1 00:00:06,014 --> 00:00:11,009 (lighthearted guitar music) 2 00:00:12,902 --> 00:00:14,501 - [Voiceover] Groundwater from aquifers 3 00:00:14,501 --> 00:00:17,519 sustains life of every kind in Texas. 4 00:00:17,519 --> 00:00:20,826 It is a key resource to every industry in Texas, 5 00:00:20,826 --> 00:00:24,140 from farming, ranching and manufacturing, 6 00:00:24,140 --> 00:00:27,272 to energy exploration and refining. 7 00:00:27,272 --> 00:00:29,063 However, we cannot see this resource 8 00:00:29,063 --> 00:00:30,700 until it flows out of the ground 9 00:00:30,700 --> 00:00:34,699 in the form of a spring, or is pumped out of a well. 10 00:00:34,699 --> 00:00:36,500 Aquifers are water-bearing rocks 11 00:00:36,500 --> 00:00:38,675 underneath the land surface. 12 00:00:38,675 --> 00:00:41,366 A spring flows when the aquifer is filled to the point 13 00:00:41,366 --> 00:00:45,041 that the groundwater overflows onto the land surface. 14 00:00:45,041 --> 00:00:48,100 Many Texas rivers and streams are spring-fed. 15 00:00:48,100 --> 00:00:50,566 Natural springs originally helped support 16 00:00:50,566 --> 00:00:53,966 Native American settlements, and served as the key junctions 17 00:00:53,966 --> 00:00:57,401 along hunting and migration trails. 18 00:00:57,401 --> 00:01:00,996 Later, missions and towns developed around these springs, 19 00:01:00,996 --> 00:01:04,566 and grew into the Texas cities we see today. 20 00:01:04,566 --> 00:01:05,971 While surface water from the state's 21 00:01:05,971 --> 00:01:08,833 many rivers and reservoirs continues to fulfill 22 00:01:08,833 --> 00:01:11,033 some of the state's water needs, 23 00:01:11,033 --> 00:01:13,233 groundwater from aquifers still supplies 24 00:01:13,233 --> 00:01:17,115 60% of all water used in Texas. 25 00:01:17,115 --> 00:01:19,673 But rising groundwater usage has led 26 00:01:19,673 --> 00:01:22,333 to steadily declining supplies. 27 00:01:22,333 --> 00:01:25,894 Some springs that sustained early communities have dried up. 28 00:01:25,894 --> 00:01:30,233 Big Spring, in west Texas, has long gone dry, but because 29 00:01:30,233 --> 00:01:32,848 of its significance to the town, the illusion 30 00:01:32,848 --> 00:01:37,500 of a flowing spring is kept up by piping in surface water. 31 00:01:37,500 --> 00:01:41,253 - [Voiceover] Groundwater volume is measured in acre-feet. 32 00:01:41,253 --> 00:01:45,591 One acre-foot of water, about 330,000 gallons, 33 00:01:45,591 --> 00:01:48,433 would cover a football field to a depth of one foot. 34 00:01:48,433 --> 00:01:51,100 This amount of water is sufficient to meet the needs 35 00:01:51,100 --> 00:01:54,300 of two average sized families for one year. 36 00:01:55,699 --> 00:01:58,633 When we look at the numbers, Texas used a total 37 00:01:58,633 --> 00:02:02,519 of eight million acre-feet of groundwater in 2010, 38 00:02:02,519 --> 00:02:04,566 more than other sources of water such as, 39 00:02:04,566 --> 00:02:08,100 surface water from reservoirs and rivers. 40 00:02:09,852 --> 00:02:12,950 Groundwater is used not only for drinking water, 41 00:02:12,950 --> 00:02:16,638 but also to meet the needs of many commercial enterprises, 42 00:02:16,638 --> 00:02:20,966 including agriculture, manufacturing and energy production. 43 00:02:22,103 --> 00:02:26,052 The amount of groundwater that was available in 2010, 44 00:02:26,052 --> 00:02:28,992 was 13 million acre-feet. 45 00:02:28,992 --> 00:02:32,166 By 2060, the amount of groundwater available 46 00:02:32,166 --> 00:02:37,119 is expected to decline to 10 million acre-feet per year. 47 00:02:37,119 --> 00:02:41,283 Meanwhile, the Texas population is expected to increase 48 00:02:41,283 --> 00:02:44,555 from 25 million to 50 million. 49 00:02:44,555 --> 00:02:47,966 With declining supplies, and growing demands for water, 50 00:02:47,966 --> 00:02:51,392 groundwater availability is a critical concern, 51 00:02:51,392 --> 00:02:54,939 both now, and in the future. 52 00:02:54,939 --> 00:02:58,222 - [Voiceover] Texas has nine major aquifers. 53 00:02:58,222 --> 00:03:01,033 A major aquifer covers a large geographic area, 54 00:03:01,033 --> 00:03:04,300 and can produce large amounts of groundwater. 55 00:03:04,300 --> 00:03:07,253 Major aquifers, accounted for 84% 56 00:03:07,253 --> 00:03:10,366 of available groundwater in 2012. 57 00:03:10,366 --> 00:03:15,366 The remaining 16%, was contained in 21 minor aquifers. 58 00:03:15,549 --> 00:03:18,058 A minor aquifer is an aquifer that can produce 59 00:03:18,058 --> 00:03:21,079 only small amounts of water over large areas, 60 00:03:21,079 --> 00:03:24,515 or large amounts over small areas. 61 00:03:24,515 --> 00:03:26,833 Some of these aquifers are the principle source 62 00:03:26,833 --> 00:03:29,309 of water for communities in Texas, 63 00:03:29,309 --> 00:03:32,564 especially in the arid, western part of the state. 64 00:03:32,564 --> 00:03:36,568 In San Antonio, nearly all the water comes from an aquifer, 65 00:03:36,568 --> 00:03:41,500 and it is a good quality, cost-effective, reliable resource 66 00:03:41,500 --> 00:03:43,700 during times of drought. 67 00:03:43,700 --> 00:03:46,168 - [Voiceover] The Texas Water Development Board works 68 00:03:46,168 --> 00:03:49,761 with nearly 100 groundwater conservation districts 69 00:03:49,761 --> 00:03:51,500 throughout the state. 70 00:03:51,500 --> 00:03:53,879 The agency provides these districts 71 00:03:53,879 --> 00:03:57,592 with a wide-range of educational and technical resources, 72 00:03:57,592 --> 00:04:01,468 to develop effective groundwater management plans. 73 00:04:01,468 --> 00:04:05,437 As of 2012, all confirmed districts have plans 74 00:04:05,437 --> 00:04:08,304 that are approved by the Texas Water Development Board, 75 00:04:08,304 --> 00:04:11,704 or are in the process of being approved. 76 00:04:11,704 --> 00:04:14,500 At the state level, regional water-planning groups 77 00:04:14,500 --> 00:04:18,683 across Texas have designed groundwater management strategies 78 00:04:18,683 --> 00:04:21,900 to meet future demands brought on by population growth. 79 00:04:21,900 --> 00:04:25,140 Plans include new ideas for water conservation, 80 00:04:25,140 --> 00:04:27,423 development of new water wells, 81 00:04:27,423 --> 00:04:30,504 increased withdrawal at current well fields, 82 00:04:30,504 --> 00:04:33,033 desalination of brackish groundwater 83 00:04:33,033 --> 00:04:36,796 using surface water to offset groundwater demands, 84 00:04:36,796 --> 00:04:40,300 and transferring water between river basins. 85 00:04:40,300 --> 00:04:42,596 Module four of this video series 86 00:04:42,596 --> 00:04:45,021 describes how groundwater is managed, 87 00:04:45,021 --> 00:04:48,833 at the local, regional and state levels in Texas. 88 00:04:48,833 --> 00:04:51,966 The Texas Water Development Board's Water IQ- 89 00:04:51,966 --> 00:04:56,268 Know Your Water, is a state-wide public awareness program 90 00:04:56,268 --> 00:04:59,924 that educates Texans about water conservation. 91 00:04:59,924 --> 00:05:02,500 Water IQ provides information on 92 00:05:02,500 --> 00:05:05,566 water conservation practices, raises awareness 93 00:05:05,566 --> 00:05:07,833 about the importance of water conservation, 94 00:05:07,833 --> 00:05:11,853 and helps Texans use less water. 95 00:05:11,853 --> 00:05:13,033 - [Voiceover] With the projected doubling 96 00:05:13,033 --> 00:05:15,848 of the state's population over the coming decades, 97 00:05:15,848 --> 00:05:18,166 and the ever-present threat of drought, 98 00:05:18,166 --> 00:05:20,233 Texas is preparing to meet the challenge 99 00:05:20,233 --> 00:05:23,016 of supplying water to its citizens. 100 00:05:23,016 --> 00:05:25,734 Throughout the state, dedicated water management 101 00:05:25,734 --> 00:05:29,100 professionals and community leaders, are working together, 102 00:05:29,100 --> 00:05:32,253 to ensure the availability of quality water, 103 00:05:32,253 --> 00:05:35,633 the essential element, past, present and future, 104 00:05:35,633 --> 00:05:39,463 in the development of the great state of Texas.