A north Texas city breathed a sigh of relief after recent storms brought much-needed rain to the region and lifted the water levels of two key lakes.
The Times Record News reported that storms in early April brought 1.5 inches of precipitation to Wichita Falls, a city of over 102,000 people about 130 miles northwest of Dallas, near the Oklahoma border. Those storms — which also brought damaging hail in some places — took the yearly total to 5.52 inches of precipitation, or almost half an inch above normal.
Perhaps more importantly, the precipitation gave a much-needed rise to nearby Lake Kickapoo and Lake Arrowhead. Their combined levels rose by 1.3% to a capacity of 67.9%. That keeps the lakes just above the 65% threshold — beneath that level, they go into "Watch" status for drought. As of late April, the combined total was 75.2% — even further into the "Normal" range — according to the city website.
Even after the storms, the city remained under stage 1 drought restrictions, which limit how frequently residents can water their lawns — and this status did not appear to have changed on the city website as of late April. Last May, the lakes were measured at 74% capacity.
Still, compared to the rest of the state, Wichita Falls has had fewer drought concerns this year.
In particular, much of western Texas was under the two most intense drought conditions, according to late-April U.S. Drought Monitor data. Under extreme and exceptional drought conditions, the service says, the risk of large wildfires is increased, destructive algal blooms occur, and there are notable water shortages, among many other consequences.
Texas isn't alone when it comes to severe drought conditions.
Last year was the warmest in recorded history, a phenomenon that has been occurring almost every year thanks to climate change. In fact, the last 10 years have been the 10 warmest on record, and as the world gets warmer, dry areas can become even more drought-prone, with regional variation.
The Environmental Protection Agency has noted that droughts have increased since 1950 across much of the world, particularly in North America, Africa, and southern Europe.
News of the lake levels rising near Wichita Falls has been welcomed for the time being, even with remaining restrictions.
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Definitely 🥰 "This is indeed good news, meaning we will go into the summer months with adequate water for our homes and landscapes," said a recent post from Smith's Gardentown, a multigenerational garden center and nursery in Wichita Falls. "As always, be wise with your use of our water," it added.
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