Public comment invited on draft Lampasas watershed protection plan
Contact: Lisa Prcin, 254-778-6008, lprcin@brc.tamus.edu
TEMPLE – Texas A&M AgriLife Research has posted an online draft of the Lampasas River Watershed Protection Plan for formal comment. Public comments will be accepted on the draft plan until Feb. 1.
“Two meetings will be held to facilitate public comment,” said Lisa Prcin, AgriLife Research watershed coordinator, Temple.
Both meetings are open to the public, and will include a brief overview of what is included in the watershed protection plan and provide stakeholders an opportunity to voice comments about the plan.
The first meeting will be 6 – 8:30 p.m. on Jan. 15 at the Lampasas County Farm Bureau Building, 1793 U.S. Highway 281, Lampasas, Prcin said. The second meeting will be at the same time on Jan. 17 at the City of Killeen Solid Wastes Building, 2003 Little Nolan Road, Killeen.
“People are welcome to join us at either one of these meetings to ask questions and provide comment directly to me,” Prcin said. “Otherwise, comments may be emailed to me until Feb. 1 at lprcin@brc.tamus.edu.”
The public is urged to obtain a copy and read the plan before attending the meeting. A digital copy of the draft plan is available for download from the project webpage at http://lampasasriver.org. http://www.lampasasriver.org . Prcin said she could also be contacted either by email or phone at 254-778-6008 for a printed copy.
Printed copies are also available for review at the U.S. Department of Agriculture – National Resource Conservation Service offices in Burnet, Lampasas and Mills counties, the AgriLife Extension office in Hamilton County, and the Clearwater Underground Water Conservation District office in Bell County.
Prcin said that comments may also be mailed to: Lampasas River Watershed Partnership, Texas A&M AgriLife Research, 720 E. Blackland Road, Temple, Texas 76502-9622.
The Lampasas River was identified for watershed protection plan development due to concerns about elevated levels of bacteria, as reported in the 2002 Texas Water Quality Inventory, published by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality. The Lampasas River watershed includes parts of Mills, Hamilton, Lampasas, Coryell, Burnet, Bell and Williamson counties.
The Lampasas River Watershed Partnership, area residents and other stakeholders have worked diligently to develop this draft watershed protection plan to address water quality concerns within the watershed, Prcin said.
The Partnership has evaluated water quality issues and made recommendations for voluntary pollutant load reductions and management measures.
“We want to allow stakeholders the opportunity to comment on the plan so that we can ensure that it accurately reflects their ideas and vision for improving and protecting water quality in the river and creeks,” Prcin said. “Once this has been accomplished, we will move forward with the implementation of the watershed protection plan.”
Funding and support for the development of the Lampasas River Watershed Protection Plan is provided through a Clean Water Act Nonpoint Source grant from the Texas State Soil and Water Conservation Board and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
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