Sustainability

I asked a contact of mine at the Texas Water Development Board if there was anyone (that he knew of) looking at plans beyond the current planning horizon of 2060.  It appears doubtful that we'll have enough water even for this target date because of the huge problem of trying to pay for the needed infrastructure to develop new sources of supply (reservoirs, trans-basin transfers, etc).  Texas can't even come up with the funding to educate it's young people TODAY much less pay for something we'll need in the future.  No politician is going to champion the cause because it would never get them elected and certainly wouldn't get them reelected in the current political climate. 

So, it appears to me that the current planning process is not sustainable and, short of some sort of population control <shudder>, Texans and Texas business will be forced to go where the water is.  I think that may be happening for some industries in western states already.  It could completely reshuffle the economic deck and leave Texas in stagnation until the Gov'ment finally  bites the bullet.

Things can always change unexpectedly but, IMHO, it will require intervention by something or someone not yet on the radar screen.

ULMA 2012

I really enjoyed our most recent University Landscape Managers Association conference... lots of old friends and met a few new folks.  Once again, I got the opportunity to present about my favorite topic... landscape water management! Wish I had a bit more time but I still believe it's good to just have the topic broached once in a while. 

Happy New Year!

Lying in bed at about 5:00 a.m. the first day of 2012, I got the idea to create this blog.  Not a new idea for me but now it's done.  The more I think about the irrigation and landscape industry, the more I think that we need more "water managers" or at least need more of the current professionals to accept that as a part of their role.  Thank you, David Peters, for spurring me on!