Texas drought eases, but it’s too late for some – Drought worsens in western U.S.
By Andrew Freedman
25 February 2012 (Climate Central) – Defying seasonal climate forecasts, this winter has been very good to Texas, which has been locked in the grips of one of the worst droughts in state history. But the unexpectedly generous winter storms have come too late for some, since water supplies are still running low. As I reported in late January, managers of the Lower Colorado River are likely to take the unprecedented step of denying water for rice growers in Southeast Texas, putting several thousand jobs at risk. Although the decision won’t be made until March 1, it is unlikely that Texas will receive enough rainfall to put reservoirs above the mark set by water managers, who must balance the needs of agricultural producers with the water demands of the city of Austin, power companies, and myriad other users. The Houston Chronicle reported this week that the Lower Colorado River Authority “may have no choice but to cut off the farmers. The Highland Lakes, two large reservoirs near Austin, must hold a combined 850,000 acre-feet of water by next week before the growers’ share can be released, under a drought emergency plan now in effect. As of Wednesday, the lakes had 830,000 acre-feet, 41 percent of capacity.” The fact that the reservoirs are still so low indicates the severity of the long-term precipitation deficit that Texas is still dealing with, despite a three-month period with above average rainfall. The rains have certainly eased the drought in the short-term, however, as seen in the U.S. Drought Monitor. On Dec. 6, 2011, 90 percent of Texas was experiencing between “severe” to “exceptional” drought conditions. In the latest update to the map, however, 67 percent of the state falls into that range, and a sliver of the state is shown to be free of drought conditions entirely, at least for now. […] According to Victor Murphy, the climate service program manager for the National Weather Service’s southern region, Texans should thank a combination of factors. First, there is natural climate variability, the effects of which are difficult to predict. Second, he said, the weak La Niña event in the tropical Pacific Ocean is playing a role. […] “The same anomaly in the jet stream that is causing the contiguous U.S. to have its fourth warmest winter on record through the end of January is mainly responsible for the wetness across Texas,” Murphy said via email.
The big question now is whether this wet weather pattern will last long enough to make a lasting dent in the drought. Unfortunately, the spring outlook still calls for below average rainfall. If this happens, look for a swift end to the recent improving trend, and drought conditions could worsen once again during spring and summer.
Texas Drought Eases, But It’s Too Late for Some 
By BETSY BLANEY, Associated Press
23 February 2012 LUBBOCK – One of Texas’ five fish hatcheries will likely suspend operations because of low water levels in lakes that feed it, state officials said Wednesday. Todd Engeling, the hatcheries program director for Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, said a closure would mean fewer fish available to sportsmen this year. A decision on whether to temporarily close Dundee Fish Hatchery west of Wichita Falls will come in the next two weeks. “It will last until there is enough water for us to operate with,” Engeling said. Texas is coming off its driest year on record in 2011, and levels in a lake that feeds the one used by the hatchery are low. The drought, which began in fall of 2010, caused wildfires statewide, cost agriculture an estimated $5.2 billion in livestock and crop losses, and left lawns, trees and pastures parched. […] Production of largemouth bass, the most targeted fish for sportsmen, would be impacted by the shift, Engeling said. “There’s a limited amount of ponds we have for production across the state,” he said. “Something has to give, so the squeeze right now is in the largemouth bass.”
Texas drought could close fish hatchery 
By Carey Gillam
23 February 2012 (Reuters) – Drought kept a tight grip on large sections of the United States, but recent rains put some of the most hard-hit areas on the road to recovery, a report from climate experts said Thursday. Recent rains and snowfall boosted soil moisture and started to replenish ground water supplies in key areas of the U.S. South that suffered historic drought in 2011. “It’s been pretty darn wet, the last 90 days … we’ve seen improvements,” said Mark Svoboda, a climatologist at the University of Nebraska’s Drought Mitigation Center. “It’s been very unexpected but very welcomed.” Moisture has been especially critical for Texas, and the state’s level of drought saw notable improvement over the last week, according to the Drought Monitor, a weekly report on drought throughout the country compiled by U.S. climate experts. In Texas, the levels of exceptional drought – the highest measurement – fell to 13.93 percent of the state from 20.41 percent in the latest reporting week, ended Feb. 21. Severe or worse drought levels dropped to 67.48 percent from 76.46 percent. Texas is trying to emerge from a year that saw records shattered for both high heat and lack of moisture. The one-year period between Nov. 1, 2010, and Oct. 31, 2011, was the driest in the state’s history, and the three-month period of June to August in Texas was the hottest ever reported by any state in U.S. history, according to state and federal climate experts. Conditions grew more dire in the west, however. California saw moderate or worse drought rise to 67.76 percent of the state, up from 59.06 percent in the latest reporting week. Nevada had 81.80 percent of the state rated in moderate or worse drought, up from 81.59 percent the prior week. Arizona saw moderate drought rise to 86.92 percent of the state from 80.56 percent. And New Mexico also saw drought spread. […]
