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- Jul 17, 2020 10:00 AM – 11:00 AM (Add to calendar)
- Online meeting via Zoom; details sent via email to registrants
The Texas Water Resources Institute (TWRI), Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) and the Angelina and Neches River Authority will host an online meeting on July 17 for anyone interested in water quality impairments in Jack, Cedar, Hurricane and Biloxi creeks, tributaries of the Neches River below Lake Palestine.
The meeting will be held at 10-11 a.m. Interested participants can register here: Tributaries of the Neches River below Lake Palestine Meeting.
Anna Gitter, research assistant for the institute, said specific portions of the four water bodies are currently unable to meet state water quality standards for contact recreation. Cedar Creek, (segment 0604A), Hurricane Creek (segment 0604B), Jack Creek (segment 0604C) and Biloxi Creek (segment 0604M) have been identified by the state as impaired for elevated concentrations of bacteria, such as E. coli.
“E. coli is found in both human and animal waste and may indicate a health risk to people who swim or wade in the streams,” Gitter said.
Gitter said the meeting will initiate a stakeholder-driven process to develop a plan to restore and protect the local water resources and share findings from current work on the technical support document.
“The planning process will help develop a road map for improving water quality,” she said. “Such efforts will help develop measures to reduce pollution in the watershed.”
Gitter said current work in these watersheds is assessing the extent and potential causes of water quality issues to support future efforts to improve water quality.
“Input and guidance from local stakeholders is a key part of developing future solutions,” she said.
For more information on water quality standards and monitoring, visit the TCEQ website. For more information on the project, visit TWRI’s project page or contact Gitter at 979 458-5962 or anna.gitter@ag.tamu.edu.
View the AgriLife Today article.
