Whooping Cranes and Texans: A Plan for Water, Survival, and Coexistence

In the Guadalupe river basin of Texas, a low lying stretch of coastal marshes and grasslands, human development and weather alterations are beginning to cause problems for whooping cranes and humans alike. There is not enough water there to support both humans and animals, especially in times of drought. Whooping Cranes have never lived easy. Ignoring difficulties with migration from Alberta, Canada to Texas each year, a combination of human interference and habitat loss has now brought their shrinking populations even closer to extinction. Losing a species from our planet is a tragedy in itself, but even more frightening is the idea that humans are also struggling with an increasingly stressed water management system in Texas, along with the cranes. In the foreseeable future, we may watch the existence of the whooping crane come to an end, but what about humans living in this area? The effect of human development needs to be weighed more accurately with water availability and climate changes in the Guadalupe river basin. Water marketing should reflect the shortages occurring and that will occur to a greater degree in times of drought, and should also succumb to enhanced water conservation solutions. Lastly, laws regarding habitat protection and wildlife preservation need to support the climate in Texas more than they support development and economical gains.