Is the Great Drought of 2018 Underway?

SAN ANGELO, TX -- Forecasters with the National Weather Service are predicting a long, hot and dry summer with drought conditions returning rapidly as daily high temperatures hover around 100 degrees and rainfall remains sparse across the Concho Valley and most of West Texas.  

According to drought.gov, abnormal dryness or drought are currently affecting approximately 17,922,000 people in Texas, which is about 71 percent of the state's population.

Population in drought numbers are as of June 19, 2018.  

Drought is described as one of the most common and costly types of natural disasters in the U.S. From 1980–2014, drought has cost the country an average of $9.4 billion a year and has contributed to about 3,000 deaths in total. Drought can impact the economy, environment, and society by limiting food and drinking water, destroying habitat, and triggering health and safety problems due to poor water quality and increased wildfires.

According to the local lake level report from the City of San Angelo, Lake Nasworthy is 81 percent full, Twin Buttes Reservoir is 11 percent full, O.C. Fisher is at 7 percent, O.H. Ivie is at 16 percent and E.V. Spence is at 11 percent of capacity.  

Currently the City of San Angelo is in standard conservation, which restricts outside watering to no more than twice every seven days and no more than one inch per week. Watering is prohibited from noon-6 p.m., as is runoff of more than 150 feet down any street, gutter, alley or ditch.

The city’s water conservation plan changes water restrictions based upon how much supply is available.  San Angelo will move into drought level one when there is less than 24 months of supply remaining. At that time, outside watering would be restricted to once every seven days.

If the city reaches drought level three with only a 12 month supply of water remaining, outside watering will be prohibited.  

The Concho River Water Master recently sent a letter to all the water rights holders on the river warning that no water diversions will be allowed if senior water rights holders downstream call for water.  

West Texas and the Concho Valley are on the edge of the Chihuahuan Desert which is in a perpetual state of drought with sporatic periods of abundant rainfall.  One of the problems in the desert is evaporation.  The truth is that almost as much water evaporates from local reservoirs as is used by water rights holders.   

Without significant rainfall and lower temperatures in July, August and September, every city and community in West Texas could face a critical shortage of water.