WATER WORKS

摘要

TOM AND MARCY ROTHE EASE THEIR FORD SUPER Duty pickup down a Texas ranch road under a wide mackerel sky. Both Tom's and Marcy's families have run cattle here on the edge of the state's Hill Country since the late 1800s, and the ranch, studded with rock, live oak and Ashe juniper, has a rough-hewn beauty. But the past year has been tough, and a headline-making drought killed many of the oaks in the region. "You're seeing it as bad as it can get," Tom says from behind the wheel. Still, a recent spate of wet weather has brought the first hints of green, and the rain serves as a reminder that the ranch's importance extends far beyond its boundary fences. Although the ranch lies an hour's drive west of San Antonio, it is a critical component of the water supply for the city and its suburbs.