exTRA by the Trinity River Authority of Texas

The welcome sight of rainfall in East Texas has some thinking we’re out of fire danger and burn bans will be lifted. But that’s nowhere near the case.

Brownsville Mayor John Cowen says the city's desalination project can help with sustainability. He noted that 70 percent of the city's water currently comes from the Rio Grande.

Fort Worth city council approved a 5% increase to the stormwater utility fee during their regular meeting Oct. 29. During her presentation to council, Jennifer Dyke, assistant director of the city’s stormwater program, said the increase in fees will help pay for much-needed rehabilitation to a portion of the city’s drainage pipe system. 

Monty Clark works with the cattle on his ranch Tuesday off County Road 3655 between Boonsville and Cottondale. He is concerned about biosolids affecting his property after an investigation in Johnson County revealed high levels of potentially harmful chemicals in samples tested adjacent to a biosolid fertilizer application site.

After several decades, hundreds of Canutillo residents will soon have water and wastewater services for the first time. On Wednesday morning, El Paso County held a groundbreaking ceremony for a new project that will bring water and wastewater services to 12 different unincorporated Canutillo communities that haven't had that infrastructure for more than 30 years.

The Lake Houston Dam Spillway Improvement Project has entered Phase 2 following the unanimous approval of an interlocal agreement between the city of Houston and the Coastal Water Authority during the Sept. 10 Houston City Council meeting. The long-awaited Lake Houston Dam Spillway Improvement Project has been in the works since 2017 when Hurricane Harvey highlighted the shortcomings of the 71-year-old structure.

The City of Victoria has moved to Stage II of its drought contingency plan, asking residents to conserve water due to low Guadalupe River levels. The city entered Stage II after rainfall shortages caused river flow to drop to 150 cubic feet per second, a trigger for increased restrictions. Under Stage II, the city cannot pump from the river, so water use must be reduced.

The stem density removal initiative aims to maintain the integrity of the original tree canopy while eliminating so-called “volunteer” trees and shrubs that encroach on a stretch of the San Antonio River. These saplings grow independently from a seed rather than being planted intentionally and can interfere with flood protection.

Raymondville city leaders broke ground on a $10 million dollar drainage project Thursday that's aimed at alleviating flooding in the area that was heavily affected by heavy storms in 2019. In 2021, the Texas General Land Office awarded Raymondville a grant to cover the cost of the project.

The City of San Marcos announced Thursday that they will enter Stage 3 drought restrictions beginning Sunday at noon. This is the first time San Marcos has reached this stage since the ordinance was updated on April 16th of this year.

The river is a top destination for water sports and nature enthusiasts, but concerns are growing as rainfall continues to elude the area.

Construction for the Colorado River pump station and waterline will begin in the coming months following City Council approval of three separate developer contracts Oct. 22. These agreements are “a great milestone” for the project, Pflugerville Assistant City Engineer Jeff Dunsworth said.

A yearslong dispute over exporting water to growing Texas cities offers a hint at the battles to come as the state’s population booms and water supply dwindles.

Marvin Nichols Reservoir was proposed nearly 50 years ago, but if a recent public meeting was any indication, the topic is far from being water under the bridge. The Northeast Texas Region D Water Planning Group met Wednesday to discuss the controversial reservoir. The meeting drew a packed crowd to the Region 8 Education Service Center for an opportunity to speak on a Texas Water Development Board draft report on the feasibility of the project, and there was no shortage of fiery comments in the three-hour-plus meeting.

At an Oct. 28 meeting, Katy City Council approved a $551,280 design contract with ARKK Engineers LLC for the West Katy Drainage Improvement Project. The project area includes several subdivisions such as Bartlett, Westland Estates and Oman, according to agenda documents. 

Dozens of sign-bearing, jean-sporting northeast Texans packed the meeting hall of a community center outside Pittsburg on Wednesday afternoon. A roughly 30-mile drive north along U.S. 271 — two and a half hours from Fort Worth — sat the subject of their fears and frustrations: tens of thousands of acres of forest, pasture, and wetland some Texas water planners hope to convert into a 66,000-acre reservoir preemptively christened Marvin Nichols.

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton announced Tuesday that his office is suing the U.S. Department of the Interior, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and Biden administration officials for declaring six freshwater mussel species endangered and another threatened earlier this year.

City crews in Beaumont and the surrounding area are responding to a growing number of water line breaks stemming from the extremely dry weather. The City of Beaumont says the numbers rival the responses last year when water line breaks spiked in the drought.

An ongoing drought in Texas has worsened the condition of the local aquifer and has impacted the river's water levels. Even with some rain on the forecast, Gov. Greg Abbott's disaster declaration for elevated wildfire risk is still in effect.

The Pflugerville City Council on Tuesday unanimously approved $105 million to begin construction of a 15-mile water pipeline that will double the amount of water going to the city. Construction is set to begin imminently.

Farmers say they want the water, but not if it goes against the allotment they need for the spring planting season.

The Lorena Utility Department noticed a leak in the downtown water tower on October 14.