Regional Water Plan – Panhandle Water Planning Area VOLUME I January, 2000 Prepared for the Panhandle Water Planning Group through a contract with the Panhandle Regional Water Plan Regional Planning Panhandle Water Planning Area Commission Amarillo, Texas PPC99134 Prepared by: Freese and Nichols, Inc. 4055 International Plaza Suite 200 Fort Worth, TX 76109 817/735-7300 The Texas Agricultural Experiment Station The Texas Agricultural Extension Service USDA Natural Resource Conservation Service Bureau of Economic Geology TABLE OF CONTENTS VOLUME I Chapter No. Page No. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY E-1 1.0 SENATE BILL 1 1-1 1.1 REGIONAL WATER PLANNING AREA 1-3 1.1.1 Population 1-4 1.1.2 Economic Activities 1-8 1.1.3 Climate 1-9 1.2 Major Water Providers 1-11 1.3 Sources of Water 1-12 1.3.1 Groundwater 1-12 1.3.2 Surface Water 1-20 1.4 Current Water Users and Demand Centers 1-25 1.4.1 Municipal Use 1-25 1.4.2 Industrial Use 1-26 1.4.3 Agricultural Use 1-28 1.5 Natural Resources 1-32 1.5.1 Natural Region 1-32 1.5.2 Regional Vegetation 1-34 1.5.3 Regional Geology 1-37 1.5.4 Mineral Resources 1-37 1.5.5 Soils 1-39 1.5.6 Wetlands 1-41 1.5.7 Aquatic Resources 1-42 1.5.8 Wildlife Resources 1-43 1.6 Threats and Constraints to Water Supply 1-44 1.7 Existing Programs and Goals 1-47 1.7.1 Federal Programs 1-47 1.7.2 Interstate Programs 1-48 1.7.3 State Programs 1-49 1.7.4 Local Programs 1-51 1.7.5 Other Information 1-52 2.0 CURRENT AND PROJECTED POPULATION AND WATER DEMAND FOR THE REGION 2-1 2.1 Population 2-3 2.2 Historical Water Use and Projected Water Demand 2-6 2.3 Major Water Providers 2-16 3.0 EVALUATION OF ADEQUACY OF CURRENT WATER SUPPLIES 3-1 3.1 Groundwater Supplies 3-2 3.1.1 Major Aquifers 3-5 3.1.2 Minor Aquifers 3-7 3.2 Surface Water Supplies 3-10 i TABLE OF CONTENTS VOLUME I Chapter No. Page No. 3.2.1 Lake Meredith 3-16 3.2.2 Palo Duro Reservoir 3-17 3.2.3 Greenbelt Reservoir 3-19 3.2.4 Other Potential Surface Water Sources 3-20 4.0 COMPARISON OF CURRENT WATER SUPPLIES TO DEMAND 4-1 4.1 Comparison of Demand to Currently Available Supplies 4-2 4.2 Identified Needs for the PWPA 4-8 4.3 Conclusions 4-10 5.0 IDENTIFIED REGIONAL NEEDS AND EVALUATION PROCEDURES 5-1 5.1 Regional Needs 5-1 5.2 Evaluation Procedures 5-2 5.3 Strategy Development Assumptions 5-4 5.4 Municipal Needs 5-4 5.4.1 City of Amarillo 5-5 5.4.2 Palo Duro River Authority Member Cities 5-6 5.4.3 Claude 5-10 5.4.4 Groom 5-11 5.4.5 Panhandle 5-12 5.4.6 Skellytown 5-13 5.4.7 White Deer 5-14 5.4.8 Lefors 5-14 5.4.9 McLean 5-14 5.4.10 Canadian 5-15 5.4.11 Vega 5-16 5.4.12 Canyon 5-17 5.4.13 Lake Tanglewood 5-18 5.4.14 Shamrock 5-18 5.4.15 Wheeler 5-19 5.4.16 Perryton 5-21 5.4.17 County-Other, Moore County 5-22 5.4.18 County-Other, Oldham County 5-22 5.4.19 County-Other, Potter County 5-22 5.4.20 County Other, Randall County 5-23 5.5 Manufacturing Needs 5-24 5.5.1 Moore County 5-25 5.5.2 Potter County 5-26 5.5.3 Randall County 5-26 5.6 Steam Electric Power Needs 5-27 5.6.1 Moore County 5-27 5.6.2 Potter County 5-28 5.7 Mining Needs 5-29 5.7.1 Oldham County 5-29 5.7.2 Potter County 5-30 5.8 Irrigation Needs 5-31 ii TABLE OF CONTENTS VOLUME I Chapter No. Page No. 5.8.1 Use of the Potential Evapotranspiration Network for Scheduling Irrigation 5-35 5.8.2 Change in Crop Variety 5-36 5.8.3 Irrigation Equipment Changes 5-38 5.8.4 Change in Crop Type 5-45 5.8.5 Implementing Conservation Tillage Methods 5-53 5.8.6 Precipitation Enhancement 5-54 5.8.7 Economic Value of Transfer of Water to Deficit Counties for Irrigation Use 5-55 5.8.8 Summary of Irrigation Strategies 5-57 5.9 Livestock Needs 5-61 5.10 Water Transfers and Water Marketing Companies 5-61 5.11 Bush Control 5-61 5.12 Socioeconomic Impact of Not Meeting Needs 5-61 6.1 Regulatory, Administrative or Legislative Recommendations 6-1 6.2 Regulatory Issues 6-1 6.3 Legislative Issues 6-2 6.4 Recommendations for Future State Water 6-4 7.0 PLAN ADOPTION AND PUBLIC PARTICIPATION 7-1 7.1 Panhandle Water Planning Group 7-1 7.1.1 Panhandle Water Planning Group Public Information and Education Commitment 7-3 7.2 Public Participation Activities 7-4 7.2.1 Special Regional Water Planning Presentations 7-4 7.2.2 Media Events and Coverage 7-5 7.2.3 Electronic Outreach 7-6 7.2.4 Formal Public Information Meetings 7-7 7.2.5 Workshops and Surveys 7-8 7.3 Panhandle Water Planning Group Functions 7-9 7.3.1 Panhandle Water Planning Group Meetings 7-9 7.3.2 Panhandle Water Planning Group Committee Activities 7-10 7.4 Plan Adoption Process 7-10 7.4.1 Public Hearing 7-10 7.4.2 Initially Prepared Plan Adoption 7-11 7.4.3 Response to Comments 7-11 7.4.4 Final Regional Water Plan Adoption 7-11 7.5 Local Participation in the Regional Water Planning Process 7-11 7.6 Conclusion 7-12 References Ref-i iii LIST OF FIGURES Figure No. Page No. 1 Estimated Available Water Supply in Aquifers Underlying PWPA E-8 2 Water Management Strategies for Reducing Irrigation Demands E-13 1-1 Voting Membership of Panhandle Water Planning Group 1-4 1-2 PWPA Projected Population by City, County, and Rural Areas by Decade 1-6 1-3 Populated Areas included in County-Other 1-8 1-4 Economic Activities of Counties in the PWPA 1-9 1-5 Summary of Policies and Agencies Affecting Texas Water Quality 1-12 1-6 Groundwater Districts in PWPA 1-13 1-7 Estimated Groundwater Storage of the Ogallala Aquifer in the PWPA 1-17 1-8 Individual Water Rights in the PWPA: Permitted and Actual Use 1-20 1-9 Surface Water Segments in the PWPA and Associated Water Quality Issues 1-22 1-10 Water Used by CRMWA Member Cities in the PWPA during 1996 1-25 1-11 Historical and Projected Municipal Water Use for the PWPA 1-26 1-12 Historical and Projected Industrial Water Use for the PWPA 1-27 1-13 Number of Farms and Acres of Harvested Cropland in the PWPA, 1978 through 1997 1-28 1-14 Projected Irrigation Water Use for the PWPA 1-29 1-15 Estimates of Livestock Water Use in the PWPA during 1997 1-30 1-16 Projections for Livestock Water Use in the PWPA 1-31 1-17 Mineral Resource Production for Counties in the PWPA 1-37 1-18 Physical Characteristics of Playas Within the PWPA 1-42 3-1 Available Water Supply from the Ogallala Aquifer 3-6 3-2 Recharge Rage, Pumpage Rage, and Estimated Annual Availability Of the Seymour Aquifer 3-7 3-3 Recharge Rate, Pumpage Rate, and Estimated Annual Availability Of the Blaine Aquifer 3-8 3-4 Recharge Rate, Pumpage Rate, and Estimated Annual Availability Of the Dockum Aquifer 3-8 3-5 Average Pumpage and Projected Groundwater Availability in the Rita Blanca Aquifer for Counties 3-9 3-6 Projected Groundwater Availability in the Whitehorse Aquifer For Counties in the PWPA 3-10 3-7 Descriptive Information of Water Supply Reservoirs in the PWPA 3-15 3-8 Water Rights in the PWPA Greater Than 1,000 acre-feet/yr. 3-15 3-9 Water Rights in the PWPA Less Than 1,000 acre-feet/yr. 3-16 3-10 Projected Yield and Available Supply of Lake Meredith 3-18 3-11 Projected Yield and Available Supply of Palo Duro Reservoir 3-19 3-12 Projected Yield and Available Supply of Greenbelt Reservoir 3-21 3-13 Descriptive Information of Minor Reservoirs in the PWPA 3-22 3-14 Acreage and Estimated Maximum Storage of Play Lakes in the PWPA 3-25 4-1 Comparison of Supply and Demand by County 4-5 4-2 Year 2000 Needs by County and Category 4-6 iv LIST OF FIGURES Figure No. Page No. 4-3 Year 2020 Needs by County and Category 4-7 4-4 Year 2050 Needs by County and Category 4-8 4-5 Decade Need Begins by County and Category 4-9 4-6 Municipalities with Identified Need 4-10 5-1 Identified Needs in the PWPA 5-1 5-2 Undeveloped Water Rights 5-4 5-3 Distribution of water from Palo Duro Reservoir 5-6 5-4 Irrigation Needs Identified in the PWPA 5-32 5-5 Possible water management strategies for reducing irrigation demands 5-33 5-6 Irrigated acres for selected counties and crops in 1997 5-34 5-7 Annual water savings using NPPET for scheduling irrigation 5-35 5-8 Water savings by changing from long season corn to short Season corn varieties 5-37 5-9 Water savings by changing from long season sorghum to short Season sorghum varieties 5-38 5-10 Furrow-irrigated acres in 1997 5-40 5-11 Water Savings when Shifting from Furrow Irrigation 5-41 5-12 Water savings when shifting furrow irrigated crops to surge flow 5-42 5-13 Water savings when shifting furrow irrigated crops to LESA 5-43 5-14 Water savings when shifting furrow irrigated crops to LEPA 5-44 5-15 Water savings when shifting furrow irrigated crops to DRIP 5-45 5-16 Water savings when converting from irrigated corn to irrigated sorghum 5-47 5-17 Water savings when converting from irrigated corn to irrigated cotton 5-48 5-18 Water savings when converting from irrigated corn to irrigated soybeans 5-49 5-19 Water savings when converting from irrigated sorghum to irrigated wheat 5-50 5-20 Water savings when converting from irrigated soybeans to irrigated wheat 5-51 5-21 Water savings when converting from irrigated crops to dryland farming 5-52 5-22 Total Water savings for the next 50 years (2000-2050) for Different Crop Conversions 5-53 5-23 Water savings via implementation of conservation tillage 5-54 5-24 Water savings for 2010-2050 via precipitation enhancement 5-55 5-25 Estimated breakeven water prices for irrigated crop producers in the PWPA5-56 5-26 Water Demand Reductions for Irrigation Strategies with Change in Crop Variety for Years 2020-2050 (in acre-feet/year) 5-57 5-27 Water Demand Reductions for Irrigation Strategies with Change in Crop Type for Years 2020-2050 (in acre-feet/year) 5-59 5-28 Revised Irrigation Demands 5-60 7-1 Panhandle Water Planning Group – Voting Members 7-1 7-2 Panhandle Water Planning Group – Former Members 7-2 7-3 Panhandle Water Planning Group Ex-Oficio Positions 7-3 v LIST OF FIGURES Figure No.