How to contribute to water conservation in Terlingua as a tourist

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The Terlingua International Championship Original Chili Cookoff kicked off Wednesday, a time-honored tradition in the Texas Wild West that features live music, a chance to meet the authors and, you guessed it, chili competitions.

The event draws thousands of visitors from across the U.S. and around the world and marks the start of tourist season in Terlingua, a fast-growing tourist haven that for years has been known more as a recluse’s paradise than a hot spot for people seeking refuge from the city. life.

Many tourists will spend their time exploring the desert community and mingling with the 154 full-time residents. Others could hike nearby Big Bend National Park’s breathtaking trails and camp in some of its pockets.

They will need water to hydrate, shower and cool off. And in this desert, the exact extent of available water is unknown. As more people visit and the demand for water increases, locals and experts recommend keeping a conservation mindset to help protect this limited resource.

This guide is meant to help you use water like the locals and save.

Where is Terlingua?

Terlingua is a sequestered desert community about 42 miles east of Big Bend National Park that locals call the last frontier against the developed world. It is politically unincorporated, meaning there is no municipal government, and it operates under the jurisdiction of Brewster County.

The area’s proximity to the national park has made it a popular national tourist destination. Particularly appealing to visitors are the luxury custom short-term rentals: teepees, A-frames, and bubble-like structures that offer 360-degree views of the night sky—the largest dark sky preserve on the planet .

In the past six years, tourism to Terlingua has tripled, according to Bram Gallagher, an economist at AirDNA, a data analytics firm that tracks U.S. short-term rental data. There were 133 short-term rental properties in 2018. In 2024, that number rose to 399.

If it is a desert, where does the water come from?

With little rain, the Terlingua Desert relies on springs and water naturally stored underground for its water supply.

Experts also believe that a aquifera great sea of ​​water similar to the Ogallala Aquifer in the High Plains, it flows underground in southern Brewster County. It is colloquially known as the Santa Elena Aquifer.

However, unlike all other Texas aquifers, scientists have so far been unable to determine its precise boundaries. State officials said they are confident an aquifer is under the Terlingan land.

The last time the state studied the area was in the 1990s. And while there is renewed interest among local and state officials to study the aquifer, that effort could take hundreds of thousands of dollars, years and the cooperation of residents who have historically opposed government regulation.

Why should people care about water conservation in the Terlingua area?

Water in Texas is not an infinite supply. Across the state, experts and farmers are imploring state officials to take water conservation and infrastructure concerns seriously.

In Terlingua, water is already hard to come by. It is an expensive investment that involves drilling a well that can cost upwards of tens of thousands of dollars without any water insurance.

“When I think about water conservation, I think about using water as efficiently as possible,” said Robert Mace, executive director of the Meadows Center for Water and the Environment. “Recognizing that it comes from somewhere and wherever it comes from, your use of that water has an impact, not only on the environment, but on other people who may rely on that water.”

Locals hope that increased economic activity in the region will not cost them water.

Why is water a concern?

The appeal of Terlingua is mainly based on its untouched environment. There is no water station that serves every resident in the area. Those who live there have only a handful of options for accessing water.

In a neighboring community near Terlingua called Study Butte, the Study Butte Water Supply Corporation supplies water to a limited number of residents within a geographic boundary. Terlingua Ranch Lodge, a 200,000-acre complex where more than 5,000 people own land, has drilled five water wells. The farm council sells that water to residents who sign up to the association. Residents outside the service area of ​​both utilities must drill wells or develop water catchment systems to capture rainwater.

The absence of any major investment in water infrastructure has prevented local and state officials from understanding exactly how much water is underground in the area.

With the demand for water increasing rapidly, residents are worried that there will be no water left after supplying it to visitors to the area.

Has growth affected water sources?

Over the years, many people have taken to the water. Data from the Texas Water Development Board, which maintains records on the state’s water supply, shows that property owners and developers have drilled more than 50 water wells since 2018.

Data from Study Butte Water Supply Corporation provided exclusively to The Texas Tribune shows that more customers have used more water over the past decade. In 2014, water managers put water into 227 faucets connected to its reservoirs, selling 8.4 million gallons of water. In 2023, the number of faucets did not increase significantly, but the amount of water increased, with 18 million gallons sold. That’s enough to fill about 27 Olympic-sized swimming pools.

This year, the Terlingua Ranch Property Owners Association took action to reduce water consumption on its territory. In August, council managers told residents the farm would reduce the amount of water available for sale when water levels fell.

What is being done to solve water problems in this region?

In short, not much yet. Locally, there is disagreement about the dramatic drop in water levels. State officials and scientists say there isn’t enough technology to monitor water levels to indicate a regional trend.

The Brewster County Groundwater Conservation District hopes increased partnerships with state officials and more local outreach will help. An effort is underway to get property owners to provide information on water well levels. Terlingua Ranch Lodge has agreed to place the monitoring technology in one of its five wells.

What role can tourists play in water conservation?

Listen to the locals and follow the existing guidelines. As state and local officials negotiate the best way to monitor water supplies, tourists can play an important role in helping residents conserve water.

“Choose homes dedicated to water conservation,” said Larry Sunderland, past member and chairman of the Terlingua Homeowners Association water board and longtime advocate for local water sources. “Ask your hosts about their water source and what water-saving devices they have.”

• Consider timing your showers and try to limit them to five minutes.
• Turn off the shower while lathering.
• Avoid frequent toilet flushing. A building can use more than a gallon of water.
• Turn off the faucet when not in use.