Climate changes affect drought conditions
NTMWD extends Stage 3 water restrictions
Kevin Cummings
Staff writer, Plano Star Courier
With the water in the lakes around North Texas receding, leaving large portions of cracking soil where the shoreline once was, coupled with below average rainfall, the North Texas Municipal Water District (NTMWD) voted to remain in Stage 3 water restrictions at least through Oct. 31.
“It’s well known that we are years into an extended drought, and we’ve been here before,” said NTMWD Executive Director Tom Kula in a press release. “Granted, the recent decision made by the NTMWD Board of Directors to extend Stage 3 watering restrictions through the summer (watering only once every two weeks) hasn’t been a popular one, but it’s a decision that had to be made and for the right reasons.”
Recent data from the National Drought Mitigation Center shows the majority of Texas in some stage of drought, with parts of North Texas in either severe or extreme drought. Partially due to the drought, the city of Rowlett has seen residents’ water usage at 8.8 percent lower than forecasted, resulting in revenues declining by 8.1 percent lower than forecasted for the 2014 fiscal year.
According to Katherine Hayhoe, a professor at Texas Tech University and lead author for the 2014 Third U.S. National Climate Assessment, droughts are becoming more severe due to climate change.
“Over 97 percent of scientists agree that humans are the primary cause of climate change; we’ve always had these natural cycles of drought and flood .... climate change is exacerbating the natural cycle,” she said. “We’re definitely looking at an increased tendency towards drought in our summers.”
In addition to drought conditions in Texas, an increasing population and the increased need for water for irrigation of water for farming, ranching and fracking results in more water being taken from reservoirs and aquifers. For more urban environments like Rowlett, one of the largest uses of water sprinkler irrigation for front lawns. The NTMWD states that automated sprinkler systems account for more than 50 percent of water usage.
Under the Stage 3 water restrictions, residents are only allowed to water once every two weeks with no watering between 10 a.m. and 6 p.m., with certain exceptions. The goal of the NTMWD is to reduce water usage by 10 percent for each city on a month-to-month basis.
According to William Barnes, a greenhouse employee at Texas Tech University, one way residents can reduce the amount of total water needed is to use native plants and xeriscaping. Some types of grass, such as St. Augustine grass are native to more tropical regions, require more water. Xeriscaping is a landscaping that emphasizes rocks and plants like cacti over grass.
“Those plants have been here for millions of years evolving for this climate,” Barnes said.
The NTMWD has stated that if drought conditions continue, it could have to move into Stage 4 water restrictions, which would ban all outdoor watering.
“What’s happening is we’re increasing our demand for our water, just when our water supply is becoming more unpredictable,” Hayhoe said.