# Did the flooding in Texas alleviate the drought at all? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [June 9, 2015, 10:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-the-flooding-in-texas-alleviate-the-drought-at-all/722108 "2015-06-09T22:00:28Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 19\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Deeg](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/deeg/32/2955_2.png) [@Deeg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Deeg)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2015, 10:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-the-flooding-in-texas-alleviate-the-drought-at-all/722108/1 "2015-06-09T22:00:28Z")
I know that hard rains/floods are hard on farm land so the rains probably didn’t help the farmers but did the floods at least fill the reservoirs? ---
**Author:** ![Sarabellum](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sarabellum/32/3492_2.png) [@Sarabellum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sarabellum)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2015, 10:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-the-flooding-in-texas-alleviate-the-drought-at-all/722108/2 "2015-06-09T22:05:34Z")
Yes, a great many of them! The recovery at some of the lowest lakes has been nothing short of miraculous, and the US Corps of Engineers are wisely storing the extra in the lakes that can handle it - check out the overages at Lake Texoma, Grapevine, and Whitney. > **[Lake Levels in Texas, United States](http://www.lakelevels.info/USA/Texas/)** > > Check lake levels all over the United States ---
**Author:** ![zwede](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/ac91a4/32.png) [@zwede](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zwede)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2015, 11:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-the-flooding-in-texas-alleviate-the-drought-at-all/722108/3 "2015-06-09T23:41:26Z")
Massive improvements. Look at the current drought map: [http://droughtmonitor.unl.edu/Home/StateDroughtMonitor.aspx?TX](http://droughtmonitor.unl.edu/Home/StateDroughtMonitor.aspx?TX) And compare it to the one a year ago. All the lakes around here (Dallas) have recovered and most are filled to capacity. 6 months ago many of them were down to 50%. ---
**Author:** ![AncientHumanoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ancienthumanoid/32/278_2.png) [@AncientHumanoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AncientHumanoid)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2015, 11:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-the-flooding-in-texas-alleviate-the-drought-at-all/722108/4 "2015-06-09T23:44:24Z")
Same in Oklahoma. All of the major lakes were under full, some by double digits. Now all but 2 or 3 are full if not over. ---
**Author:** ![Duckster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/duckster/32/1244_2.png) [@Duckster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duckster)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2015, 1:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-the-flooding-in-texas-alleviate-the-drought-at-all/722108/5 "2015-06-10T01:58:53Z")
Seasonal for sure, but not long term. Here in the Pacific Northwest we’ve been in a long term drought going on 15 years. Seasonally, the Pacific Northwest drought conditions are like any place else in the country. Texas right now is seasonally better right now that either [Oregon](http://droughtmonitor.unl.edu/Home/StateDroughtMonitor.aspx?OR) or [Washington](http://droughtmonitor.unl.edu/Home/StateDroughtMonitor.aspx?WA). This [2011 study](http://www.news.pitt.edu/news/Abbott-wet-dry-cycles-American-West) reveals the long term wet/dry cycles are getting longer. I remember talking with a hydrologist back then who said the long term drought in the Pacific Northwest could only be alleviated if there was a misting rain continuously, for two years non-stop (24/7/720). Anything more substantial would just be runoff and never penetrate into the aquifers. ---
**Author:** ![astorian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ad7895/32.png) [@astorian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astorian)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2015, 2:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-the-flooding-in-texas-alleviate-the-drought-at-all/722108/6 "2015-06-10T02:12:58Z")
Lakes around Austin are a lot higher than they’ve been in years. But water use restrictions are still in place because it takes more than one rainy spring to make up for years of drought. ---
**Author:** ![Oddball\_92](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/b3f665/32.png) [@Oddball\_92](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oddball_92)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2015, 2:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-the-flooding-in-texas-alleviate-the-drought-at-all/722108/7 "2015-06-10T02:49:58Z")
Yes It has helped greatly. Look here at some of the Texas lakes… especially Lake Travis, and Lake Medina [Lake Levels in Texas, United States](http://www.lakelevels.info/?StateID=TX) Just click on one of the lakes and get a pretty cool graph ---
**Author:** ![cornflakes](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9d8465/32.png) [@cornflakes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cornflakes)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2015, 3:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-the-flooding-in-texas-alleviate-the-drought-at-all/722108/8 "2015-06-10T03:22:13Z")
It also varies by watershed and/or aquifer. Enough water fell in the Guadalupe Watershed that they are releasing as much as they can from Canyon Lake to avoid topping the dam. On the other hand, the lakes on the Colorado have filled, but the lakes in total are still only 68% full and they are not releasing from Lake Travis. Test wells for the Edwards aquifer are up, to a little over an average height. This also doesn’t change the population growth for the area. Rainfall hasn’t been lagging by that much in past years, but there are a lot more people using the water. > [@Deeg](#): > > I know that hard rains/floods are hard on farm land so the rains probably didn’t help the farmers… The floods were devastating to people in their paths, but I drove past a cornfield and a few hayfields yesterday that were under several feet of moving water during the Blanco River flood. It was probably just a matter of luck, but the corn seemed to be doing very well and the hay was freshly cut. ---
**Author:** ![usedtobe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/ec9cab/32.png) [@usedtobe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/usedtobe)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2015, 6:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-the-flooding-in-texas-alleviate-the-drought-at-all/722108/9 "2015-06-10T06:48:45Z")
As mentioned, there is a huge difference between light, persistent rain (good) and flash (bad). Yes, you get your lakes refilled, but the aquifers are out of luck. A long, persistent rain will saturate the earth and replenish the aquifers. In CA, it is the Sierra snowpack - we should have 20-30 FEET of snow by Feb. Hasn’t happened in years. ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2015, 12:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-the-flooding-in-texas-alleviate-the-drought-at-all/722108/10 "2015-06-10T12:58:39Z")
NPR reports that the flood is disastrous for some cattle farmers. ---
**Author:** ![Isilder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/cc9497/32.png) [@Isilder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Isilder)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2015, 2:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-the-flooding-in-texas-alleviate-the-drought-at-all/722108/11 "2015-06-10T14:01:13Z")
> [@usedtobe](#): > > A long, persistent rain will saturate the earth and replenish the aquifers. Flash flooding isn’t the end of a drought,sure its just a very local event. A single day of rain can be enough to replentish aquifers… IT does depend on how much land is left to be flooded as was natural… Of course I know most wetlands and flood plains are drained these days… In some parts of the world, the flood from a days rain lingers in the flood plains for weeks…soaking in… ---
**Author:** ![Deeg](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/deeg/32/2955_2.png) [@Deeg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Deeg)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2015, 3:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-the-flooding-in-texas-alleviate-the-drought-at-all/722108/12 "2015-06-10T15:56:33Z")
Thanks for the replies! It’s nice to know that there was a silver lining to the devastation. ---
**Author:** ![LonghornDave](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/a87d85/32.png) [@LonghornDave](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LonghornDave)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2015, 6:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-the-flooding-in-texas-alleviate-the-drought-at-all/722108/13 "2015-06-10T18:37:56Z")
The vast majority of Texas is not experiencing drought conditions. [Map of Texas drought](https://www.tceq.texas.gov/assets/public/response/drought/drought-map.jpg) We’ve been getting good rain for a while now. Contributing to the flooding was the fact that the ground was already saturated. The Panhandle area and the Highland Lakes of Central Texas were sort of the last remnants of drought conditions prior to the extreme rain of the past month. Now those areas are in pretty good shape as well. ---
**Author:** ![lieu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c2a13f/32.png) [@lieu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lieu)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2015, 7:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-the-flooding-in-texas-alleviate-the-drought-at-all/722108/14 "2015-06-10T19:14:03Z")
Here are some before and after pictures of portions of the Highland Lake areas (Travis, etc.) from the [Austin American Statesman](http://projects.statesman.com/news/lake-travis-then-now/). As Dave mentioned they’re definitely better off but the drought had taken a tremendous toll on them before. Unfortunately, most of the Memorial weekend rains came in the wrong place, too far east and south of that part of the Colorado River watershed to benefit them more. ---
**Author:** ![LonghornDave](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/a87d85/32.png) [@LonghornDave](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LonghornDave)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2015, 7:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-the-flooding-in-texas-alleviate-the-drought-at-all/722108/15 "2015-06-10T19:44:52Z")
> [@lieu](#): > > Here are some before and after pictures of portions of the Highland Lake areas (Travis, etc.) from the [Austin American Statesman](http://projects.statesman.com/news/lake-travis-then-now/). As Dave mentioned they’re definitely better off but the drought had taken a tremendous toll on them before. Unfortunately, most of the Memorial weekend rains came in the wrong place, too far east and south of that part of the Colorado River watershed to benefit them more. Very cool pictures ---
**Author:** ![Sarabellum](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sarabellum/32/3492_2.png) [@Sarabellum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sarabellum)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2015, 4:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-the-flooding-in-texas-alleviate-the-drought-at-all/722108/16 "2015-06-15T16:36:48Z")
The best part about the rains we got this spring, in my opinion - it wasn’t just a few heavy downpours (although there were a number of them) – it was the consistent, daily showers. Once, twice a day, we were getting steady rain, and then every few days, a thunderstorm and downpour. There towards the end of it, the big downpours were getting a little scary because there was really no place left for all that rain to go anymore, and even the little showers were starting to cause localized flash floods. But really, the rain came when we needed it badly, and did a great job of filling up the lakes and ponds until they literally would not hold another drop. And then the rains left, for the most part. We’ve had a few little showers since then. Sure, there was some damage as well, but really, not a bad trade-off considering the state that some of the lakes were in. It’s nice to hear about all the revitalized businesses on the various lakes that are gearing up for their biggest summer in many years. All the marinas and docks, campgrounds, bait & tackle, sporting goods, boat sales & maintenance, water sports, resorts and hotels - I mean, there’s like a dozen different industries that are all celebrating along with their customers. ---
**Author:** ![Bridget\_Burke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7cd45c/32.png) [@Bridget\_Burke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bridget_Burke)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2015, 4:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-the-flooding-in-texas-alleviate-the-drought-at-all/722108/17 "2015-06-15T16:45:34Z")
A [tropical system](http://www.khou.com/weather/) is coming ashore with promises of rain for the next few days. As others have noted, the recent flooding followed a generally wet spring & (in Houston, at least) a cloudy, rainy winter. Overall, Texas needs the water. Word to drivers in flood conditions: “Turn Around, Don’t Drown.” ---
**Author:** ![Squink](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5e925/32.png) [@Squink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Squink)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2015, 11:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-the-flooding-in-texas-alleviate-the-drought-at-all/722108/18 "2015-06-15T23:40:34Z")
[Recent rainfall has little effect on aquifer](http://www.newschannel10.com/story/29119307/recent-rainfall-has-little-effect-on-aquifer) > [@](#): > > "It actually is doing very little to the aquifer. The rainfall that falls on our general landscape will take about a thousand to 10,000 years to reach the aquifer. The [health of the Ogallala aquifer](https://www.twdb.texas.gov/groundwater/aquifer/majors/ogallala.asp) is hotly contested down there. ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2015, 11:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-the-flooding-in-texas-alleviate-the-drought-at-all/722108/19 "2015-06-15T23:54:16Z")
I read that enough rain fell to cover the entire state in eight inches of water. (CNN)