Texas House Speaker Joe Straus promised to work on water issues and protect private property rights at the Texas and Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association annual meeting Tuesday in Austin.
“When the 83rd legislature convenes in January, we’re going to have a unique opportunity to address the huge growth Texas is experiencing,” Straus said. “Water will be at the center of the discussion.”
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Higher prices have a way of grabbing attention, and many communities across Texas are raising rates to pay for new water supplies and to encourage conservation amid concerns that the lingering drought may portend a broader water crisis. Water experts say it is about time Texans placed more value on this irreplaceable natural resource, given the state’s rapid population growth and fickle weather. But raising rates often triggers public resistance in a state that is wary of too much government.
Full story at TexasTribune.org
The zebra mussel, a tiny, invasive creature that reproduces at astounding rates, is about to show more than a million North Texans just how big a pest it can be.
Though final details are still being ironed out, officials at the North Texas Municipal Water District say the wholesale cost of water for its 13 member cities and 41 nonmember customers will jump about 14 percent on Oct. 1 to begin paying off $350 million in bonds — with most of the money directly related to the troublesome mussel.
More info at dallasnews.com