BELLVILLE/BRENHAM – The Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service and Texas State Soil and Water Conservation Board are partnering with local landowners and citizens to protect and improve water quality in Mill Creek through the development of a watershed protection plan.
Two kickoff meetings of the Mill Creek Watershed Partnership will be held in November — one Nov. 6 in Bellville and another Nov. 13 Brenham. (Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service photo)
The public is invited to attend one of two project kickoff meetings and join the Mill Creek Watershed Partnership. The first meeting will be held from 6-7:30 p.m. Nov. 6 at the First National Bank Civic Center, 12 N. Bell St. in Bellville. The second meeting is scheduled from 6-7:30 p.m. Nov. 13 in the VIP Room for the Washington County Fairgrounds, 1305 E. Blue Bell Road. in Brenham.
Mill Creek is formed by two branches, the east and west forks, which rise near the city of Burton and join just west of Bellville to form the main stem. Mill Creek then continues southeast through Austin County, eventually draining into the Brazos River. The 250,000 acres that drain into the creek, known as the Mill Creek watershed, include southwest Washington County and almost half of Austin County.
Mill Creek has been monitored since 1974 by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality as part of the state’s Clean Rivers Program. In 2012, the Texas Integrated Water Report, which describes the condition of all monitored streams in the state, showed Mill Creek to be impaired due to elevated bacteria levels. High concentrations of bacteria in water indicate a potential health risk for humans.
“Bacteria is a water quality concern throughout the state”, said Galen Roberts, AgriLife Extension program specialist and coordinator for the Mill Creek project. “These kickoff meetings will inform participants of what we currently know about water quality in Mill Creek and explain how a watershed protection plan can help restore and protect the creek.”
He said watershed protection plans are a voluntary and non-regulatory approach for addressing water quality issues. Through the planning process, local stakeholders help identify potential sources of water pollution and design efforts to improve water quality.
“The ultimate goal of these projects is to improve and protect water resources now and into the future, Roberts said. “Watershed protection plans have been developed in a number of watersheds throughout the state.”
Key local partners supporting the process include the Houston-Galveston Area Council, Austin and Washington Counties, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture Natural Resources Conservation Service.
“But the most important partners needed to make the process successful are the local stakeholders that include individual citizens, landowners, homeowners, businesses, and city and county officials,” Roberts said.“We’ve had tremendous success with these plans in other watersheds. The key is helping local stakeholders work together to write a plan that includes practices they want to see implemented and that will improve water quality in Mill Creek.”
He said the public is strongly encouraged to attend one of the kickoff meetings where the planning process will be described.
“In addition, anyone can join the Mill Creek Watershed Partnership, participate in all the future meetings and provide input into the Mill Creek Watershed Protection Plan,” Roberts noted.
For more information and to preregister for one of the kickoff meetings, go to http://millcreek.tamu.edu/ or contact Roberts at 979-862-8070 or groberts@ag.tamu.edu .
This project is funded through a Texas nonpoint source grant from the Texas State Soil and Water Conservation Board.
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