Record drought is taking its toll in Texas on everything from wildlife to water bills and that has many people seeking new ways of coping with nature. In an effort to help, Texas Parks and Wildlife Department this week converted its main water resource website to feature an online Drought Survival Kit.

The new online resource comes in three sets of web pages.

The Help Wildlife section explains how Texas critters handle drought and advises when and whether to intervene with Mother Nature. The Save Your Yard web section recognizes that trying to keep St. Augustine grass and other non-native “water hogs” alive during the drought can be expensive and frustrating, and advises how convert to “wildscaping”. The Cut Your Water Bill section covers a few simple ways to save water and money, and links to more information on the Texas Water Development Board’s Water IQ website.

The survival kit main page also links to Texas Parks & Wildlife magazine water resource special issues from the past 10 years. And, it showcases video documentaries TPWD has produced in partnership with Texas PBS stations. On the net: http://www.texasthestateofwater.org/