“We have been in a historic drought for the past few years, but even before that, we’ve been using water from the Ogallala Aquifer at a rate which is not sustainable.” Julie Hodges, the Helen Devitt Jones endowed manager of education programs at the National Ranching Heritage Center, said the city of Lubbock has been […]
West Texas Water Issues
"We have had a drought that we haven't seen since the 1950s. It really started in earnest in 2011, went through 2012, 2013. This year, we've had quite a bit of relief, and so the overall situation is better for the year. Certainly, we are still way behind."
-- Darren Hudson
– Water Issues –
West Texas Water Issues Go Deeper Than The Ogallala Aquifer
Many West Texans have compared the weather conditions during the past few years to the Dust Bowl. Dust devils swirl around the plains as haboobs blow in and cover everything in chalky brown dirt, all while it is 92 degrees Fahrenheit in November. With increased rainfall in 2014, conditions are slowly improving. However, it will take […]
Majority of Lubbock Debt from Lake Alan Henry
“One of the clichés that we use is ‘we keep things flowing, so you can keep going,’” the city of Lubbock director of water utilities, Aubrey Spears, said. In November 2014, the Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts’ office released a “Debt at a Glance” for the state of Texas through August of 2013. This site recorded Lubbock’s debt […]
Fishing and Living on Lake Alan Henry
“We fish it ’cause it’s the only water that’s around,” bass fisherman Bob Newman said as he and Jerry Roberts cast their lines on Lake Alan Henry. Lake Alan Henry is located approximately 65 miles southeast of Lubbock and was built in 1993 as a reservoir by the city of Lubbock. The ongoing drought affects […]
The Crop That Will Save South Plains Agriculture
Looking across the South Plains during a certain time of year yields a sight of snow white cotton from as far as the eye can see. The little cloud puffs are what West Texas is famous for. But, soon the area may be known for another crop. According to Chuck West, Ph.D., a professor in […]
The Big Issue: ALS Or Water Conservation?
Searching “Texas ALS Ice Bucket Challenge” on YouTube brings up 327,000 videos, including ones from Texas Tech University. Searching “Texas Drought” results in 63,800 videos — just a fraction of the first search. Which one would you most likely look up? If every “Texas ALS Ice Bucket Challenge” participant on YouTube used two gallons of […]
Facts and Visuals of West Texas Drought
Timeline of Texas Droughts
Look at a timeline of droughts in Texas. Timeline Data Source: TWRI
– Statistics –
Water Levels for Lubbock
The Texas Water Development Board monitors water levels for the city of Lubbock’s sources. Daily and historic levels for Lake Alan Henry can be found here. Daily and historic levels for Bailey County well field can be found here. Daily and historic levels for Roberts County well field can be found here.
Historic Water Sources for the City of Lubbock
Throughout the years the city of Lubbock has had many different water sources. Aubrey Spears, the city of Lubbock director of water utilities, said that with the Ogallala aquifer being mined heavily for water, diversification of water resources was important. “When Lubbock began in about 1909,” Spears said, “a lot smaller than today, […]