The Fragile Future of Aquifer Storage and Recovery

Buda, Texas-a small town that lies between Austin and San Antonio,

on the banks of Onion Creek and above the Edwards Aquifer-is perhaps

best known, though it is not particularly well known, as the "Wiener Dog

Capital of Texas." Buda's claim to this title is based upon its annual

dachshund races, which are opposed by the Dachshund Club of America

but lauded by locals, tourists, and the international press as an "event that

combines the pageantry of the Kentucky Derby and the excitement of

NASCAR with dachshunds, animals known for their small stature." Buda

is certainly unusual in relying so heavily upon dachshunds for tourism revenue,

but wiener dogs aside, Buda has much in common with other American

communities, especially those in many western and some southern states.

For example, as part of the fastest growing county in Texas, Buda has

seen explosive growth of more than 80% in the last decade -growth that

has taxed many civic and natural resources, including the community's water

supply. And like many fast growing American communities, Buda's residents

and businesses have had to reckon with the stresses of development on

dwindling water supplies while also confronting the impacts of climate

change and recent extreme weather events.