Texas Water Matters


	Find Your Water Planning Region Region A Region B Region C Region D Region E Region F Region G Region H Region I Region J Region K Region L Region M Region N Region O Region P

Region A - Panhandle

2010 Initially Prepared Plan Information

Read the Initially Prepared Plan: http://www.panhandlewater.org/2011_draft_plan.html

Public Meeting: April 28, 2010 at the Texas AgriLife Research and Extension Center at Amarillo, 6500 Amarillo Boulevard West, Amarillo, Texas beginning at 6:00 PM, CST.

Comment Deadline: Monday June 28, 2010 at 5:00 PM

Contact/Submit Comments: Kyle G. Ingham, Local Government Services Director, PO Box 9257, Amarillo, TX 79105; ph: (806) 372-3381; kingham@theprpc.org

2005 Regional Water Plan Review

The following general review is based on the 2005 Initially Prepared Regional Water Plan (IPP).

Regional Facts

Major Cities	Amarillo
Population: 2000	355,832
Population: 2060	541,035
Total Water Use: 2000	1,943,551 Acre-Feet
Total Water Use: 2060	1,435,357 Acre-Feet
Primary Rivers	Canadian, Red
Major Aquifers	Ogallala
Annual Precipitation	16-24 Inches
Net Evaporation	48-56 Inches

Basic Plan Facts

The population of Region A is projected to increase by more than 50 percent by 2060.
Total capital cost of proposed water supply measures: Not available
No new reservoirs proposed

What's at Issue?

In 1995, 97% of the total water used in this region was drawn from the Ogallala aquifer. This aquifer, however, is being depleted and the current regional plan is proposing to deplete this resource 50% over the next 50 years. Because the aquifer recharges very slowly, this means that only one half of the current supply will be left for future generations. The plan emphasizes conservation strategies for irrigators, but lacks a long-term mechanism for achieving a sustainable management strategy. Much more can be done to help support the water demands over the planning period, including the environmental water needs of the region.

Action Items

Here are some of the items the Region A Planning Group must address.

Conservation and Drought Management
For conservation and drought management, the plan needs to...

Recommend advanced municipal water conservation efforts. The median usage in the region is 185 gallons per capita per day (gpcd) with a range from 333 gpcd to 75 gpcd. By contrast, the Water Conservation Implementation Task Force recommends a goal of 140 gpcd.
Include stronger industrial conservation measures.
Include drought management as a water management strategy. Each water user group with a shortage should use a drought management strategy derived from its drought management plan as a way to meet their water needs. The regional plans in the state are based on a drought of record and it only makes sense that drought management should play a large role in planning to meet the region's water needs during that drought period.

Environmental Flows
To secure the protection of flows for fish and wildlife, the plan needs to...

Recognize environmental flows as a water demand and seek to provide reasonable levels of environmental flows.
Assess the effects of planned future depletions and projects on environmental flows. This is especially important as the planning group contemplates a 50 percent decline in the volume of the Ogallala Aquifer over the planning period. When full, aquifers provide spring flows and dry weather flows for rivers and streams.
Designate stream segments in the region that meet the criteria as having "unique ecological value". The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department recommends 14 segments for designation in this region.
Provide detailed information about the springs in the region. This level of detail is necessary for evaluating the potential impact of proposed water management strategies.

Online Resources

Regional water plan documents can be located on the TWDB website.


		Contact the Regional Group Member who represents your interest. Contact Your Group Member Attend a Region A group meeting. Times and locations are posted on the TWDB website. Attend a Region A Meeting Here are just a few things you can do.


		sustainability


		Lubbock's conservation efforts don't wash, groups say Lubbock Avalanche-Journal, 3/8/10 Read Article Who's minding the water? Amarillo Globe-News, 11/25/2007 Read Article Future water woes? KVII 7 Online, 11/15/2007 Read Article Pickens makes a multibillion-dollar water play Bloomberg News, 11/07/2007 Read Article Rancher's land possible site for reservoir Avalanche-Journal, 3/26/2007 Read Article Suit could affect groundwater regulations 1/2/2007 Read Article Ogallala Aquifer starting to run on empty Express-News, 8/16/2006 Read Article Authority digs deep for water plan KAMR-Amarillo, 7/2006 Read Article