Water Resources Management and Conservation Projects

City of McKinney: Water Resources Management and Conservation

The City of McKinney has committed to a six-year program with Urban Solutions Center to be a research site, resource center and model to other cities in our region on new methods of water conservation so that the City can continue to enjoy the benefits of economic development and growth while at the same time remaining "Unique By Nature."

McKinney residents, meet your newest neighbors, Dewey and Minnie Dribble. Click on the links below and they will show you how to conserve water in your home and landscape so you can save water and money. Remember, Be a Dribble. Conserve!

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Be a Dribble. Conserve. Web site
City Web site

Lake Granbury Water Quality

Lake Granbury is a critical water supply in North Central Texas, providing water for over 250,000 people in more than 15 cities. It provides water for industrial use, including cooling water for a natural gas-fired steam electric power plant and the Comanche Peak nuclear power plant. It is also a recreation haven for local water enthusiasts. In recent years golden algae blooms have caused a number of fish kills in Lake Granbury, with substantial economic and biological losses.

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Project Web site

North Central Texas Water Quality

Water quality in North Central Texas reservoirs is a growing concern. Five of the major reservoirs in the Trinity River basin managed by Tarrant Regional Water District (TRWD) now serve 1.6 million people across 11 counties and are expected to serve 2.66 million by 2050. The Texas Water Resources Institute, Texas Agricultural research and Extension Center - Dallas and Texas A&M Agriculture are collaborating with TRWD to study water quality protection and improvements in these five reservoirs in regard to the major problems of sediment and nutrient loading. Sediment loading affects reservoir capacity and water clarity; nutrient loading results in algae growth that impacts water treatment and recreational use.

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Project Web site

Trinity River Basin Environmental Restoration Initiative

The Trinity River, the 512-mile river that stretches from north of the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex to Galveston Bay, and its natural resources are important assets to Texas. With more than 8.9 million residents, the river and its 1,983 miles of major tributaries drain an area of more than 11.5 million acres and supports water needs for 20 percent of the state's population. Many of these residents, urban and rural, depend on the river and its natural resources for maintaining quality of life and economic prosperity. Increased development and changes in land use, however, threatened the water quality, wildlife habitats, groundwater availability, recreational opportunities and flood control of the basin.

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Project Web site

• Effects of Land Use Change on Sediment and Nutrient Delivery to Reservoirs
• Urban Water Quality and Conservation Education