Drought conditions improve slightly

Texas may have just inched toward a better position in its long drought, according to data released Thursday. But two Cameron County water suppliers continue voluntary water restrictions, and conditions here remain the same.

The county is still in an "exceptional" drought, the most severe designation out of four levels, U.S. Drought Monitor data showed. Voluntary water restrictions by the Olmito Water Supply Corp. and Laguna Madre Water District were in place as of Wednesday, according to the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality. TCEQ information states that a water shortage is possible for the two suppliers, which puts them on a watch.

"We’re definitely in a little bit better shape than we were several months ago, but the drought is far from over," climatologist Brian Fuchs said of the state.

Fuchs works for the National Drought Mitigation Center based at the University of Nebraska in Lincoln. Texas also has a state climatologist based at Texas A&M University.

Water restrictions have been in place since this past summer, Victor Treviño, general manager of the Olmito Water Supply Corp., said. Despite the county’s drought designation, he said the conditions for Olmito Water Supply appear to be stabilizing.

"Right now it’s pretty much back to normal once we got out of the summer season," Treviño said.

Drought conditions in Texas have persisted for about 14 months and with the beginning of 2012 the state is about to go into it’s second year of drought, Fuchs said.

This past December, a survey released by the Texas Forest Service estimated millions of trees in the state might have been killed because of the drought.

However, Fuchs pointed to what might be called encouraging data released on Thursday, noting that at the state level there was progress in December and so far in January.

"What makes it significant is over the last couple of months there has been a fairly substantial improvement to the worst drought areas," he said.

The numbers showed that the percentage of areas in Texas with "exceptional" or "extreme" drought decreased from one week to the next and decreased even more when compared to three months ago. He said areas in those categories are the ones that need to improve most to make progress toward the end of a drought.

In October, 73 percent of the state was in "exceptional" drought condition, while that designation currently applies to 25 percent of the state, the U.S. Drought Monitor data showed. This time last year that category was at zero percent, the data showed.

In Cameron County, an outdoor burn ban expired this past weekend; all that is needed for burning is the usual permit, officials said.

A Brownsville National Weather Service report this month said December brought beneficial rains for the region, but end-of-year rainfall totals were still well below normal. Extreme to exceptional drought conditions continue to persist throughout the region, the report said.

"It wasn’t enough to really dent the drought or really soak into the ground," Brownsville NWS meteorologist Geoff Bogorad said.

If such weather patterns persist throughout 2012, agriculture and even public water supplies could see the effects.

"With the rain deficits that we’ve had and if this continues, there’s probably going to be some water rationing," Bogorad said. "It could get more serious than what some of us are thinking, and it will affect everybody’s life."

Fuchs said reservoirs and water tables in Texas have yet to respond to recent precipitation, though top layers and surface water have seen initial improvement.

Just 0.5 percent of Texas — mostly near the northeast border with Oklahoma — is without any drought designation whatsoever. It is an increase from the 0.01 percent recorded last week, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor data. At about this time last year, 14 percent of Texas was without a drought designation, according to the same data.

Fuchs said that the wet weather pattern the state recently experienced is not likely to continue.

He said the climate pattern of La Niña this past year didn’t subside until June, amplifying the dryness and furthering the drought. The climate pattern is forecast to affect Texas again, but Fuchs said it is expected to subside more quickly, either in April or May. Those months in Texas happen to bring more wet weather, creating a good opportunity to make progress away from the drought, he said.

In the fall, he said tropical storms also help bring moisture, but they’ve been inactive the past couple of years. He stressed that it is hoped hurricanes don’t develop, but that tropical storms make a difference.

"Usually these tropical storms, when they do make landfall, … can help a drought situation in a hurry, especially anywhere along the Gulf Coast," he said.

As the drought continues, Texans should be vigilant in observing their own water use in everything from bathing to doing laundry or outdoor watering, he said. Vigilance is needed even when conditions are favorable, he added.

"Look at that as a big picture and kind of track how much water you are using. When that drought comes around, the more water everyone can conserve, it will add up," Fuchs said. "The prospects of this drought continuing into 2012 are very high at this point."