Counties in region:	WHEELER, SHERMAN, ROBERTS, RANDALL, POTTER, OLDHAM, OCHILTREE, MOORE, LIPSCOMB, HUTCHINSON, HEMPHILL, HARTLEY, HANSFORD, HALL, GRAY, DONLEY, DALLAM, COLLINGSWORTH, CHILDRESS, CARSON, ARMSTRONG
Major cities:	Amarillo
Population 2000:	379,018
Population 2050:	552,072
Total water use, 2000:	1718402 Acre-Feet
Total water use, 2050:	1812949 Acre-Feet
Primary rivers:	Canadian, Red
Major Aquifers:	Ogallala
Annual precipitation:	16-24 Inches
Net evaporation:	48-56 Inches
Regional Planning Activity Information From The Teaxs Water Development Board

SUPPLY 1995   DEMAND 2000   DEMAND 2050 SOURCE PERCENT   SECTOR ACRE-FEET PERCENT   SECTOR ACRE-FEET PERCENT Groundwater 97%   Irrigation 1522985 88.6%   Irrigation 1522985 84.0% Surfacewater 3%   Manufacturing 37493 2.2%   Manufacturing 53009 2.9%       Livestock 46793 2.7%   Livestock 96414 5.3%       Mining 7817 0.5%   Mining 5062 0.3%       Municipal 84814 4.9%   Municipal 105268 5.8%       Power 18500 1.1%   Power 30211 1.7%

• Amarillo's population is projected to increase by more than 50 percent between 1995 and 2050.
• The region depends almost exclusively on the Ogallala Aquifer. In 1995, 97 percent of the total water used was drawn from the Ogallala. The aquifer, however, is a rapidly depleting resource.
• Surface water availability from the Canadian and Red rivers is limited. Salinity and silting problems in Lake Meredith have limited the use of this reservoir-which provides some of Amarillo's municipal supply-by more than 70 percent from its original permitted level.
• Groundwater has high fluoride, arsenic, and nitrate levels and has also been contaminated by abandoned oil fields.

[Home] [About Us] [State Summaries] [County Profiles] [Maps]
[Take Action] [Join A Discussion] [Links] [Site Index] [Search]