Featured Article: Why East Texas Ranchers Won't Back Down

I was recently honored to be featured in Texas Monthly's in-depth investigation into East Texas water rights battles. You can read the complete story—"The East Texas Water Wars"—which covers the full scope of what we're facing out here. Below are my thoughts on why this fight matters to every Texas family.

Thirty years ago, water drew me to this land. Today, I'm fighting to keep that same water from being sold to the highest bidder and shipped hundreds of miles away.

The Fight for Our Future

As the Texas Monthly article details, big money investors are targeting East Texas water on multiple fronts. They want to pump tens of thousands of acre-feet from our aquifers and sell surface water from our reservoirs to growing urban areas.

The question isn't whether Texas needs water solutions—it does. The question is whether water should be treated like oil, sold to the highest bidder, or protected as the life-sustaining resource that every living thing depends on.

Why This Matters to Every Texas Family

Water isn't just what drew me to this land—it's what makes everything possible. Our ranch supports Red Wagyu cattle and serves as habitat for the world's only successful paddlefish reintroduction project. When companies propose draining our aquifers or cities want to buy our surface water, they're threatening ecosystems that took decades to restore.

As the Texas Monthly investigation reveals, some proposed projects would exceed sustainable pumping limits by 35 percent or more. That's not conservation—that's mining water until it's gone.

Standing Up for East Texas

When these proposals come up for hearings, hundreds of East Texans show up to oppose them. Local officials are clear: Representative Cody Harris said, "I will not stand by while attempts are made to drain my own district." County judges testified that among all their constituents, they knew of only one person in favor of massive water exports.

A Better Way Forward

At Cypress River Ranch, we've partnered with The Nature Conservancy on water management that balances economics with conservation. This approach proves you can address water needs without strip-mining aquifers.

The choice is clear: let outside investors drain our resources for profit, or find solutions that protect the communities and landscapes that make East Texas special. We're choosing stewardship over strip-mining.

Read the full story in Texas Monthly's "The East Texas Water Wars" to understand everything that's at stake.

Learn more about our water conservation partnerships and sustainable ranching practices by visiting Cypress River Ranch. Contact us at sanders@cypressriverranchwagyu.com to schedule a tour and see how conservation and agriculture can work together.

Support local, sustainable agriculture by choosing our Red Wagyu beef, raised with the same long-term thinking that guides our water stewardship efforts.