High levels of bacteria in parts of Lampasas River
Updated: 5/12/2009 12:33:06 PM
By: Brandi Powell
This is the section of the Lampasas River that has been deemed impaired due to the high levels of bacteria.
Spending time in rivers and lakes is a part of many family traditions during the summer months, and state law requires the Lampasas River be ok for people to swim in.
But the state said the Lampasas River above Stillhouse Hollow Lake is impaired because bacteria levels are too high.
We found out what issues are on the table for people who live and play in the area.
Bell County rancher Woody Ray says his daughter will not swim in the Lampasas River anymore.
"Something's crazy," Ray said, "Yeah, see it and smell it."
Ray said the water is not like it was when he was growing up.
"We stayed in the river all the time in the summertime when I was a
kid," Ray said. But not anymore.
"I had no clue, that we had E. Coli problems," Ray said.
Now much of the Lampasas River Watershed is on a Texas Water Quality Inventory list, because of high bacteria levels.
The Lampasas River Watershed Protection Plan experts will study it.
One possible cause of the problem: experts say is land use.
Assistant Research Scientist with Agrilife Research, Steve
Potter said, "These areas used to be huge ranches, 1000 acres, now
they're being subdivided up into 10 acre spots, and a lot of times
people moving in from the cities don't necessarily know how to
manage small ranchettes." Agrilife Research is affiliated with the
Texas A&M System Blackland Research and Extension Center.
But Potter and other researchers say it's hard to point
fingers.
Aaron Wendt, State Watershed Coordinator with the Texas State
Soil & Water Conservation Board said, "It's not an easy
solution because it takes everyone's actions to fertilize their
yards in a responsible manner, to apply pesticides in a responsible
manner, it takes farmers and ranchers doing that same thing applied
to farmland and ranchland."
But the project money from the federal government won't just go
toward studying bacteria.
Ray says the childhood swing he used to play on is now gone. Scientists say that is part of the problem with erosion that they're going to look at through this study.
It's all to help get the Watershed healthy again.
The scientists remind families that these bacteria levels can go up or down on any given day.
They say check with your local river authority or park manager for up-to-date information.
Reprinted with permission from News 8 Austin
