On May 10, the Legislative Budget Board (LBB) published a report on the fiscal impact to state agencies and institutions of higher education. Since September 2010, Texas continues to suffer from an intense La Niña driven drought with 100 percent of the state experiencing some level of drought during fiscal year 2011. The drought is affecting surface water and groundwater supplies, which affects water supply systems, agriculture, the economy, and the environment.
According to a Legislative Budget Board (LBB) staff survey of state agencies and public institutions of higher education, the total fiscal impact to these state entities was $253.1 million in fiscal year 2011. The LBB report summarizes the fiscal impact of this intense drought on state government, including the effect of wildfires in fiscal year 2011.
Findings of the report include:
- According to a LBB staff survey, the fiscal impact to Texas state agencies and public institutions of higher education was $253.1million in fiscal year 2011.
- In Texas, 956 (out of 6,954) public water systems declared mandatory water restrictions.
- Highland Lakes Travis and Buchanan, which provide water to more than one million Texans, were down to 38 percent of capacity.
- One community’s (Spicewood Beach) water supply was depleted and it had to hire trucks to haul water.
- According to the Texas AgriLife Extension Service, the estimated economic loss to state agriculture due to the drought was at least $7.6 billion.
- According to the Texas Forest Service, approximately 5.6 million trees died in urban areas throughout Texas because of the drought.