No Swimming, No Fishing, No Water

Twenty miles from my home, in a town of about 17,000 people including two of my great- grandchildren, there is enough water for 300 days.

Mineral Wells, Texas, once famous for its beneficial hot mineral water, implemented strict use restrictions, but the city’s main water source is almost dry. Palo Pinto Lake, serving 31,000 users in Mineral Wells and the surrounding small towns, is less than 25% full.

One solution is to temporarily acquire rights to Brazos River water. However, the Brazos River Authority just mailed notices asking customers for a 10 percent reduction in water consumption. The three major lakes in this system are at an all-time low.

The long-term solution is building the $70 million Turkey Creek Reservoir just downstream from Palo Pinto Lake. This would double the city’s water supply. Turkey Creek is still in the application process with the Army Corp of Engineers and the state environmental agency. If a permit is granted within one or two years, construction would start in 2018 and be completed in 2020. Then a lot of rain would be needed to fill it. Six years is a long time to wait for a bath.

The situation at Palo Pinto Lake is an example of conditions all across Texas as the widespread drought continues. My own hometown is purchasing water from a nearby city currently able to share.

In the meantime, every man, woman and child is encouraged to pray for rain.