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Conserving water is a smart strategy to employ before the next drought

The state will suffer through droughts in the future; now is the time to prepare for them.

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More than a half-million gallons of water per second pour through the Lake Livingston Dame May 28, 2015. Flooding from May's record rains is having short-term negative effects on inland and coastal fishing but should have long-term benefits for fish and fishers. (Jason Fochtman/Conroe Courier via AP)
More than a half-million gallons of water per second pour through the Lake Livingston Dame May 28, 2015. Flooding from May's record rains is having short-term negative effects on inland and coastal fishing but should have long-term benefits for fish and fishers. (Jason Fochtman/Conroe Courier via AP)Jason Fochtman/MBR

The last few weeks have been hot and dry in our area. Still depending on what indicators you use, most of Texas - including Harris County - is no longer experiencing drought.

That's great news for our state, which has endured drought conditions since 2010.

The bad news: Harris County - along with the rest of Texas - will suffer through droughts again if history is any guide, and future droughts will likely be aggravated by climate change. A new bipartisan report states: "By the end of the century, the Southeast and Texas will likely experience dangerous levels of extreme heat." Hotter temperatures will only increase the need for water for farms, fish and people.

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Careful planning to take care of our state's future water needs is crucial, especially given our area's explosive growth.

The Region H water group, representing a broad swath including Houston and parts of East Texas, is in the process of drafting its plan to submit to the Texas Water Development Board, the agency that sets water policy, for its review and approval. The public has the opportunity to comment on the draft, available on the Water Development Board's web site, through Sept. 1.

While our region's draft plan represents progress on water conservation, it does not include a recommendation to restrict outdoor water use in our area. It should.

Our trees are a major natural resource, and some would say Houston's only claim to natural beauty. But a growing body of evidence suggests that our yards could get by with a lot less water than is typically applied, Ken Kramer, Water Resources Chair of the Lone Star Chapter Sierra Club, told the Chronicle editorial board in a recent meeting.

The Woodlands, a forested community, has seen its water usage drop 13 percent from 2012 to 2013 since implementing an ordinance restricting watering to no more than twice a week. The trees - those that haven't been cut down by developers - are still healthy, according to a recent report.

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Other major cities in Texas are ahead of Houston in establishing similar policies to promote water conservation. In Fort Worth, Dallas and Irving, homeowners can water no more than twice a week. In Austin, watering is limited to once a week.

If the regional water group was to amend its draft plan to recommend restricting watering to two days a week, the recommendation wouldn't have the force of law. City Hall would still have to debate and then act to impose any legal restriction on outdoor water use.

But a recommendation would be a good way to get the attention of our next mayor and City Council and to jump start the conversation about the critical importance of water conservation. Comments urging the board to make the recommendation can be sent by email to info@regionhwater.org or to the address indicated on the Region H website (http://www.regionhwater.org/).

Water conservation enables cities to stretch existing water supplies to meet the needs of more people and businesses and at no additional cost. Conserving water also has environmental benefits and means healthier aquifers and rivers. No need to wait for the day when we have no alternative but to restrict outdoor water usage. We should join other major cities in Texas and become smarter about water.

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