The hand-scrawled or spray-painted “Pray for Rain” road signs appearing all over Texas act as billboards promoting what many feel is our only call to action. Certainly, drought is on the minds of many Texans, especially in the Edwards Aquifer region, as it begins 2014 with the aquifer at uncharacteristically low levels for this time of year.
While numerous reports draw ominous parallels between today’s drought and the 1950s drought of record, farmers like Olan Karm are optimistic that “it’s only a matter of time and we’ll get rain again.”
He understands conservation and the importance of managing the water we have—making it last. He lived through the drought of the 50s and knows first-hand that if we “keep the aquifer full, it’s a win-win for everybody.”
In this exclusive premiere of the Edwards Aquifer Authority (EAA) mini-documentary “Dealing with Drought,” diverse Edwards Aquifer permit holders share their stories of resilience and conservation practices. Bob Rose, meteorologist with the Lower Colorado River Authority (LCRA), compares this current drought with tree ring data stretching back 1500 years. And while we can’t predict the duration or the intensity of this current drought, we can control our use of water, make appropriate preparations during the various stages of water reductions, and of course—pray for rain.
This film was shot on location in Medina and Canyon Lakes, Hays, Bexar, Comal, Medina, Uvalde, and Travis counties and features Roland Ruiz (EAA), Bob Rose (LCRA) farmers Olan Karm and John Persyn, municipal users (NBU and City of Natalia), and commercial industries (Division Laundry and Sea World) throughout our region who play an integral part in managing our shared natural resource.
Elizabeth Smith is the Director of Public Outreach at the EAA overseeing public relations, education outreach, online and social media presence, graphic design, printing, web design, and promotional partnerships.
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Another angle on water (or the lack thereof….) in So. Texas will be presented at the next meeting of the SA chapter of the Native Plant Society of Texas — Tuesday, Jan. 28, 2014, 7:00 PM, Lions Field Lions Field Adult Center, 2809 Broadway (corner of Mulberry & Broadway by Brackenridge Park), The presentation is titled “Water 101” and will be delivered by David Langford, who served in the leadership of the Texas Wildlife Association since 1986. David will present the complex web of policies, policy makers, and jurisdictions that determine–usually with little input at all from us – how water flows from its source to our faucets, and who makes the decisions during this journey. This is an opportunity to get answers to our water questions, to understand what we read about water issues, and, most importantly of all, to advocate effectively for environmentally sensible management of our most crucial resource. He will provide a detailed reference handout that will extend his comments and offer points of contact for engaging in water-related advocacy. More info at http://www.npsot.org/sanantonio.
Bronze-age shamanism is a poor substitute for ecological responsibility.
James, your point reminds me of Gov. Perry’s “pray for rain” rally a few years back. Rick wisely consulted the Weather Service before scheduling his event, which conveniently coincided with a bit of feel-good (alas, predicted) rainfall a few days later — of course, insufficient to change the drought situation at all. The only thing that rainfall irrigated was Rick’s rampant smugness.