We recently published the Winter 2020 issue of our magazine, txH2O, highlighting the connection between water and health, including pathogens, poverty, PFAS and other water-health issues and developing potential solutions.
The Angelina and Neches River Basin lies in East Texas and extends from the Texas Gulf Coast near Beaumont/Port Arthur upstream to the area northwest of Tyler. The Basin includes all or part of 19 counties that are largely rural in nature. Pine forests, bottomland hardwood forests and pastures dominate the landscape. The cities of Tyler, Jacksonville, Nacogdoches, Lufkin, Beaumont, Orange, Nederland and Port Arthur constitute the urban centers. A number of bayous, creeks and segments of rivers are considered impaired for elevated levels of bacteria. These bacteria come from the many animal and human sources across the watershed. Their presence in surface water above state water quality standards indicates an increased risk to human health for those choosing to contact recreate (swimming, diving, children wading, etc.) in these waters.
Across the basin, 35 bacteria (E. coli or enterococcus) impairments exist in 22 separate water bodies. Several efforts have already occurred in the basin to address some of these bacteria impairments including the development of watershed protection plans (WPPs) or total maximum daily loads (TMDLs) and TMDL implementation plans (I-Plans). Through a variety of projects, TWRI is working with the Angelina & Neches River Authority stakeholders in smaller watersheds within the basin to understand bacteria loading issues and develop plans (TMDL/I-Plans/WPPs) to restore water quality.
Lucas Gregory
lfgregory@ag.tamu.edu
Lucas Gregory, Ph.D., currently serves as associate director of research – physical sciences.
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TR-539 Watershed Characterization of the Angelina River above Sam Rayburn Reservoir Watershed
Oct 2022
Luna Yang, Anna Gitter, Shubham Jain, and Lucas Gregory -
TR-518 Watershed Characterization of the Tributaries of the Neches River below Lake Palestine: Cedar, Hurricane, Biloxi and Jack Creeks
Dec 2019
Anna Gitter, Luna Yang, Lucas Gregory -
Protecting Our Water
Mar 2020
News
The Texas Water Resources Institute, Texas Commission on Environmental Quality and the Angelina and Neches River Authority will host a meeting Nov. 22 in Lufkin for anyone interested in water quality impairments in Jack, Cedar, Hurricane and Biloxi creeks, tributaries of the Neches River below Lake Palestine.
The Texas Water Resources Institute in collaboration with the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality will host two meetings Nov. 21 in Woodville and Jasper for anyone interested in joining a partnership to improve and protect water quality in the Sandy and Wolf creeks.
Texas Water Resources Institute staff report positive results in one East Texas watershed and substantial progress in another while working with stakeholders and a team of university researchers and agency staff to improve water quality in the region’s many watersheds.
A Texas Watershed Steward workshop on water quality related to the Neches River will be held from 1-5 p.m. May 21 in Jasper. The workshop will be held at the Jasper County Courthouse Annex, 271 E. Lamar St. It will be presented by Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service and the Texas State Soil and Water Conservation Board in cooperation with the Texas Water Resources Institute.
A Texas Watershed Steward workshop on water quality related to the La Nana Bayou, Angelina and Middle Neches Rivers will be held from 8 a.m.-noon May 22 in Lufkin.