Life By The Drop: Rice Farming After the Water is Cut Off
Ronald Gertson is a fourth-generation Texas rice farmer. Photo by Filipa Rodrigues/KUT NewsAudio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.
Last year’s drought forced Texans to take a hard look at their water resources. But in many ways, the crisis just underlined a scarcity already looming in the state. Most people in Texas live in urban areas, while most water goes to rural agriculture.
This week, KUT takes you on a tour of the Colorado River to hear from the people who depend on it for their
livelihood and to learn what’s being done to ensure an adequate water supply for the future. The coverage is part of a collaboration between KUT News, StateImpact Texas and Texas Monthly.
In the series’ second installment, we travel further down the Colorado River to visit a rice farmer in Wharton County dealing with the aftermath of the drought of 2011.
Ronald Gertson:
The 2011 drought basically sped up and brought to the forefront issue that we knew were already looming out there. Water is the thing that could potentially put a real damper on the industry in the long run. At some point, we’ve got to start preserving that water for agriculture at all costs.
Read the full story at StateImpact Texas.
KUT will air a special report, “Life by the Drop: Drought, Water and the Future of Texas” on Friday at 3 p.m. You can also pick up a copy of the July issue of Texas Monthly to read “Life By the Drop” stories. It hits newsstands Thursday.
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