Mill Creek Partnership announces watershed protection plan comment period
BELLVILLE — The Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service and Texas State Soil and Water Conservation Board have announced a formal comment period for the draft Mill Creek Watershed Protection Plan, coordinators said.
The opportunity for public comment on the draft plan will be from June 1-30.
To facilitate comment, project representative Galen Roberts, AgriLife Extension program specialist, will be available on July 26 from 9 a.m.-12 p.m. at the AgriLife Extension office for Austin County, 20 S. Holland Street in Bellville. He also will be available from 1 p.m.- 4 p.m. at the AgriLife Extension office for Washington County, 1305 Blue Bell Road, Suite 104 in Brenham.
“People are welcome to stop by either of these locations to ask questions or provide comments,” Roberts said. “Comments may also be submitted in writing at these locations during normal business hours from June 1-30.”
In addition, comments may also be submitted at http://millcreek.tamu.edu/, emailed to Roberts at [email protected], or mailed to Mill Creek Watershed Public Comments, 2474 TAMU, Texas A&M University, 355A Heep Center, College Station TX 77843-2474.
Mill Creek in Austin and Washington counties were identified for the development of a watershed protection plan due to concerns about elevated levels of bacteria, Roberts said. The creek has been listed on Texas Integrated Report of Water Quality since 2010 as not meeting its designated use due to elevated bacteria levels.
“Thanks to the involvement of local stakeholders in the Mill Creek Watershed Partnership we’ve developed a draft plan to address these water quality issues,” he said.
A copy of the draft plan is available for download on the project website at http://millcreek.tamu.edu/.
“We encourage stakeholders to submit comments to ensure the plan accurately reflects their ideas and vision for improving and protecting water quality in Mill Creek,” Roberts said. “Once this is accomplished, we will move forward with its implementation.”
He said the implementation measures outlined in the plan are voluntary and are aimed at providing increased educational programming, and providing financial and technical resources to local stakeholders.
A state nonpoint source grant was provided to AgriLife Extension by the Texas State Soil and Water Conservation Board to facilitate development of the Mill Creek watershed protection plan.
Other key area partners supporting these efforts include Austin and Washington counties, the Houston-Galveston Area Council, and Austin and Washington County Soil and Water Conservation Districts.
For more information on the Mill Creek project and public comment period, contact Roberts at 979-862-8070 or [email protected].
