TR-551 Continued Coordination of the Leon River Watershed Protection Plan Implementation
Authors: Lucas Gregory and Andy James
A watershed protection plan (WPP) for the Leon River below Proctor Lake and above Belton Lake was developed with funding from the Texas State Soil and Water Conservation Board (TSSWCB) and the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The WPP received final acceptance from the EPA in 2015. A full-time watershed coordinator position was considered critical in initiating and carrying out the implementation process by the watershed steering committee. This watershed coordinator position was filled by a local individual in a full-time capacity until late 2021. That person moved on and the Texas Water Resources Institute (TWRI) took over the role in a limited capacity. The watershed coordinator provided technical assistance to stakeholders, coordinated outreach and education efforts, assisted in securing funding for bacteria source tracking (BST), and tracked water quality to identify implementation impacts. Education and outreach efforts have included workshops, field days, and presentations by the watershed coordinator and other relevant experts. Implementation efforts have proven successful with several assessment units being delisted from the state's list of impaired waterbodies, while several others have been proposed to be delisted by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ). However, eight of the twelve assessment units in the watershed remain impaired due to elevated bacteria concentrations. Additionally, bacteria concentrations are generally trending higher across the watershed despite implementation efforts to date.