Texas drought to last possibly 9 more years.

Link says it better than I can.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/44725170/ns/weather/

Other climate info I've read seems to indicate this drought condition may be permanent due to climate change.  In any case, I'm going to plan accordingly. 

Bluh. 

Crikey. 

H Ludi Tyler wrote:
In any case, I'm going to plan accordingly. 

Does this involve a suitcase and a plane ticket?

Why exactly am I planning my new vegetable garden?  Sigh.

Marissa Little wrote:

Does this involve a suitcase and a plane ticket?

Sometimes I think seriously about running away!  But I have family in the region, and I have great sentimental attachment to the Hill Country, especially in the Fall.  Also, I'm not convinced the answer to our problems is to run away from them.  I like to think permaculture can help us "green the desert" or keep the green places from becoming desert.  At least many people seem to claim it can!  I just wonder if I have the guts to prove it here on my place.     I get so discouraged.  Pretty much everything I've planted has died except a few things right by the house where I've been watering.  Oh, some cactus, sotol and agave I planted haven't died!  (yet - though some of the native cactus in our fields are dying)

You might like this!!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8gPvsl9ni-4

Don't give up hope.

We got 3 1/2 inches in this last storm. 

I'm soooo relieved for yu!!! 

Here's hoping more is on the way!

We'd rather not have more right away - flooding wouldn't be so good. 

But the grass is starting to green again and little plants are popping up all around! 

That's right, just the right amount, NO FLOODING, just nice night showers, while you sleep, and comfy days.

Not very likely, given this is Texas - land of drought and flood. 

I think the  "drought" is an opportunity or an excuse to implement some of the zero/near zero irrigation methods like Hugalkultur beds, polycultures, planting from seeds, planting hardy varieties, etc.  When the normal amount of water comes back whether in one year or 10 years, those systems I would expect would perform even better with the increased (normal) rain fall.

I agree, Jacob.  Texas desperately needs to get its act together regarding water, and this is a good time for folks to be learning about rainwater harvesting.  Apparently some communities are having water seminars to help people learn more about rainwater harvesting.

On my own place, we're trying to install as many rain harvesting earthworks and buried wood beds as we can during this dry period. 

Same here, our Hugel beds are doing really well for their first year. Rather than going up, I dug down about 4 feet and added about 1 foot  of soil over top.  I am looking forward to the next couple months and the hundreds of bags of leaves i can gather up just from my little street.

I work with a gal who spent nearly $300 a month this last summer to keep her lawn looking perfect.  I started to implement some of Paul's lawn care suggestions.  With just a year underway my lawn was nice and green all summer and I didn't spend anywhere near $300 a month in water for the same size lawn.

Over the winter I plan to install some water capture systems to make the most of the spring rains.  There are so many resources and methods out there to fit anybody's ability and property.  Avoiding paying $300 a month in water could easily pay for a lot of them.

The electric co-op is coming down our road clearing trees from under the power lines, so we'll get literally tons of wood cut up and chipped for free.  I have big plans for all that material. 

I'm considering a move to the Texas hill country (Fredericksburg or Boerne, perhaps) to be closer to grandchildren.  As a novice permaculturist, I'm concerned about drought conditions and whether or not they might be the new norm considering climate change.  I'm also wondering if there is an active permaculturist community in the area -- I'll need all the advice I can get!

Texas and the Southwest are forecast to become drier with global warming, though this region may experience more intense flooding rainfall events as well.  This is already one of the flood capitols of the US.    Personally I think the weather here can be fascinating and exciting, but it can also be scary and inconvenient and it is definitely challenging to try to grow food here!

http://www.publicnewsservice.org/index.php?/content/article/21640-1

There seems to be a biggish permaculture community mostly centered in Austin, though I just joined a permaculture meetup group in San Antonio (I live closer to there than to Austin).  Fredericksburg hosts both an annual nature fair (in the Spring) and a renewable energy and green living fair (in the Fall).  Interest in sustainable living and food growing is definitely increasing in this area! 

When MSN tells you a long term trend on ANYTHING a sports team, the climate, the economy, the stock market, etc. BET AGAINST IT.

I'd love for it to become mild and moist here, but I'm sure not going to bet on it. So far it looks better to bet on it swinging dramatically from drought to flood....

9 years of drought is making me rethink my hugelkultur garden, I might need to raise it 6 feet as opposed to 3! gah lee thats alot of wood!

So much for 9 years of drought.

hows that drought doing now

So for the past several months my property IN NORTH TEXAS has been sitting most days under at least some standing water.

My question, has anyone learned anything from this?

There was a prediction, 9 years of drought and a lot of people were very concerned. The source was MSN. Sigh.

Last year we were told there was also a drought, I didn't see a drought last year.

The two years before you bet.

My points...

1. We really should not listen to such long term predictions
2. We should design our systems based on low averages and with plants that can handle a zone higher and lower, etc.
3. A lake man made and then drained is not proof of a drought, simply that we take more then we capture
4. Trusting main stream media and modern science is generally a big mistake