Texas agriculture commissioner warns parts of the state are already 'out of water'

Texas's Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller on Sunday warned that parts of the Lone Star State have already run out of water, and that a bigger water crisis is looming for the rest of the state. 

State lawmakers have been trying to stave off the water crisis by passing $1 billion for the Texas Water Fund in 2023, The Hill reported. But the $1 billion is only a fraction of what is needed to overhaul the state's current water infrastructure. 

Miller claimed that the state is losing approximately one farm every week because of the water shortage, and that the Rio Grande Valley is facing the biggest issues when it comes to water in Texas. 

“We’re out of water, especially in the Rio Grande Valley,” Miller said on the WFAA's Inside Texas Politics show. “Our tomato production in the Valley is just about gone. They usually grow five crops of vegetables in that area ... [now] they have enough water to grow one. So, our production’s down 80 percent and it’s all about water.”

Miller also noted that farmers have left the west Texas town of Pecos because of the water shortage. Pecos used to be known for selling melons. 

The Texan urged state lawmakers to pass crucial water legislation in the next legislative session that ensures the state's water supply holds. But some critics have been skeptical that the legislature will be able to pass anything meaningful because of ongoing fights, and because several Republican state House leaders on water issues are retiring.

The commissioner also suggested that the state recycle its water and focus on capturing storm water, increasing water storage, and creating new reservoirs.

"We gotta recycle our water,” Miller said. “Our water treatment water goes into the creek, right out in the Gulf. We need to capture that and let my farmers irrigate with it.”

The recycling includes brackish water, which is less salty than water from the ocean but not saltier than fresh water. A new brackish water plant is expected to open in Alice, Texas, later this year.

Misty Severi is an evening news reporter for Just The News. You can follow her on X for more coverage.