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Counties in Region:
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WALLER, WALKER, TRINITY, SAN JACINTO, POLK, MONTGOMERY, MADISON, LIBERTY, LEON, HARRIS, GALVESTON,
FORT BEND, CHAMBERS, BRAZORIA, AUSTIN
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Major Cities:
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Houston, Galveston, Brazoria, Texas City
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Population 2000:
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4,780,084
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Population 2050:
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9,700,277
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Total Water Use, 2000:
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2248339 Acre-Feet
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Total Water Use, 2050:
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3158793 Acre-Feet
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Primary Rivers:
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San Jacinto, Trinity, Brazos, Neches-Trinity, Trinity-San Jacinto, San Jacinto-Brazos
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Major Aquifers:
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Gulf Coast, Carrizo-Wilcox
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Annual Precipitation:
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40-60 Inches
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Net Evaporation:
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16-28 Inches
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Regional Planning Activity Information From
The Teaxs Water Development Board
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SUPPLY 1995
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DEMAND 2000
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DEMAND 2050
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SOURCE
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PERCENT
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SECTOR
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ACRE-FEET
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PERCENT
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SECTOR
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ACRE-FEET
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PERCENT
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Groundwater
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33%
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Irrigation
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501053
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22.3%
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Irrigation
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471679
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14.9%
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Surfacewater
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67%
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Manufacturing
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708113
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31.5%
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Manufacturing
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1048194
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33.2%
|
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|
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Livestock
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13038
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0.6%
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Livestock
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13038
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0.4%
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Mining
|
33826
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1.5%
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Mining
|
35243
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1.1%
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Municipal
|
897209
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39.9%
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Municipal
|
1485639
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47.0%
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|
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Power
|
95100
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4.2%
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Power
|
105000
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3.3%
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- Population in this planning area will double from 1995 to 2050. Municipal and manufacturing water use will
increase, while rice-farming water use will decline.
- Additional freshwater inflows will be required from the Trinity and San Jacinto rivers to manage and protect
environmental water needs in the Galveston Bay system (Trinity-San Jacinto Estuary).
- Groundwater use will decline because of regulations imposed by the Harris-Galveston Coastal Subsidence District
regarding limitation of groundwater withdrawal. Groundwater use must be limited to 20 percent of total water
use by 2020. Additional surface water resources will be needed to make up for this loss, possibly including the importing of water from the Sabine River Basin.
- Overpumping of the Gulf Coast Aquifer has lowered this aquifer's levels by 200 to 300 feet. This has led to
subsidence of up to 9 feet and saltwater intrusion of poor-quality water into the aquifer.
- Numerous municipal and industrial wastewater treatment plants, as well as urban runoff in the Houston area,
have increased organic and nutrient loading and fecal coliform bacteria in all major tributaries of Lake Houston.
Downstream, the Houston Ship Channel and Buffalo Bayou are heavily industrialized and water quality has been impacted by petrochemical spills and wastewater discharges.
- Because of the potential for dioxin contamination, the Texas Department of Health has issued a fish consumption
advisory for the portions of the lower Brazos Riveraffected by tides
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