Skip to main content

Drought

Two days into Stage One water restrictions, and I looked out of the window to see the guy over the road washing his car.

Admittedly, the restrictions don't actually forbid you to wash your car.  They limit you to using a hand-held bucket (does it count if you put it down on the driveway?) or hand-held hose "for quick rinses".  But they are pretty much "if you don't mind" rules at this stage anyway, with holes large enough to lose whole buckets of water through (hand-held or otherwise).  For example, we are now limited to watering our lawn twice a week, but this only applies to sprinkler systems.  You can still use a hose as much as you like, presumably on the assumption that you will get bored of standing there holding it very quickly.  And besides, everything you read about good watering technique says it's better to water thoroughly just once a week.  Our garden would think Christmas had come early if it got watered every three days!

So hopefully these regulations will make a few people think, anyway.  Goodness knows it's needed.  According to the U.S. Drought Monitor, more than three quarters of Texas is suffering from "exceptional" drought - the most severe stage.

Temperatures have been consistently above normal, while rainfall has been pretty much non-existent.  Recently we have had a few scattered showers, which is meteorologist code for "rain everywhere except here".

Data from Office of Texas State Climatologist. We are in DFW, just right of top centre.

Scary figures.  This year is officially the second worst drought that Texas has experienced.  The first was in 1950-1957, when there were significantly fewer people living in the state - 7.7 million in 1950 compared to 25 million in 2010 (source).  Fort Worth in particular is one of the fastest-growing cities in the USA right now, adding over 200,000 residents between 2000 and 2010 (of which we were three, of course!)  That's 200,000 more people taking showers, washing clothes, cooking and drinking.  And where is the water coming from?

Right now, nowhere very much.  A recent news article lists Fort Worth as one of the top 10 cities likely to be suffering water shortages in the near future.  The water district has gone so far as to sue Oklahoma to try and force it to sell Texas some water - a lawsuit that has so far been denied.  Even if it wins, it is still not clear that that would solve Fort Worth's water problems for very long - not if people continue to pour into the city.

So here's to yellow lawns and dirty cars.  Before too long, we may all have to drink to that.
Labels:

Comments

Amie said…
I'm here to tell you how much I enjoy your blog. You have a sharp, witty and consumable form of observation that is made even more delectable because it features my home state. Viva Martha's Marvellous Munchies! Amie
PS Really hoping Texas gets the rain it so desperately needs.
31 August 2011 at 16:27
Martha said…
Thanks Amie! Hope you and your family are all well.
1 September 2011 at 12:36
Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Derwent Valley: Reaching Derwent Mouth!

It was a much more sensible temperature for walking, and I was excited to explore Shardlow, a small village which was once a bustling port at the end of the Trent and Mersey Canal. This walk would take me to the end of the Derwent and on to the River Trent. I parked in the free car park off Wilne Lane and was soon crossing the Trent and Mersey. Shardlow must have been packed with pubs in its heyday, and a surprising number are still functioning. I passed the New Inn, the Malt Shovel, the Clock Warehouse, and the Dog and Duck. Heritage Centre St James' Church had an enclosed space at the back which seemed to function as library, meeting room, kitchen, and chapel. It was cosy and carpeted - much warmer than the rest of the church in winter, I'm sure. I felt as if I was trespassing on somebody's living room. The main church had numbered pews and a tall pulpit. I liked the patterned altar cloth. I was back on London Road - the old A6 into Derby - and it was a long straight stre...
Post a Comment
Read more

Trent Valley: Twyford, both ways

To complete my loop along the Dove Valley  from the mouth at Newton Solney up to Dovedale at Thorpe, across to Matlock on the Limestone Way , and back south along the Derwent Valley , I needed to walk one last section along the River Trent from Derwent Mouth to Repton. Originally I planned to do it in that direction. But for various reasons I ended up doing it the other way. The walk from Repton to Ingleby was completed weeks ago, at the beginning of June, and, for the sake of completeness, I also, later, walked from Findern to Twyford, on the other bank of the river. If I had done the walk sixty years or more ago, I could have crossed the river by ford or ferry at Twyford, and that would have been my most direct route home. the Trent at Twyford Walk 1: Repton to Ingleby Starting from the centre of Repton, I made my way out of the village and crossed the fields to Milton. Wystan Arboretum Milton The Trent Rivers Trust has been busy establishing the Trent Valley Way . This sect...
Post a Comment
Read more

Derwent Valley: Exploring the Astons

It was the hottest day of the year so far, with a forecast high of 32°C, and I was setting out to walk around three places with very similar names: Elvaston, Alvaston, and Ambaston. I was mostly hoping they would be shady! I was expecting to park at Elvaston Castle Country Park, where there is pay and display parking, but I spotted a large layby in Elvaston village, which was not only free, but also shaded by a large hedge. This meant that I didn't walk through much of the country park. Instead I skirted the edges, passing the village hall, with its decorative windows, and approaching Elvaston Castle itself along an avenue of yew trees. Elvaston village hall yew avenue Elvaston Castle was built for the Earls of Harrington and sold to Derbyshire County Council in 1969. Unfortunately the council is struggling to find enough money to keep the building in a state of repair. The castle isn't open to the public, but the gardens are well worth a walk around. The estate church, St Bart...
Post a Comment
Read more