The public is invited to attend the third project meeting and join the Middle Yegua Creek Watershed Partnership on March 12 at 5:30 p.m. at the Lee County Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service Office, 310 South Grimes Street, in Giddings.
This partnership will serve as the forum for public input, which will drive the development of a voluntary, stakeholder-driven watershed protection plan (WPP) for Middle Yegua Creek to outline strategies that can improve local water quality.
The third meeting will recap the Feb. 13 meeting discussion and address the revisions made based on stakeholder feedback. Additionally, a chapter of the Middle Yegua Creek WPP will be presented. “At the third public meeting, we will focus on discussing potential sources and causes of pollution that are contributing to elevated bacteria levels in the creek, such as wildlife, feral hogs, cattle, and on-site sewage facilities,” said Luna Yang, Texas Water Resources Institute (TWRI) research specialist with Texas A&M AgriLife Research in College Station.
“Anyone with an interest in restoring the soundness of Middle Yegua Creek can be a member of the partnership by attending meetings and being involved in the WPP development process,” she said.
Middle Yegua Creek above Lake Somerville is a tributary in the Brazos River Basin.
“Water samples collected in Middle Yegua Creek by the Brazos River Authority and TWRI confirmed the presence of bacteria concentrations that were above the applicable standard for recreational activities that may involve water ingestion,” Yang said.
Funding for developing a WPP for Middle Yegua is provided by the Texas State Soil and Water Conservation Board, through the State Nonpoint Source Grant Program.
TWRI is part of Texas A&M AgriLife Research, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension and the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences at Texas A&M University.
For more information, contact Yang at luna.yang@ag.tamu.edu. Read more about the watershed at middleyegua.twri.tamu.edu.
