Drought in North Tx

[Unclebuck257]

Our pastures here in Wise County have those big cracks in them too, and with the drought as bad as it is, for as long as it has gone on now, it's going to take a lot more than an inch or two of rain to start to correct anything around here. The grass in the pastures has been so stressed due to grazing and lack of water that I doubt it'll ever come back this year. If we don't get some more than normal moisture over the winter, next spring will be real bad too in the pastures.

Add in there the huge amounts of water used by oil and gas for drilling all these wells and fracking them, and IF some new regs aren't instituted soon, we could all be in real serious trouble in Texas. The biggest driller of water wells in this area was saying that the major water aquifer was down 100 feet from where it was prior to all this oil and gas well drilling and the water they're using. Literally, MILLIONS of gallons are being used and wasted by that industry, on each well drilled!! Knowing that, I laugh to myself everytime I see one of those ads on TV telling people to conserve water by not watering their lawns!

This drought in Texas is an extremely serious situation that is not being addressed by the powers to be with reality!

 

[gsganzer]

I'm worried that the entire state will be on fire this fall. The fire danger last year was bad enough, this year is a heck of a lot worse.

 

[wroughtn_harv]

Yesterday I was walking ten acres with a potential client in Lucas. When I noticed a big crack in the soil I'd stick my tape down it just out of curiosity. The deepest was over three feet. All of them were at least twenty four inches deep.

D Magazine's cover story this month if read with the front page story on the Dallas Morning News will put things in perspective.

My son in law commented the other day that his neighbors had changed it seems. A couple of years ago all the yards were kept up etc. Now they aren't.

I had to point out to him that we're not getting the rain we normally get and watering of yards is discouraged.

But it's not true of everywhere in Dallas. The biggest water user in Dallas that's an individual spends almost six thousand dollars a month for water on their small estate. They consume two hundred plus times the amount of water the average user uses in Dallas.

 

[Bird]

A couple of years ago all the yards were kept up etc. Now they aren't.

Yep, a year and a half ago when I first visited this neighborhood, one of the things I liked about it was that it appeared that most people kept nice lawns. And right now it appears that I have the nicest lawn on this street, and I'd consider mine to be in terrible shape.

I read that story in the Dallas Morning News about Highland Park residents averaging about 27,000 gallons a month while Dallas residents average about 8,000 gallons. And it must be nice to have so much money you can afford a $6k a month water bill.

 

[rox]

Bird,
The people who can afford $6,000 a month in water bills no doubt work for the oil and gas companies.

One thing I learned form reading this thread is that our soil must not be clay. Becuase we have only had it rain twice since March and then it wasn't really much of a rain. If we had clay soil we would for sure be having cracks. So our soil mus me more sandy. To me it is just real nice dirt.

 

[RedRocker]

Harlan Crow uses more than 1.8 million gallons a month on his 7.7 acres. His Dad, Trammel Crow uses 1.1 million. Oilman Edwin Cox and Jerry Jones use about 512,000 gallons a month. And I'll get a ticket if I'm caught watering on a non trash day, LOL.

 

[Bird]

Bird,
The people who can afford $6,000 a month in water bills no doubt work for the oil and gas companies.

Nope, Rox. Of course the newspaper, and RedRocker, named them. Now I don't know whether they've invested any in the oil business or not, but I do know that they are probably the most prominent real estate investors in Dallas. Way back in 1968, I was moonlighting for a valet parking service and we worked a Friday night party at Trammel Crow's home; no special occasion, he just invited a hundred or so friends for dinner that night; catered of course. At that time, I had a little 305cc Yamaha motorcycle that I rode to that job; got there early, and Mr. Crow came out to visit and wound up riding my little motorcycle around in his "yard". So that night, I also met his sons and wife. They're probably some of the wealthiest people in the Dallas area, and of course I don't really know them, but my impression was that they were also some of the nicest, most pleasant folks in the area.

 

[wroughtn_harv]

D Magazine has put the article online. http://www.dmagazine.com//article.asp?articleid=1126

I talked to a friend in Denton county today. He was hauling his last three cows to the sale barn. My steel supplier hauled a couple of calves to the sale earlier. He was sick over the price they brought. Seems everyone is selling these days.

The drought is affecting everyone on multiple levels. And I was told we were going to the most serious level of water conversation the first of September. That means no watering of yards, period. You already can't wash your car at home.

 

[BB_TX]

D Magazine has put the article online. http://www.dmagazine.com//article.asp?articleid=1126

most serious level of water conversation the first of September.

There has been a LOT of serious conversation about the water issue already. I understand there will be a more serious conservation restriction also.

 

[MF1455v]

The artical is a little old on the level of Lake Lavon. It passed the 10ft low mark a month or so ago. It was 14ft low last week. And thats with water being pumped in from Lake Texoma and Lake Cooper. Lake Cooper is also 14ft low.

If the growth of this area doesn't slow down everything in the artical is true. But I think it will happen ever sooner that the artical predicts. Artical in the paper back in May said that there was 52 people a day moving to McKinney alone.

James