois d’Arc Lake will help meet the needs of the District’s current customers and the estimated 55,000+ people moving to its service area annually.

There's a sticky situation happening in North Texas right now. Tiny insects called aphids are sucking the sugars from the leaves of mostly pecans trees and processing it out into a sticky fluid called honeydew. 

In a head-to-head presentation to the city council, three engineering companies presented their qualifications and abilities hoping to be picked to perform future water development services.

Design work is set to begin on several water and wastewater projects in Hutto following action from Hutto City Council. The first project involves improvements to ultraviolet disinfection equipment at the south wastewater treatment plant. The design agreement for the project totals $276,920, and engineering firm Garver LLC will perform the work.

According to the Texas Water Development Board, Lake Palestine is down 2.56 feet, and they aren’t the only ones suffering. Lake Athens is down 1.69 feet.

The City of Mesquite experienced a domestic wastewater spill from a 30-inch sewer main located at 3500 Lawson Road. The volume spilled was estimated at 200,000 gallons.

The unusual insect is known as the American snout butterfly, so named because it has a "prominent 'snout' formed by elongated mouthparts," according to Texas A&M's Agrilife Extension. Dan Hardy, president of the Austin Butterfly Forum, explained the influx of the butterflies.