Author: Cameron Castilaw
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Behind the scenes: water quality monitoring at Town Creek
This week the Texas Water Resources Institute’s water team was out at Town Creek, one of our newest project sites, conducting regularly scheduled water quality monitoring. Research specialists Shaylynn Postma and Amanda Tague, along with student technician Janelle Wright, measured flow rate, pH, velocity and other instream conditions, and collected samples from the three sites for E.coli. Over time, monthly water…
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Study to measure rain garden water quality impacts
Gardens provide many benefits to both owners and communities: cleaner air, increased wildlife and produce, if food is planted. But what about rain gardens? Rain gardens are generally landscape areas that collect water and have a lower elevation than the surrounding area. Berms are part of the rain garden design and are earthen walls usually…
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Shifting Navasota River examined in TWRI-led research
Rivers change as time goes on, natural erosion, severe weather events and human intervention can all contribute to a changing landscape. The Navasota River is no exception to this. Flowing 125 miles from Mount Calm in East Texas, it eventually joins the Brazos River. It is dammed in six places to form manmade lakes. These…
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Meet a scientist: Audrey McCrary
Science has always been Audrey McCrary’s thing. Growing up, she enjoyed math and sciences classes, particularly the problem-solving challenges they presented. Combined with her family’s love for being outdoors, it is no wonder she chose a field that includes nature and scientific research. “It was always just a natural inclination to go into something that was…
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Texas Groundwater Protection Committee
Article originally written by Cameron Castilaw In 1993, TGPC saw the 73rd Texas State Legislature amend the Texas Water Code to extend committee membership to the Texas Agricultural Experiment Station (now Texas A&M AgriLife Research) and the Bureau of Economic Geology at the University of Texas at Austin (the Bureau). The legislature set TGPC’s duties…
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Texas’ MOST INFAMOUS Groundwater Lawsuits
“That Ohio Supreme Court ruling was actually based on an 1843 case decided in England, Acton v. Blundell. “So the rule of capture is really a tort law concept and essentially says, ‘you can’t sue your neighbor if your well dries up, or the local spring or something like that.’” There was little scientific understanding of…
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Understanding Groundwater Law
There are four general approaches to groundwater ownership that states follow. While some states use a combination of approaches, these are the most helpful to learn when it comes to understanding groundwater law. States tend to follow one of these four types of groundwater law, but as groundwater science has evolved and water demand has…
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Understanding Matagorda Bay
The Texas coast is known for its seven major bays and five minor estuaries that boast incredibly diverse wildlife and aquatic species and draw tourists from around the country. From popular swim spots like Galveston Bay to world-renowned fishing destinations like Baffin Bay, the variety and beauty of Texas bays have long been known. Tucked…
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Water quality monitoring during an eclipse
TWRI Research Associate Amanda Tague at Deer Creek during the total eclipse. (Photo by Cameron Castilaw, TWRI) Texas experienced a total solar eclipse for the first time in decades on April 8. A few members of the Texas Water Resources Institute water team got a unique view of the event while conducting regular water quality…
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TWRI celebrates Texas Soil and Water Stewardship Week
Texas Water Resources Institute has partnered with the Texas State Soil and Water Conservation Board (TSSWCB) and the Association of Texas Soil & Water Conservation Districts to highlight Soil and Water Stewardship Week and the importance of voluntary land stewardship in Texas. The statewide campaign is April 28 through May 5, 2024, and the focus…
