Texans Should Take Action NOW

Susan Hamilton

May 26, 2026

WARNING! Rural families and small businesses are being put on the government chopping block so big city politicians, their taxpayer-funded lobbyists, and developers can keep expanding without limits.

Grassroots America’s Water/Property Rights Work Group has reviewed the Draft 2027 Texas Water Development Board Plan. The Draft Plan accelerates the permanent loss of rural land and water — stripping resources from the very communities that feed, supply, and stabilize this state. We’re fighting back because no Texas family or small business should have their rights stolen by the State of Texas. We’ve made it easy for you to have your say,but you must act NOW! It takes only a few minutes and costs you nothing to participate. Find our explainer at the end of this alert under “Additional Information.” These key points will help you word your personal message to these officials.

Why don’t we write it for you? Most gov’t officials and their staff disregard canned, pre-written messages that all say the same thing! We will send your personal email message to the Texas Water Development Board, Gov. Abbott (and his top advisors), Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick (and his Chief of Staff), your State Senator, and State Representative. PUBLIC COMMENT IS OPEN UNTIL FRIDAY, MAY 29 @ 5:00 PM After you send your email, the phone number for the Texas Water Development Board pops up. Be sure to make those phone lines ring!

Submit your email message HERE.

The Draft 2027 Water Plan outlines how Texas expects to meet future water needs as the state continues rapid expansion. However, the current draft fails to realistically address the enormous water demands expected from continued industrial growth, including AI infrastructure and large-scale data center development.

At the same time, the plan places minimal emphasis on industrial conservation, projecting only limited reductions in industrial water waste despite unprecedented future demand.

To compensate, the state continues pursuing interbasin water transfers and large reservoir projects that flood rural land and permanently remove water resources from originating basins. These transfers reduce the long-term hydrologic sustainability and economic stability of East Texas communities while shifting resources to support continued expansion in Region C and the Dallas-Fort Worth area.

Desalination has the potential to provide one of the highest long term water yields in Texas while reducing pressure on existing freshwater resources, yet it continues to receive far less attention.

Texans are increasingly being asked to sacrifice farmland, timberland, homes, family property, and local water security to support rapid urban expansion, luxury developments, and industrial growth elsewhere in the state.

We recommend the following actions before adoption of the final plan:

Ensure all approved and projected industrial projects are fully included in future demand calculations.
Require municipalities and regions exceeding the state average daily per-capita water usage to implement enforceable conservation measures.
Require meaningful industrial conservation standards for high-volume water users.
Adopt policies that prioritize protection of private property rights and local water sustainability.
Produce updated planning scenarios that:
- Evaluate Texas’ projected water shortfall if projects requiring land flooding or interbasin transfers are removed.
- Identify alternative solutions capable of meeting demand without violating property rights, including desalination and other high-yield long-term infrastructure investments.

Texas must pursue water policies that balance growth with sustainable supply, provide reasonable conservation, and protect our constitutional rights. Long-term planning should focus on expanding water supply responsibly rather than permanently transferring the burden onto rural communities that may never recover.