The importance of water and its preservation

I have childhood memories of visiting Wimberley with my family.

Years later, my husband and I brought our own family here. Of course, the draw was the gently flowing Blanco River and crystal-clear Cypress Creek. Through all those years I knew how to turn on the tap but knew nothing about the underground aquifers that hold our water and make turning on that tap possible.

According to U. S. Census data, between 2010 and 2020, Hays County was the fastest growing county for counties its size. So, as our climate becomes hotter and dryer, we have more and more individuals turning on the tap in Hays County. The western part of our county declared an Emergency Stage drought for the first time ever in August 2022. This means we, you and I, have a responsibility to preserve and conserve this precious resource every way we can and to encourage others to do so as well. The Watershed Association is one of several entities in our county working toward this end. Here are several tips from them that are easy to practice in daily life: Ditch the lawn – instead Xeriscape with native plants.

Shorten shower time – save gallons of water.

Turn off the faucet – don’t let it run while brushing your teeth, etc.

Collect rainwater – a rain barrel may save 1,300 gallons of water in summer months.

Maybe you can think of additional ways to save water at your home.

The final suggestion from the Watershed Association is worth a special note: “have gratitude for your water.” Use this precious finite resource with gratitude and reverence, and remember the people across our Earth who don’t have easy access to water.

“We forget that the water cycle and the life cycle are one.” — Jacques Cousteau