The Texas Water Resources Institute, TWRI, will host a stakeholder meeting for the Tres Palacios Creek and Carancahua Bay Watershed Protection Plans on June 30 in Palacios.
The meeting will start at 1 p.m. at the Matagorda County Navigation District No. 1 Port of Palacios, 1602 Main Street.
This marks the group’s first stakeholder meeting for the watershed in several years and comes at a critical time when increased development, population growth and land-use changes place added pressure on local water resources.
“This meeting is an opportunity to bring new energy into the Tres Palacios Creek and Carancahua Bay Watershed Protection Plans,” said Matt Stellbauer, Ph.D., TWRI research specialist, Bryan – College Station. “We want to hear from landowners, residents, local and state government, and all stakeholders about their priorities and concerns so we can ensure the implementation of the plans reflects the needs of the people who live and work in this watershed.”
Meeting will include Matagorda Basin water quality updates and opportunities
During the meeting, attendees will:
- Learn about current water quality conditions in Tres Palacios Creek and Carancahua Bay.
- Provide input on priorities and future direction for implementation of the WPPs.
- Hear about upcoming opportunities to improve and protect local water resources.
The Tres Palacios Creek WPP and the Carancahua Bay WPP were developed as independent plans, but they are nested together geographically, Stellbauer said. Combining the implementation of these two plans increases efficiency, has a greater reach, and can result in greater synergy overall.
“These watersheds belong to everyone who lives in them,” he said. “Whether you ranch, farm, own land, recreate or work in the watershed, or simply care about clean water, your input is essential. Strong watershed plan implementation is built on local knowledge and collaboration.”
A watershed is the land area that drains water into a common waterbody.
“In this case, that means everything flowing into Tres Palacios Creek and Carancahua Bay — from rainfall to runoff — carries both water and potential pollutants downstream,” he said. “As the region grows, how land is managed today will directly impact water quality for years to come.“
TWRI is a unit of Texas A&M AgriLife Research that brings together expertise from across The Texas A&M University System. Funding for this effort is provided through the Texas State Soil and Water Conservation Board as part of the State Nonpoint Source Grant Program.
For more information, visit matagordabasin.tamu.edu/ or contact Stellbauer at matt.stellbauer@ag.tamu.edu or 979-314-8115. Follow the partnership on Facebook for Tres Palacios Creek and Carancahua Bay Watershed updates.
