Another day of 100-degree-plus temperatures, another day of drought here in the Lone Star State. Our secessionist-in-chief Rick Perry is outside the drainage basin pursuing his presidential aspirations. He’d better hurry, as there are more signs every day that our “Texas miracle” is more of a “Texas mirage”.
As the drought continues, losses are already in the billions:
“This year’s drought in Texas has become the most costly on record, leading to $5.2 billion in agricultural losses, according to Texas AgriLife Extension Service economists.
They attribute the losses to farmers not being able to cash in crops during periods of high commodity prices. When calculating the loss, economists considered increased cost of feeding due to lack of pastures, fewer pounds sold per calf and lower market prices due to a large number of cattle sold in a short period of time.
Commodity losses included:
• Livestock: $2.06 billion (includes $1.2 billion previously reported in May);
• Lost hay production value: $750 million;
• Cotton: $1.8 billion;
• Corn: $327 million;
• Wheat: $243 million; and
• Sorghum: $63 million.
The losses do not include those by fruit and vegetable producers, horticultural and nursery crops or other grain and row crops.”
Source: TX Drought Costs
As described in my recent diary our Texas drought has adversely impacted nearly every aspect of our agriculture, tourism, urban, suburban, and rural life. While it’s an amusing topic for late-night talk shows and the blogosphere, it has been truly tragic for families who have been forced to give up farming or ranching after generations in the business.
Follow along below the dried-up lake bed for more depressing news...
Not surprisingly, water has been an essential element in the Texas success story. We take it for granted much of the time, but as our insufferable governor continues to crow about "his" many achievements in creating a business-friendly climate where jobs can flourish, people are starting to pay attention.
From a report by Patricia Kilday Hart and Gary Scharrer of the Houston Chronicle’s Austin bureau:
“With the population of Texas expected to double by the year 2050, Gov. Rick Perry is fond of saying that people have been “voting with their feet” for the state’s conservative governing principles. The additional population, however, has severely strained the state’s infrastructure.
As Texas endures its most severe one-year drought in its history, state leaders have identified $53 billion in state investments needed to expand water capacity by 2060 but have not resolved how to pay for it. Unless Texas increases its water resources, experts say 83 percent of Texans will not have an adequate supply of water in times of drought.”
From the Houston Chronicle story cited above:
"Former state Rep. Ron Lewis, who chaired the House Energy Resources Committee and now is a lobbyist with several water district clients, said the current drought demonstrates the state is running out of time.
“There’s no way we’re going to have enough water 50 years from now to take care of the population growth,” he said. “We’re now in a situation where we may not be able to take care of the water needs in this state for the next 15 years.”
According to Lewis:
“Texans…must invest in more reservoirs and in pipelines to carry water from existing East Texas reservoirs to the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex, which would use the water before discharging it in a network of pipelines connecting Austin, San Antonio and South Texas in addition to Houston and Corpus Christi.
The combination of continuing population growth and continuing drought, Lewis predicted, eventually will grab everyone’s attention as water wells dry up and some families will be limited to weekly showers while cities fight over water with agriculture users.
Texas has not opened a major reservoir since 1987, though a small one near Nacogdoches was completed in 2005.
Reservoirs can cost between $13 million and $2 billion – depending on size and location, according to the Texas Water Development Board.”
Please don’t suggest that we raise taxes or assess any sort of fees to pay for these improvements. That's never going to happen under this governor's reign of error.
As Perry is fond of pointing out, all that’s needed is continued prayer. We’ll just turn this one over to God and let him sort it out.