Texas water planners project the state’s population will climb from 34.2 million in 2030 to 52.3 million in 2080. Under drought-of-record conditions, they project existing water supplies will fall from about 15.5 million to 14 million acre-feet a year over the same period.
The 2027 State Water Plan identifies 3,036 recommended water management projects with a combined estimated capital cost of $173.7 billion.
Against that backdrop, Republican agriculture commissioner nominee Nate Sheets and Democratic nominee Clayton Tucker outlined competing approaches to The Dallas Express ahead of the November 3, 2026, general election.
Sheets defeated incumbent Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller (R-Texas) in the March 3 Republican primary.
The Texas Water Development Board leads statewide water planning. The Texas Department of Agriculture’s Office of Water works with farmers, ranchers, water districts, researchers and other state entities on water issues affecting agriculture.
Sheets points to Proposition 4
Sheets pointed to Proposition 4, which Texas voters approved on November 4, 2025. As previously reported by The Dallas Express, the amendment directs up to $1 billion a year in state sales tax collections above $46.5 billion to the Texas Water Fund from September 1, 2027, through August 31, 2047.
State Sen. Charles Perry (R-Lubbock) sponsored House Joint Resolution 7 in the Senate and authored Senate Bill 7, which implemented the water-funding changes.
“Last session, Senator Charles Perry, the Texas Legislature, and the people of Texas took an important step by passing Proposition 4 and making a generational investment in our state’s water future,” Sheets told The Dallas Express.
Sheets said his priority as agriculture commissioner would be ensuring farmers and ranchers have a voice as Texas balances agricultural, residential and industrial water demand.
“As Agriculture Commissioner, I will fight to ensure that as Texas plans for a growing population and economy, agriculture has a strong seat at the table alongside residential and industrial users. Texans can’t live without water, and they can’t live without food—the two go hand in hand,” Sheets said.
“We need to invest wisely in water infrastructure, conservation, and innovation while protecting the farmers and ranchers who depend on reliable water to feed Texas and the nation.”
Tucker pushes broader approach
Tucker said no single policy will solve the state’s water challenges.
“There’s no silver bullet to fix our water issues, but there is a silver buckshot,” Tucker told The Dallas Express.
Tucker characterized Texas’ current problem primarily as one of water management but said it could become a supply problem within 10 to 20 years, particularly if water-intensive developments such as data centers increase demand.
He called for repairing aging and leaking infrastructure, spending state money on university research into lower-cost desalination, developing more efficient agricultural irrigation technology and steering water-intensive industries away from areas already facing water scarcity.
Tucker also called for protecting farmers, families and homesteaders from what he characterized as abuse of Texas water laws by Wall Street interests.
“We don’t want Wall Street to pump our aquifers dry just to sell it back to us,” Tucker said.
Tucker proposed helping farmers diversify into drought-tolerant crops and livestock, including industrial hemp. He also supported rotational grazing to restore grasslands, rebuilding forests and shelterbelts in suitable areas, and new technology to reduce water use by existing industries.
Sheets and Tucker agreed that Texas’ agricultural strength will depend heavily on how the state manages water in the decades ahead.
Provided by Dallas Express
