Drought and a changing climate
Dry years are not a short interruption. They put more pressure on every river, reservoir, aquifer, and household decision.
A public case for water
Secure the water future Texas is growing into.
Texas Water Initiative helps lawmakers and the public see the stakes, understand the choices, and move toward water security that lasts.
For every Texan. For the people who write the laws that shape our shared water future.
One state.
Many watersheds. One shared responsibility.
The problem
The pressure is already here.
Texas has water plans. What it needs now is the public will and durable investment to make them real before a dry year makes the choices for us.
51.5M
Projected Texas population by 2070, according to the paper.
$80B
Estimated investment needed to meet projected water needs in the 2022 State Water Plan.
Population growth
Texas is projected to reach 51.5 million people by 2070. More homes, farms, businesses, and ecosystems will rely on the same finite resource.
Aging infrastructure
The pipes, treatment plants, storage, and systems that move water need long-term investment before failure becomes an emergency.
Groundwater depletion
Aquifers are local lifelines. Taking more than they can replenish leaves communities and agriculture with fewer options when the next dry year arrives.
Our plan
The Texas Water Independence Initiative
Independence does not mean going it alone. It means building the capacity to steward the water Texas already has, prepare for what is ahead, and keep decisions accountable to the people they affect.
01
Fund the state water plan
Treat the projected $80 billion need identified in the 2022 State Water Plan as essential public infrastructure, with a dependable path from priority to project.
02
Make efficiency a supply
Back conservation, leak reduction, reuse, and efficient agriculture as core water supplies—not optional extras after new construction.
03
Protect the sources
Keep groundwater, rivers, wetlands, and watersheds healthy enough to serve the communities, farms, and habitats that depend on them.
04
Measure progress in public
Set milestones Texans can understand, report results regularly, and adjust course when the facts change.
Why it matters
Water security is everyday security.
A long-term water strategy is not only about reservoirs or pipes. It is about whether the places Texans love can remain healthy, productive, and ready for the next generation.
01 Families
Reliable water is part of a safe home, a healthy neighborhood, and a future families can plan around.
02 Farms and ranches
Conservation and resilient sources help the people who grow food stay on the land through dry cycles.
03 Cities and towns
Local systems need the funding and planning support to serve growth without passing crisis costs to residents.
04 The Texas economy
Businesses can invest with confidence when water is treated as essential infrastructure and managed for the long view.
Message to lawmakers
To the Texas Legislature: the time to build resilience is before the next crisis.
The people of Texas do not need a perfect forecast to know that water is the foundation beneath every plan for growth. They need leaders willing to invest ahead of the emergency, protect the sources that cannot be replaced, and show their work.
Please fund the state water plan. Make conservation, reuse, leak reduction, and efficient agriculture easier to finance. Protect groundwater and watersheds. Publish clear measures so Texans can see where money is going and whether it is working.
Read the complete askAdd your name
Tell Texas: plan for water that lasts.
A signature turns understanding into a public signal. Add yours, then share the paper with someone who cares about the future of this state.
For the public
Make your voice part of the record before the next water decision is made.
For lawmakers
See that Texans are ready for practical, durable action.
Keep going
The future is a set of choices.
Read the full paper, understand the proposals, and help make water security part of the public conversation.