Texas Almanac 2018-2019

The Texas Almanac 2018–2019 includes these new feature articles:
• WATER — An in-depth overview of the state of water in Texas, written by conservationist Dr. Andrew Sansom. Author of the acclaimed book Water in Texas, Dr. Sansom provides compelling new information in this Almanac article. A former executive director of both the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department and the Texas Nature Conservancy, he has won many awards for managing and protecting natural resources and currently is Research Professor of Geography and Executive Director of The Meadows Center for Water and the Environment at Texas State University.
 
“No natural resource has greater significance for the future of Texas than water.  In Texas, the population is expected to essentially double in the next generation and yet we have already given permission for more water to be drawn from many of our rivers than is actually in them.”
 
• HUNTING — A look at the popularity of hunting in Texas by Luke Clayton, a longtime outdoors writer, radio host, and book author. Clayton, who grew up hunting and fishing in rural northeast Texas, also discusses the overpopulation problem of wild hogs and provides his favorite recipes for all types of wild game. A prolific voice for hunters, Clayton hosts three weekly outdoors radio shows, writes a weekly hunting and fishing column that appears in more than 30 newspapers, and writes for magazines, such as Texas Parks & Wildlife magazine and Texas Wildlife.
 
“After spending about 55 years in the pursuit of fish and game all over this country and several others, I have come to the conclusion that some people are born to hunt and some are not, but that spark of DNA passed down through the eons from our hunting forefathers is alive in all of us.”
 
• SPORTSWOMEN — Cookbook author and food editor Dotty Griffith writes about women who love both hunting and fishing, and she offers up a few of her favorite recipes.
 
“I grew up in a hunting and fishing family. Not every woman is that lucky but that's no reason not to learn how. More women are getting into outdoor sports on their own, not as tag-alongs. From equipment to fashion, women are becoming a force in what used to be almost exclusively a man's world.”

• FISHING — Fishing guide and expert Kevin “K.T.” Townsend writes about angling in Texas. Townsend is the author of the online blog K.T. Diaries and gives an overview of both saltwater and freshwater fishing from the Gulf Coast to the state’s many rivers, lakes, and reservoirs.
 
“I can still remember fishing with my grandfather, who became a guide after taking early retirement. He would put me in the front of his john boat with a cane pole. . . . It seemed like we filled up the fish basket on every trip.”

MAJOR SECTIONS UPDATED FOR EACH EDITION
 
An illustrated History of the Lone Star State. 
The Environment, including geology, plant life, wildlife, rivers, lakes.
Weather highlights of the previous two years, plus a list of destructive weather dating from 1766.
Two-year Astronomical Calendar showing moon phases, sunrise and sunset, moonrise and moonset, eclipses, and meteor showers.
Recreation, with details on state and national parks, landmarks, and wildlife refuges.
Sports, including lists of high school football and basketball champions, professional sports teams, Texas Olympians, and Texas Sports Hall of Fame inductees.
Counties, an expansive section featuring detailed county maps, locator maps, and profiles of Texas’ 254 counties.
Population figures and the latest estimates from the State Data Center.
Comprehensive list of Texas cities and towns.
Politics, Elections, and information on Federal, State, and Local governments.
Culture and the Arts, including a list of civic and religious Holidays.
Health and Science, with charts of vital statistics.
Education, including a complete list of colleges and universities, and UIL results.
Business and Transportation, with an expanded section on Oil and Gas.
Agriculture, including data on production of crops, fruits, vegetables, livestock, and dairy.
Obituaries of notable Texans.
A Pronunciation Guide to Texas town and county names.