Search results for drought
The End of La Niña

The End of La Niña

The weather pattern behind one of the worst Texas droughts on record is over. The phenomenon, called La Niña, is marked by a cooling of the central Pacific Ocean. It often leads to dry conditions in the southern U.S. and more rain in the north. The National Weather Service declared the end of...
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A Dry Month Raises Fears for Wildfire Season

A Dry Month Raises Fears for Wildfire Season

A drier-than-normal April has made firefighters worry about the risk of another devastating wildfire season. In the first three days of May, Travis County firefighters put out 12 brush fires. ...
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Beef Getting Pricey as Ranchers Restock

Beef Getting Pricey as Ranchers Restock

If you’re getting ready for the summer grilling season, be warned. You can expect the price of a steak or hamburger to be higher this summer, as cattle prices have been hitting all-time highs this year....
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Rain Staves Off Burn Ban

Rain Staves Off Burn Ban

Even with significant rainfall early this week, Travis County could be faced with another burn ban. However, forecasters are predicting another good bit of rain. County Fire Marshal Hershel Lee says if they’re right, Austin may be in the clear – for the time being, anyway. “When we get...
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Drought Cost to State: A Quarter-Billion Dollars

Drought Cost to State: A Quarter-Billion Dollars

A new report looks at how much the drought cost state government in the last fiscal year....
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Forest Service to Assess State’s Tree Health

Forest Service to Assess State’s Tree Health

The Texas Forest Service plans to take a long look at Texas’ trees to see how much damage the ongoing drought has done....
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Texas is Still Thirsty

Texas is Still Thirsty

Texas continues to slowly recover from last year's devastating drought. About 57 percent of the state is still in some stage of drought. At the height of the drought, 100 percent of the state fell under one of four drought categories with 85 percent of the state under the worst designation:...
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UT to Host Water Summit

UT to Host Water Summit

The Academy of Medicine, Engineering & Science of Texas at UT Austin will host a summit on water management next week. Scientists, politicians and water utility leaders will gather to discuss water security in Texas. Danny Reible, Ph.D., is the program chair for the conference and the director...
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2012 Texas Water Summit

2012 Texas Water Summit

[ May 20, 2012; 6:00 pm; May 21, 2012; ] Did you know that last year, Texas suffered the worst single-year drought in its history? Are you concerned that Lake Travis, Austin’s primary source of drinking water is less than 50 % full as we enter what promises to be another extremely hot summer? The...
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For Las Lomitas, Water Means Work

For Las Lomitas, Water Means Work

As we find in our series “On Dry Land: The Story of Las Lomitas,” for one community in Travis County conserving water isn’t simply a drought issue, it’s a daily chore....
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On Dry Land: Las Lomitas

During the exceptional drought of 2011 – many Austinites had to cut back on water consumption – turning off sprinklers, letting lawns go brown. But for one community in Travis…...
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Water Summit Pushes Awareness

Water Summit Pushes Awareness

The University of Texas hosted the 2012 Texas Water Summit yesterday. Scientists, politicians, and water-utility leaders came together at the conference to discuss Texas’ water security – in the midst of an ongoing drought. We can better prepare for a lack of water in the future, experts...
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The Texas Drought Is Easing, but Slowly

The Texas Drought Is Easing, but Slowly

An update today from the U.S. Drought Monitor shows we are steadily recovering from the worst yearlong dry spell in Texas history....
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