Texas Drought: State in Danger of Falling Behind Future Water Needs

Texas drought at Lake O.C. Fisher at San Angelo State Park

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Texas Drought: State Slow To Prepare For Future Water Needs

By RAMIT PLUSHNICK-MASTI huffingtonpost.com
September 24, 2011
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TEXAS DROUGHT 2011 - Photos From Around the State
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SANFORD, Texas -- On paper, at least, Texas is well-prepared to meet the water needs of its rapidly expanding population – even when Mother Nature lays down a harsh and lengthy drought.
The price tag on the plan: $53 billion. State money allocated: $1.4 billion.
If there were funds, Texas would be able to build the dams, reservoirs, pipelines, wells and other infrastructure that would ideally avoid tight water-use restrictions imposed on residents, farmers and ranchers during times of drought while also guaranteeing there would be enough water for the state's rapidly growing population – even in 2060.
Instead, now, more than four years after the latest blueprint was published, deadlines have passed with some work barely begun, and many projects never started. Meanwhile, lakes are shrinking, rivers are drying up and temperatures are rising.
"The longer you delay implementation, the costs are going to go up," said Carolyn Brittin, a planning official at the Texas Water Development Board, which must publish a revised plan by January.
Globally, 7 billion people need water – 97 percent of which is salty and 2 percent is locked in ice. Of the rest, two-thirds is used to grow food.
The United States, and Texas in particular, need to find water for a growing population. Unusually high temperatures and dry weather recently have highlighted the urgency.
Three years of dry winters that started in 2008 left populous Southern California and the agriculturally rich Central Valley desperate. Officials could not deliver more than 50 percent of the water needed by cities and farmers. In the Midwest, water levels since the 1990s have dropped at times on Lakes Huron and Michigan, causing millions of dollars in losses. The arid Southwest has struggled for decades.
In Texas, which is experiencing one of its most severe droughts on record, officials know exactly what to do to guarantee water for future generations – in fact, Texas spends $16 million every five years to plan ahead.

When the most recent plan was published in 2007, officials estimated it would cost $31 billion to provide water to the population in 2060, said Dan Hardin, director of water resource planning at the water development board. That doesn't include more than $140 billion needed for other water-related infrastructure, including flood control. In January, the board told the Legislature the cost had jumped to $53 billion.
Yet lawmakers, struggling with a $27 billion budget deficit, allocated only $100 million to water projects – enough, say, to build one small reservoir.
"Billions of dollars of ideas but no funding," said Laura Huffman, state director of the Nature Conservancy of Texas.
Local officials have said they have about $26 billion to fund the plan, but need state loans for the rest. Competition for loans – when they're available – can be fierce.
The West Texas town of Robert Lee has struggled with water issues for so long it was unprepared for the current drought. Now, town officials are tapping private loans in a rush to build a $1.5 million pipeline to draw water from nearby Bronte, said Eddie Ray Roberts, the city's water superintendent.
"It surprised me that they let it get this bad. It's a funding issue," Roberts said, explaining that the state won't give communities money until January, when it flows in from Washington.
Meticulous planning was meant to prevent such scenarios, but planners know the list of untouched projects will long when the water board puts out its January report.
The region that includes Dallas and Fort Worth, for example, had 59 major projects recommended at a cost of more than $13 billion to provide water to a population that is expected to nearly double by 2060. Of those projects, 16 are in various stages of planning or completion, Hardin said. And the agency only knows about projects it funds, making it more difficult to track.
Water projects, especially reservoirs, have always been expensive. It cost $30 million in the mid-1960s – or what would be $227 million now – to create Lake Meredith in the Texas Panhandle. Today, the cost of a large reservoir could exceed $500 million. But sometimes other factors, including stringent environmental regulations and bureaucracy, can stymie a project.
In North Texas, the Lower Boisd'arc Reservoir project has half the land it needs. Planners hope to have the lake operational by 2020. But the permitting and legal obstacles could delay it.
North of Houston, opposition from residents has stopped, for now, a reservoir meant to supply water to the city and its suburbs, where nearly a quarter of Texans live and the population is booming. Here, planners recommended 121 projects. Seven are in development, Hardin said.
"I don't think there's this sense that there's a problem down the line, and I think that is the biggest challenge: change the mindset not only of our citizens, but of our leaders," said Larry Soward, a water expert who formerly served as a commissioner at the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality.
The Canadian River Municipal Water Authority, which serves residents in some of the state's most arid terrain, is one of the few agencies that has implemented – and independently funded – its entire plan.
Lake Meredith, the source for nearly 80 percent of the area's water, didn't live up to expectations from the start. It only once reached full capacity, and the water quality was poor. Still, for about 40 years, the authority met most of its water needs by pumping the reservoir, while residents spent summers enjoying the canyon-like vista and launching boats from a marina.
In the past decade, the region has experienced several intense droughts. And Lake Meredith, which was supposed to serve residents for 150 years, began rapidly drying up. This year, the lake is barely 30 feet deep. If the drought and heat continue, just 15 feet could be left next summer.
Kent Satterwhite, general manager of the Canadian River Municipal Water Authority, believes one good rainy season could reverse that. The National Park Service does not share his optimism – it has torn down the marina.
Today, 93 percent of the authority's water comes from the Ogallala Aquifer, a rich stream of groundwater that stretches through six states. That the transition came before the lake ran dry, though, was due more to luck than planning. A decade ago, the authority launched a modest project aimed at improving water quality that became an urgent $300 million enterprise to access more groundwater when the lake began dropping.
"We don't care about quality anymore. We're concerned about quantity," Satterwhite said.
Soward warns this could become all of Texas' fate.
"If we don't deal with this now," he said, "this state's going to have to close the doors and say, `We can't take any more people, because we don't have the water.'"


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Important Note: FAIR USE NOTICE: This blog may contain copyrighted (©) material the use of which has not always been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. Such material is made available to advance understanding of ecological, political, human rights, economic, democracy, scientific, moral, ethical, and social justice issues, etc. It is believed that this constitutes a 'fair use' of any such copyrighted material as provided for in section 107 of the US Copyright Law. In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, this material is distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior general interest in receiving similar information for research and educational purposes. "Copyright Disclaimer Under Section 107 of the Copyright Act 1976, allowance is made for "fair use" for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research. Fair use is a use permitted by copyright statute that might otherwise be infringing. Non-profit, educational or personal use tips the balance in favor of fair use." . ________________________________________________________________________

NOT A POLITICAL STATEMENT, IT'S A COMPLAINT Chickenfoot III (I Need A JOB) Three and A Half Letters VIDEO

Chickenfoot, members of the band, from left, Joe Satriani, Sammy Hagar, Chad Smith, and Michael Anthony, are shown. Hagar, the former Van Halen frontman, guitar legend Joe Satriani, Red Hot Chili Peppers drummer Chad Smith and former Van Halen bassist Michael Anthony skipped calling the follow-up to their 2009 debut "Chickenfoot II" and instead dubbed it "Chickenfoot III." The album, which is set for release Sept. 27, features 10 new tracks from the seasoned rockers. (AP Photo/Chickenfoot, Jon Hill)
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Sammy Hagar ready to hatch new Chickenfoot album

Associated Press 

September 24, 2011

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Sammy Hagar is hoping his supergroup avoids a sophomore slump.
The former Van Halen frontman, guitar legend Joe Satriani, Red Hot Chili Peppers drummer Chad Smith and former Van Halen bassist Michael Anthony skipped calling the follow-up to their 2009 debut "Chickenfoot II" and instead named it "Chickenfoot III." The album, which is set for release on Tuesday, features 10 new tracks from the seasoned rockers.
"I feel a little pressure," said Hagar. "I didn't feel anything on the first record because there were no expectations. We were doing it for fun. We knew it was going to be good. We just wanted to play together. There was no business involved or tour planned. It was so organic that we never looked back. The next thing I knew, we had done 50 shows."
Hagar said fans can expect more of the same classic rock sound from Chickenfoot. One of the most emotional tunes on the new album is "Three and a Half Letters." Hagar transformed about 20 letters from down-on-their-luck fans into three lyrical letters read _ and screamed _ by Hagar. Each letter is punctuated with an explosive guitar solo by Satriani.
"My manager, (John) Carter, who died earlier this year, kept telling me to write a song about people needing jobs," said Hagar. "I told him, `Sounds country.' But it all came together for me when I got this letter from a guy in Afghanistan and at the end of it he wrote, `I need a job, brother. Can you help?' All of sudden, I realized there was a song there."
Chickenfoot will embark on a "road test" tour in November, stopping in San Francisco, Los Angeles, St. Louis, Chicago and New York with drummer Kenny Aronoff because Smith is touring with the Red Hot Chili Peppers. Hagar said the truncated tour will allow the band to try out their new material live, so they can "learn how to jam together" in front of a crowd.

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Important Note: FAIR USE NOTICE: This blog may contain copyrighted (©) material the use of which has not always been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. Such material is made available to advance understanding of ecological, political, human rights, economic, democracy, scientific, moral, ethical, and social justice issues, etc. It is believed that this constitutes a 'fair use' of any such copyrighted material as provided for in section 107 of the US Copyright Law. In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, this material is distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior general interest in receiving similar information for research and educational purposes. "Copyright Disclaimer Under Section 107 of the Copyright Act 1976, allowance is made for "fair use" for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research. Fair use is a use permitted by copyright statute that might otherwise be infringing. Non-profit, educational or personal use tips the balance in favor of fair use." . ________________________________________________________________________

VIDEO GOES VIRAL AFTER STORY IS PICKED UP BY huffingtonpost.com 6,000 to 127,000 Views!!!! UPDATE: Soldier Matthew Peters of Owensville Surprises His Son VIDEO

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Military Surprise Homecoming: Soldier Dad Surprises Son In School Cafeteria (VIDEO)

huffingtonpost.com
September 22, 2011

Most young kids wouldn't be thrilled about their parents dropping unexpectedly by at school. But one elementary student was moved to tears by his dad's surprise visit.
Specialist Matthew Peters from Owensville, Mo., popped into the cafeteria of Washington West Elementary School to give his son, Blake, a long overdue hug. Peters had been deployed in Kuwait and Iraq for a year and hadn't seen his son since February.
To bolster the surprise, Peters had told Blake on the phone that he'd be home 10 days later than when he actually showed up.
Blake hugged his dad tightly, dissolving into tears, while his classmates clapped and cheered.




On Thursday, September 15, 2011 Matthew Peters of Owensville surprised his son Blake while he was eating lunch at Washington West Elementary School.
emissourian.com
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Welcome Home Mr. Peters!!!  THANK YOU FOR SERVING!!!
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. Important Note: FAIR USE NOTICE: This blog may contain copyrighted (©) material the use of which has not always been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. Such material is made available to advance understanding of ecological, political, human rights, economic, democracy, scientific, moral, ethical, and social justice issues, etc. It is believed that this constitutes a 'fair use' of any such copyrighted material as provided for in section 107 of the US Copyright Law. In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, this material is distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior general interest in receiving similar information for research and educational purposes. "Copyright Disclaimer Under Section 107 of the Copyright Act 1976, allowance is made for "fair use" for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research. Fair use is a use permitted by copyright statute that might otherwise be infringing. Non-profit, educational or personal use tips the balance in favor of fair use." . ________________________________________________________________________

Teenage Washington Burglary Suspect Caught in Gasconade County, Missouri

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Teenage Burglary Suspect Caught in Gasconade County

emissourian.com
September 24, 2011
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The Gasconade County Sheriff’s Response Team (SRT) was dispatched Thursday afternoon to raid a vacant farmhouse near Drake where a Washington burglary suspect was hiding. The SRT arrested the 15-year-old male suspect, who was found sitting in the living room holding two knives. The suspect relinquished the knives and was arrested without incident, Gasconade County Sheriff Randy Esphorst reported.
The suspect was turned over to Franklin County juvenile authorities and later taken to the juvenile detention center in St. Charles County.
The teen is suspected of stealing three handguns after breaking into a home off of East Lane Drive Monday, Sept. 19, according to police detectives.
The suspect evaded law enforcement authorities for several days until city detectives learned that he possibly was hiding at the farmhouse near Drake that was owned by the family of a friend.
Sheriff Esphorst said SRT members searched the home but did not find any of the stolen handguns.
Police said it’s believed the teen entered the home through a bathroom window and left through a kitchen door.
A backpack containing textbooks with the teen’s name inside was found outside the house, according to police.
Detective Sgt. Brad Erisman said that the handguns had not been recovered as of Friday morning. .
The investigation is continuing and may result in the arrest of a second suspect for receiving stolen property, Erisman said.


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VIDEO: MISSOURI THE BEAUTIFUL Take a patriotic tour of the Show Me State's natural wonders . . ========================================================== .

Important Note: FAIR USE NOTICE: This blog may contain copyrighted (©) material the use of which has not always been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. Such material is made available to advance understanding of ecological, political, human rights, economic, democracy, scientific, moral, ethical, and social justice issues, etc. It is believed that this constitutes a 'fair use' of any such copyrighted material as provided for in section 107 of the US Copyright Law. In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, this material is distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior general interest in receiving similar information for research and educational purposes. "Copyright Disclaimer Under Section 107 of the Copyright Act 1976, allowance is made for "fair use" for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research. Fair use is a use permitted by copyright statute that might otherwise be infringing. Non-profit, educational or personal use tips the balance in favor of fair use." . ________________________________________________________________________

TV at All-Time Low as News Source, Internet Hits All-Time High

Walter Cronkite

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Internet Hits All-Time High as News Source, TV at All-Time Low, Says Pew

By Terence P. Jeffrey
September 24, 2011
cnsnews.com
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(CNSNews.com) - The Internet has risen to its all-time high as a primary source of news for Americans with 43 percent now saying they get most of their news on national and international issues from the web, according to a survey published Thursday by the Pew Research Center for The People & The Press.

Meanwhile, television sits at an all-time low as a primary source of news for Americans with only 66 percent now saying they get most of their national and international news from TV--a nadir television also hit in December 2010.

Since 1991, Pew has periodically asked Americans: “How do you get most of your news about national and international issues?”

In this survey, respondents are allowed to give up to two answers. (So, a person can cite both television and the Internet, or television and radio, or newspapers and television, etc., as the places where they get most of their news--and the combined percentages for the various sources can add up to more than 100 percent).

In the two decades Pew has been tracking this trend in American news sources, television peaked as the primary source of news for Americans at the time s of the September 2001 terrorist attacks, when 90 percent said they got most of their news from TV. Television nearly returned to that level in March 2003, during the invasion of Iraq, and September 2005, during Hurricane Katrina. At both those times, 89 percent said they got most of their national and international news from TV.

However, during normal news times--when there was not a major act of war or natural disaster--TV hit its apex in January 1996, when 88 percent said it was the place they got most of their national and international news.

The Internet first appeared in Pew’s survey of news sources in January 1999, when 6 percent said the web was where they got most of their news about national and international issues.

Overall, in Pew’s latest survey, 66 percent said television was their primary source for national and international news, 43 percent said the Internet, 31 percent said newspapers, 19 percent said radio, 3 percent said magazines, and 4 percent said it was another source.

For the survey released yesterday, Pew interviewed 1,501 adults from July 20-24. The survey;s margin of error of +/- 3.5 points





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VIDEO: MISSOURI THE BEAUTIFUL Take a patriotic tour of the Show Me State's natural wonders . . ========================================================== .

Important Note: FAIR USE NOTICE: This blog may contain copyrighted (©) material the use of which has not always been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. Such material is made available to advance understanding of ecological, political, human rights, economic, democracy, scientific, moral, ethical, and social justice issues, etc. It is believed that this constitutes a 'fair use' of any such copyrighted material as provided for in section 107 of the US Copyright Law. In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, this material is distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior general interest in receiving similar information for research and educational purposes. "Copyright Disclaimer Under Section 107 of the Copyright Act 1976, allowance is made for "fair use" for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research. Fair use is a use permitted by copyright statute that might otherwise be infringing. Non-profit, educational or personal use tips the balance in favor of fair use." . ________________________________________________________________________

FOX NEWS CAN'T HANDLE THE TRUTH: Pulls Poll Showing Ron Paul Debate Victory, Claims Mitt Romney Won

Screenshot of the poll at around 5am CST Friday morning.
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Fox News Pulls Poll Showing Ron Paul Debate Victory, Claims Mitt Romney Won

Poll showed Paul trouncing Romney by 11,000 votes
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Paul Joseph Watson
Infowars.com
Friday, September 23, 2011

The establishment media’s relentless campaign to denigrate Congressman Ron Paul’s presidential campaign has manifested itself once again, after a poll showing Paul had won last night’s Orlando debate was pulled by Fox News who later published an article claiming Mitt Romney had instead claimed the victory.
When we took a screenshot of the poll at around 5am CST this morning, the result showed Paul easily beating his nearest rival Romney by 11,000 clear votes, with Paul at almost 40% and Romney trailing at just under 23%.
After our screenshot of the poll was posted on the ever-popular Drudge Report website, Fox News pulled the page that had previously housed the poll entirely. But the network went further, subsequently publishing an article by National Review editor and Fox News contributor Rich Lowry opining that Mitt Romney had in fact won the debate, thereby completely ignoring their own website poll, which restricts users to one vote per IP address.
Indeed, Lowry didn’t even mention Ron Paul once in his 13 paragraph piece, despite giving praise to Rick Santorum, Newt Gingrich, and Herman Cain – all of whom performed miserably in Fox News’ own post-debate poll. Ron Paul got nearly double the amount of votes in the poll than all three of them put together, but Lowry completely omitted Paul’s name from his report.
As we have previously documented, Fox News, even more so than the likes of MSNBC and CNN, have constantly undermined Paul’s campaign with dirty tricks, including playing the wrong audio of a crowd booing Paul at this year’s CPAC event.
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VIDEO: MISSOURI THE BEAUTIFUL Take a patriotic tour of the Show Me State's natural wonders . . ========================================================== .

Important Note: FAIR USE NOTICE: This blog may contain copyrighted (©) material the use of which has not always been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. Such material is made available to advance understanding of ecological, political, human rights, economic, democracy, scientific, moral, ethical, and social justice issues, etc. It is believed that this constitutes a 'fair use' of any such copyrighted material as provided for in section 107 of the US Copyright Law. In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, this material is distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior general interest in receiving similar information for research and educational purposes. "Copyright Disclaimer Under Section 107 of the Copyright Act 1976, allowance is made for "fair use" for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research. Fair use is a use permitted by copyright statute that might otherwise be infringing. Non-profit, educational or personal use tips the balance in favor of fair use." . ________________________________________________________________________

Please Support: 5th Annual Girls With their Tops Down Convertible Cruise

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Location: HERMANN MO
Time: ‎12:00PM Saturday, September 24th


Saturday, September 24 · 10:00am - 1:00pm

10am Registration 1st Card Jillsie's 201 Schiller Street Hermann MO
10am-noon Scavenger Hunter
2nd Card Wing-s A-Blazin 120 E 4th Street
12:30 Parade Guttenberg/2nd Street lineup
1:00 3rd Card Somebody's 109 Front Street New Haven MO
3:30 4th Card Stony Hill Garage Antiques & Flea Market
Bonus Card Stony Hill Hall
6:00 5th Card Simon's on the WaterFront
7pm Bra Auction Simon's on the WaterFront
8pm Dance "Shark" Simon's on the WaterFront
$10 registration for cruise includes one hand
Last card out 12:30…last card in 6:30
Food at stops along cruise or pack a cooler

Special Gifts For Double D's
(each car must have a designated driver)
Games at every stop with great prizes! Attendance prizes!
Two separate poker pots
One for the Cruisers and One for the Bikers!
THIS IS A FUN'd' RAISING EVENT
TO BENEFIT HERMANN AREA
CRUSADE AGAINST BREAST CANCER

MUST BE 21

Girls With Their Tops Down Sept 24 Convertible Cruise Hermann Mo (what were you thinking???)
MISSION STATEMENT
Our inspiration is the memory of Cindy Movold, a strong beautiful woman who was taken too young by breast cancer.
Our passion is to give women the tools and knowledge needed to know their bodies and how to be proactive in the fight against breast cancer.
Our mission is to keep the FUN in fundraising. ...We don't take the disease lightly, we lightly take on the disease by having fun and raising money that will go directly to people who are enduring all sorts of difficulties from the results of cancer treatment. Our commitment is to do all that we can to keep women aware of how important early detection is and to keep cruisin' for the cure!
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VIDEO: MISSOURI THE BEAUTIFUL Take a patriotic tour of the Show Me State's natural wonders . . ==========================================================

. Important Note: FAIR USE NOTICE: This blog may contain copyrighted (©) material the use of which has not always been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. Such material is made available to advance understanding of ecological, political, human rights, economic, democracy, scientific, moral, ethical, and social justice issues, etc. It is believed that this constitutes a 'fair use' of any such copyrighted material as provided for in section 107 of the US Copyright Law. In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, this material is distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior general interest in receiving similar information for research and educational purposes. "Copyright Disclaimer Under Section 107 of the Copyright Act 1976, allowance is made for "fair use" for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research. Fair use is a use permitted by copyright statute that might otherwise be infringing. Non-profit, educational or personal use tips the balance in favor of fair use." . ________________________________________________________________________