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ChatGPTClaudePerplexitySummary CRMWA II · Part 3
Why build CRMWA II: three reasons, starting with Lake Meredith
Amarillo Ledger ·
A plain-language summary of records on this site. Every figure is on the linked pages, with its source.
Why build a second pipeline? CRMWA gives three reasons, and the first is Lake Meredith.
According to the CRMWA II memorandum the council approved in June, average inflow to the lake fell from about 130,000 acre-feet a year (1965-2000) to about 57,000 (2000-2025), and chlorides doubled at the same lake level over 25 years. The regional water plan counts on just 12,000 acre-feet a year of reliable supply from the lake in 2030, falling to 4,500 by 2080. The lake was 44.6% full on Oct. 15.
The second reason is age: the 1960s section of aqueduct between Lake Meredith and Amarillo is deteriorating, and 25 miles of 1968 pipe carry all CRMWA water to every member city except Borger and Pampa. A second line adds a backup. The third is demand: the regional plan projects demand on CRMWA exceeding its supply by 22,540 acre-feet a year in 2030, rising to 64,858 by 2080.
Those are planning projections, not measurements. The water would come from Roberts County groundwater, where the local district's goal is to keep at least half of the Ogallala in storage over each 50-year period.
Every water figure, by source: amarilloledger.com/amarillo/crmwa-ii
