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As Texas Drought Intensifies, Flowing Water Documentary to Air February 12

AUSTIN, Texas - With much of Texas withering in prolonged drought, an upcoming video documentary prepares to plumb critical issues involving water resource threats facing Texas and what people can do to protect the state's most precious natural resource. Texas the State of Flowing Water will air at 8 p.m. central time, Thursday, February 12 on all Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) stations in Texas.

• KERA: Abilene, Dallas, Denton, Fort Worth, Longview, Lufkin, Marshall, Nacogdoches, Paris, San Angelo, Sherman, Tyler, Wichita Falls

•KUHT: Beaumont, Galveston, Houston, Port Arthur, Texas City, Victoria

•KLRN: Kerrville, Laredo, San Antonio

•KMBH: Brownsville, Harlingen, McAllen, Mission

•KWBU: Waco

•KPFT: Midland, Odessa

•KNCT: Killeen, Temple

•KCOS: El Paso

•KTXT: Lubbock

•KACV: Amarillo

•KLRU: Austin

•KEDT: Corpus Christi

According to the Office of the State Climatologist and the U.S. Drought Monitor, more than 100 of the state's 254 counties are rated Abnormally Dry in a zone running from the Rio Grande to the Red River and bounded roughly between Bryan and Midland. The affected area centers on San Antonio, and radiating out from this epicenter dozens of Central Texas counties are now in Extreme Drought, with about 10 in Exceptional Drought, the worst of five categories. Some 90 counties have outdoor burn bans in place.

The Feb. 12 documentary explores human use of rivers and water resources, including the trend of off-channel storage reservoirs to meet future water demands. Impacts to the natural flow of rivers will be examined, including a profile of the Fastrill Reservoir project, which is proposed for the same area where a new national wildlife refuge is being created on the Neches River. It will look at recent legislation designed to determine the amounts of fresh water that should reach the coast to maintain healthy bays.

Climate change is a new topic explored in this latest TPWD documentary, which looks at how changing conditions could alter the ecology of Texas. It will also examine the importance of keeping Texas rivers flowing into coastal estuaries and bays. It will look at how increasing municipal demand has elevated the importance of water conservation measures. It explores the link between creek beds and aquifer recharge. It shows how more Texans are gaining an appreciation of our rivers and bays through the ever increasing number of designated paddling trails.

The documentary includes a brief look at the trend of green building and how simple steps people can take can collectively do a lot to diminish future water shortages.

The documentary is made possible in part by a grant from the federal Sport Fish Restoration Program, which funds nearly $18 million in Texas conservation efforts each year from boater and angler purchases of fishing equipment and motorboat fuels. It is an important part of a multi-year TPWD communication initiative called "Texas: The State Of Water," supported this year with additional sponsor funding from the San Antonio River Authority, Brazos River Authority, and the Texas Parks and Wildlife Foundation.

The one-hour TV program is part of a broader TPWD public information initiative begun with a special water resource issue of Texas Parks & Wildlife magazine in July 2002. It is the fourth in an award-winning series of water resource documentaries produced by TPWD and broadcast in partnership with PBS stations. The initiative also includes radio, Internet and other components.

Anyone can see a preview of the documentary on a companion website, Texas The State Of Water. This site also has links to water conservation tips, and after the show airs will present the entire program via streaming video, as well as a written transcript.

Media Contact:
Tom Harvey (512) 389-4453 or tom.harvey@tpwd.state.tx.us