Water Officially Cut Off for Texas Rice Farmers

Jan 09, 2013

A Unanimous Vote by LCRA Leaves Rice Farmers in the Dust

On Tuesday, January 8, 2013 a unanimous vote was declared by the LCRA (Lower Colorado River Authority) to not release water from the Highland Lakes, which means no water for downstream rice farmers in Texas.

After a devastating drought that engulfed Texas and much of North America in 2012, water levels in area reservoirs are simply too low to continue providing water for rice farm irrigation. This not only means absolute uncertainty for the futures of area rice farmers, as it also interferes with Texas’ $200 million rice industry and jeopardizes the livelihoods of thousands who work directly or indirectly in the rice sector.

"We need an awful amount of water in the next two months for there to be any amount of water available for release downstream,” Becky Motal LCRA General Manager said. The LCRA has been looking into creating three new reservoirs downstream of the highland lakes - "To the extent that we can capture rain, in another part of the basin downstream it is going to give us more options, and a greater portfolio of water supply," Modal said.

Farmers have been praying for rain and continue to hold on to the hope that the water will once again start flowing through their paddies.

Video: Evolution of Beef Cattle Farming

The Clear Conversations podcast took to the road for a special episode recorded in Nashville during CattleCon, bringing listeners straight into the heart of the cattle industry. Host Tracy Sellers welcomed rancher Steve Wooten of Beatty Canyon Ranch in Colorado for a wide-ranging discussion that blended family history and sustainability, particularly as it relates to the future of beef production.

Sustainability emerged as a central theme of the conversation, a word that Wooten acknowledges can mean very different things depending on who you ask. For him, sustainability starts with the soil. Healthy soil produces healthy grass, which supports efficient cattle capable of producing year after year with minimal external inputs. It’s an approach that equally considers vegetation, animal efficiency, and long-term profitability.

That philosophy aligned naturally with Wooten’s involvement in the U.S. Roundtable for Sustainable Beef, where he served as a representative for the Colorado Cattlemen’s Association. The roundtable brings together the entire beef supply chain—from producers to retailers—along with universities, NGOs, and allied industries. Its goal is not regulation, Wooten emphasized, but collaboration, shared learning, and continuous improvement.