First Published in 2010. Routledge is an imprint of Taylor & Francis, an informa company.

As a water-scarce state with deep cultural attachments to private property rights, Texas has taken a unique evolutionary path with regard to water management. This new resource surveys past and current challenges for managing both groundwater and surface water, telling a comprehensive story about water policy in Texas, and identifying opportunities for improving future governance. Texas is the U.S. state that has experimented most thoroughly with water markets. In Water Policy in Texas, experts from broad disciplinary perspectives describe and analyze Texas water laws and management agencies, and the practices of water marketing and rate making in Texas. They explore the unique cases of the Edwards and Ogallala aquifers, the science and policy of environmental water stewardship, the extensive history of formalized water sharing with neighboring states and Mexico, and the opportunities for harnessing new technologies that might aid in addressing scarcity. This multidimensional, interdisciplinary book will be a valuable resource for students and researchers of Texas water policy, as well as for water managers worldwide, particularly those working within contexts of water scarcity.

As a water-scarce state with deep cultural attachments to private property rights, Texas has taken a unique evolutionary path with regard to water management. This new resource surveys past and current water policy challenges, telling a comprehensive story of water in Texas and identifying opportunities for improving future governance. Experts from broad disciplinary perspectives describe and analyze the various Texas water law and management agencies, the practices of water marketing in Texas, the unique cases of the Edwards and Ogallala aquifers, the extensive history of formalized water sharing with neighboring states and Mexico, and the opportunities for harnessing new technologies for meeting environmental and estuary goals. This multidimensional, interdisciplinary book will be a valuable resource for water managers worldwide, particularly those working within contexts of water scarcity.

No natural resource issue has greater significance for the future of Texas than water. The state's demand for water for municipal, industrial, agricultural, and recreational uses continues to grow exponentially, while the supply from rivers, lakes, aquifers, and reservoirs is limited. To help Texans manage their water resources today and plan for future needs, one of Texas's top water experts has compiled this authoritative overview of water issues in Texas. Water in Texas covers all the major themes in water management and conservation: Living with a Limited Resource The Molecule that Moves Mountains A Texas Water Journey The Gulf Shores of Texas Who's Who in Water Texas Water Law: A Blend of Two Cultures Does Texas Have Enough Water? Planning for the Future What's in Your Water? How Much is Water Worth? Water is Our Legacy Illustrated with color photographs and maps, Water in Texas will be the essential resource for landowners, citizen activists, policymakers, and city planners.

Water law is very important in Texas because of the lack of water in the majority of the state and the prospect of greater shortages in an era of warming climate. It is certain that conflicts and litigation over the rights to and usage of water are going to increase in the coming years. This guide introduces researchers to the basic concepts and resources (both print and online) needed to research water law issues in Texas; explains the identity, function and publications of the various government bodies involved with water law issues in Texas; and provides researchers starting points when conducting historical research on Texas water law.--Publisher.