Contacts: Amy Uyen Truong, 936-560-7711, uyen.truong@ag.tamu.edu
Brian Sims, 936-633-7527, bsims@anra.org
Ricky Thompson, 936-560-7894, ricky.thompson@ag.tamu.edu
NACOGDOCHES – The Attoyac Bayou Watershed Partnership will meet July 13 to discuss Attoyac Bayou Watershed Protection Plan implementation opportunities with stakeholders.
The free meeting will be from 6-8 p.m. at the Nacogdoches County Farm Bureau Conference Facility, 2302 N.W. Stallings Drive in Nacogdoches. It is hosted by the Texas Water Resources Institute, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service, Angelina and Neches River Authority and Texas State Soil and Water Conservation Board.
Since the watershed protection plan was completed in early 2015, efforts have been underway to secure technical and financial assistance to implement portions of the plan and improve water quality across the watershed, according to Dr. Lucas Gregory, Texas Water Resources Institute research scientist, College Station.
“This meeting will highlight three recently initiated programs focused on implementing the watershed protection plan,” Gregory said. “Discussions will revolve around the specifics of each program and will provide information regarding ways stakeholders can be involved or participate in these programs.”
Gregory said the institute is working in collaboration with the Angelina and Neches River Authority, Stephen F. Austin State University, Pineywoods Resource Conservation and Development, and the Nacogdoches Soil and Water Conservation District to carry out these programs.
The Attoyac Bayou extends 82 miles through Rusk, Nacogdoches, San Augustine and Shelby counties before emptying into Sam Rayburn Reservoir. Gregory said it is currently listed on the state’s impaired water body list due to elevated levels of bacteria.
Amy Uyen Truong, Texas Water Resources Institute extension assistant, College Station, said the partnership is seeking continued stakeholder involvement to implement the watershed protection plan.
“Implementation projects and opportunities for stakeholder participation will be covered during this meeting, and we strongly encourage stakeholders to come out and see how they can participate,” she said.
Truong said the programs discussed will include a septic system repair and replacement project, water quality management plan and an implementation facilitation and monitoring project. Printed copies of the Attoyac Bayou Watershed Protection Plan will also be distributed at the meeting.
Funding for the Attoyac Bayou Watershed Protection Plan implementation is provided in part through Clean Water Act grants from the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality and Texas State Soil and Water Conservation Board through the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
The Texas Water Resources Institute is part of Texas A&M AgriLife Research, AgriLife Extension and the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences at Texas A&M University.
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