Water, and its future, matters to Texas more than many of us can comprehend.
It fuels our economy by irrigating our crops. It quenches our thirst. We use it bathe and launder our cloth. We need it. It's not an extravagance. It is an absolute necessity.
We're also using it up and we're trying now to find ways to conserve for as long as humanly possible.
"Texas Perspective: Water" is a joint collaboration among several PBS stations around the state. Panhandle PBS was a player in this team project. It aired this past week on Panhandle PBS and is set to be broadcast in due course on PBS affiliates all across the state.
It now can be viewed online.
http://video.kacvtv.org/video/2365345995/
The special broadcast enlightened those who might not be fully aware of the state's water situation.
Viewers learned about how Amarillo has managed to acquire vast water rights that city officials believe will provide water for Amarillo well beyond the foreseeable future. The special told us of the huge impact that water has on our regional economy. It told us how El Paso is turning brackish water -- salty groundwater -- into potable drinking water. Viewers learned how Dallas-area conservationists are developing wetlands.
Perhaps the most interesting segment might be how Wichita Falls is combining waste water with fresh surface water, while clamping serious water-use restrictions on residents. The result has been a 75 percent reduction in daily water use.
If you didn't see it when it aired this past Thursday, you can watch the program in its entirety online.
It's educational and gives you a good look at how many Texans around the state are striving to protect our future.
