Carters Creek, Burton Creek stakeholder coordination meeting set for Aug. 26

Carters Creek, Burton Creek stakeholder coordination meeting set for Aug. 26

COLLEGE STATION — People interested in learning about water quality in Carters and Burton creeks in Brazos County are invited to a public meeting Aug. 26 in College Station. The meeting will be from 3–5 p.m. at the College Station Utilities Meeting and Training Facility, 1603 Graham Rd.

Long-term water quality data from the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality’s Surface Water Quality Monitoring Information System indicates that both Carters and Burton creeks have average bacteria levels that exceed the current Texas water quality standards. As a result, these two water bodies have been included in the Texas list of impaired waters. A total maximum daily load calculation is under way, which will determine needed bacteria reductions to meet the state’s water quality standards, according to Amanda Ross of the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality.

The Texas Water Resources Institute, part of Texas A&M AgriLife, through a project with the state environmental agency, will be working directly with local watershed stakeholders to craft ideas on how to restore water quality of the creeks.

Lucas Gregory, project manager for the water resources institute, said the meeting will provide a brief review of the water quality concerns and highlight the need to restore water quality in this watershed.

“We will discuss the process for organizing watershed stakeholders into an effective decision-making body that will guide the development of the total maximum daily load implementation plan,” Gregory said.

He said representatives from the agricultural community, cities, county, Texas Department of Transportation, Texas A&M University and wildlife interests have discussed these topics and provided feedback on what they think will work best for Carters and Burton creeks.

“The thoughts of this group of watershed stakeholders will be presented at the meeting for consideration and discussion,” he said. “We will also discuss ways to organize stakeholders to best represent the potential sources of bacteria contributions in the watershed, the most effective decision-making strategies and a set of ground rules to adhere to throughout the decision-making process.”

For more information on this project and upcoming meetings, visit the project website at: http://cartersandburton.tamu.edu or contact Gregory at 979-845-7869 or lfgregory@ag.tamu.edu.