State Water Planning: Theory v. Practice in Texas

The essay shows that while the Texas water planning process is valu- able and important, its execution in practice is often flawed, resulting in over-estimates of the gap between projected demand and supply; new supply costs; lost opportunities for resolving real near-term needs through cost-effective solutions; and a limited ability to deal with criti- cal policy issues that will have significant effect on the state’s ability to sustainably manage its water resources for future generations.