Droughts Creating "Water Ranches".

• Position: Texas - Brief Article

Throughout the country, drought and population growth have placed a premium on water. In Texas, water has become so valuable that a complicated scramble is under way for the rights to underground aquifers. There are even "water ranches" popping up around the state, creating public policy concerns. In Texas, all surface water is considered public, while groundwater is private. Under the "rule of capture," a landowner can pump without regard for his neighbors, often creating a race to pump water before the aquifer goes dry. The Texas Legislature is considering a sweeping piece of legislation known as Senate Bill 2 that could determine how water is regulated and what is done to meet demand in the state for the next...