Texas is brown and scorching in the drought that has hit much of the United States with water shortages. But the state's response to water crises has historically been to create more ecologically devastating dams instead of investing in water conservation.
According to a recent article in the Christian Science Monitor, Texas has 7,173 dams. By contrast, California which is more populous has only 1,468, and Alaska, which is bigger than Texas, only 96. Now that we know how damaging dams are to fish populations and river ecosystems, it's unthinkable to build more dams. But Texans are thinking about it anyway.
Texas should, instead, educate the public about xeriscaping, a form of landscaping with draught-hardy plants. The state should also invest in better farming practices like retainer ponds and forgiveness farming, as pioneered by Joel Salatin. Tell the Texas Legislature to stop taking dam shortcuts and conserve water better!
We the undersigned think you should tear down some of the dams you have already inflicted on the environment rather than building new ones. Dams have been implicated in water pollution, the devastation of fish populations, and loss of vital river ecosystems.
The current drought is a great opportunity to, instead, invest in better, low-water use farming methods like retainer ponds and forgiveness farming. You should educate home owners to practice xeriscaping which uses drought resistant plants instead of water guzzling non-native grass and shrubs.
Please consider Texas' environment and future and figure out how to conserve water!
