DISH is a town in Denton County, Texas, United States.[2] The population of DISH was 437 at the 2020 United States Census.[3] This community, established in June 2000, was originally named Clark. In November 2005, the community accepted an offer to rename itself "DISH" (all capital letters) as part of a commercial agreement with the satellite television company Dish Network.[4]
DISH, Texas | |
|---|---|
 | |
 Location of DISH in Denton County, Texas | |
  DISH, Texas Location within the state of Texas  DISH, Texas DISH, Texas (the United States) | |
| Coordinates: 33°07′40″N 97°18′23″W / 33.12778°N 97.30639°W | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Texas |
| County | Denton |
| Area | |
• Total | 1.66 sq mi (4.29 km2) |
| • Land | 1.65 sq mi (4.28 km2) |
| • Water | 0.01 sq mi (0.01 km2) |
| Elevation | 696 ft (212 m) |
| Population | |
• Total | 437 |
| • Density | 260/sq mi (100/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC-6 (Central (CST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-5 (CDT) |
| FIPS code | 48-20540 |
| GNIS feature ID | 2412433[2] |
| Website | www |
History
editThe settlement was originally named for its founder, Landis Clark, who incorporated the town in June 2000 and was its first mayor.[5] In exchange for renaming the town to DISH, all residents received a free basic television service for ten years and a free digital video recorder from Dish Network.[4]
Air quality
edit
In 2005, energy companies began drilling natural gas wells at DISH. Residents complained of foul smells and of health issues that they linked to the gas (natural gas, methane and benzene[6]) emissions from the wells. The town spent $15,000 on an air quality test, which found elevated levels of several chemicals including benzene. Following that, the energy companies made changes.[7]
In response to concerns about the town's air quality, the Texas Department of State Health Services conducted air quality tests and, in May 2010, released its results for DISH, including tests of blood and urine samples from 28 DISH residents that were tested for volatile organic compounds (VOCs). The agency concluded that:
The information obtained from this investigation did not indicate that community-wide exposures from gas wells or compressor stations were occurring in the sample population. This conclusion was based on the pattern of VOC values found in the samples. Other sources of exposure such as cigarette smoking, the presence of disinfectant by-products in drinking water, and consumer or occupational/hobby related products could explain many of the findings.[8]
The state installed an air quality monitoring station at DISH, which showed that, in 2012, air pollutants were generally within government limits.[7]
An article about the air quality in DISH by NPR in 2012 stated that "better studies are needed" to test for the health effects of drilling emissions, and also that the installation of gas wells in populated places "is way out ahead of public health evaluations of any kind to date".[7]
Demographics
edit| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 201 | — | |
| 2020 | 437 | 117.4% | |
| 2023 (est.) | 442 | 1.1% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census[9][3] | |||
The population in 2010 was 201, and the estimated population for 2015 was 387.[11] The population of DISH was 437 at the 2020 United States Census.[3]
Education
editDISH is zoned to the Ponder Independent School District.[12] Ponder High School is its comprehensive high school.
In popular culture
editIn the January 10, 2006, episode of Comedy Central's The Daily Show, correspondent Ed Helms presented a segment about DISH.[13]
Household Name, a podcast by Business Insider, produced an episode on DISH, "A Town Called DISH", that was aired on June 12, 2019.[14]
References
edit- ^ "2019 U.S. Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved August 7, 2020.
- ^ a b c U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Dish, Texas
- ^ a b c d "Total population in DISH Town, Texas". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved February 16, 2022.
- ^ a b Fernandez, Manny (March 21, 2013). "Marketing Deal Gives a Small Town an Identity Crisis". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved August 7, 2019.
- ^ Fernandez, Manny (March 21, 2013). "Marketing Deal Gives a Small Town an Identity Crisis". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved August 7, 2019.
- ^ Christopher Collins (July 18, 2018). "Report: Oil and Gas Production is Making People Sick in Rural Texas". The Texas Observe.
- ^ a b c Hamilton, John (May 16, 2012). "Town's Effort To Link Fracking And Illness Falls Short". NPR.
- ^ "The Final Report: DISH, Texas Exposure Investigation" (PDF). Texas Department of State Health Services. May 10, 2010. Archived from the original (PDF) on April 18, 2016. Retrieved May 11, 2012.
- ^ "Census of Population and Housing". Census.gov. Retrieved June 4, 2016.
- ^ "City and Town Population Totals: 2020-2023". Census.gov. Retrieved November 15, 2024.
- ^ "Annual Estimates of the Resident Population for Incorporated Places: April 1, 2010 to July 1, 2015". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on June 2, 2016. Retrieved July 2, 2016.
- "Census of Population and Housing". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved June 4, 2015. - ^ "2020 CENSUS - SCHOOL DISTRICT REFERENCE MAP: Denton County, TX" (PDF). U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved October 3, 2022.
- ^ "Helms - Ready, Willing and Cable - The Daily Show with Jon Stewart (Video Clip)". Comedy Central. Archived from the original on September 2, 2016. Retrieved August 7, 2019.
- ^ "Household Name Podcast". Stitcher. Retrieved September 4, 2019.
External links
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