Most of Texas has emerged from multi-years of drought, but scientists at the University of Texas Austin’s Center for Space Research insist the amounts of water stored in the ground are still greatly below normal.
The El Paso Times reports the analysis of satellite data indicated that the state lost 84 million acre-feet of water during the peak of the drought, but had only recovered about 10 percent as of earlier this month.
Texans in 2012 used just over 16 million acre-feet of water for all purposes, according to the Texas Water Development Board. The storage deficit detected by the satellites represents almost five years’ worth of the water used in the state.
The data used in the analysis were gathered by twin satellites launched in March 2002 as part of the Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE) Mission operated by NASA and DLR, the German national space agency.
“Moisture in much of Texas’ topsoil has recovered, but there hasn’t been enough rain to make up for losses in reservoirs and deep in the ground,” said Dr. John Nielson-Gammon, Texas State climatologist.