Lampasas River volunteers to set conservation measures
5/22/2009
By David Lowe
A voluntary Watershed Protection Plan could save Lampasas River users from a strict set of state and federal regulations, organizers of a watershed meeting held at First Texas Bank said last week.
The gathering, organized by Texas AgriLife Research and the Texas State Soil & Water Conservation Board, focused on developing a set of strategies for Lampasas River "stakeholders" -- homeowners, ranchers, local governments and outdoor enthusiasts -- to follow to reduce pollution in the river.
Because e coli levels in some samples taken from the Lampasas River exceeded Texas Commission on Environmental Quality standards, the river has been placed on TCEQ's "Texas 303(d) List" of "impaired" waterways. Samples taken from the Lampasas River also have indicated low dissolved oxygen in some areas, as well as nutrient imbalances in parts of the 1,502-square-mile rivershed.
The wastewater treatment plant that serves Lampasas, City Manager Michael Stoldt noted during the meeting, is downstream of the parts of the river found to be out of compliance with state standards.
The federal Clean Water Act requires the cleaning of impaired rivers, using either a Watershed Protection Plan or a Total Maximum Daily Load.
Although TMDLs impose federally regulated mandatory daily limits on the amount of pollutants river users may add to a waterway, WPPs are designed to work through voluntary stakeholder participation. WPPs often address matters such as repairing failing septic systems.
"The Watershed Protection Plan is our friend," said Hamilton County Commissioner Dickie Clary, who has been involved with a Leon River WPP in his county. "It's not our foe. What more can we ask for as private citizens than to hear what the problems are and be able to come up with solutions?"
Some grant funding may be available to assist with the implementation of WPP sugges- tions, said Aaron Wendt, statewide watershed planning coordinator for TSSWCB. Studies have shown WPPs to be one of the most effective environmental responses to watershed pollution, Wendt added.
Proposed deadline for drafting the WPP is February 2011. The plan is expected to be sent to the Environmental Protection Agency by May 2011 for approval, and the plan should be implemented beginning in September that year, said Lisa Prcin, research assistant at the Blackland Research & Extension Center in Temple.
Ms. Prcin encouraged area residents to join the Lampasas River WPP steering committee, a group of 10 members or more that develops recommended practices to combat watershed impairment. The steering committee also will organize topical workgroups, for which citizens can volunteer, to address specific issues relevant to the Lampasas River.
BREC assistant research scientist Steve Potter said the steering committee, following advice from state scientists monitoring the Lampasas River, can alter the watershed protection plan if needed to respond to changing conditions.
Reprinted with permission from Lampasas Dispatch
Record
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