Posted: April 15, 2008
For more information
Tammy Beutnagel, (830) 379-5822 or email
LOCKHART - A recent Guadalupe-Blanco River Authority (GBRA) clean up of Plum Creek Watershed resulted in the removal of 14,320 pounds of trash.
"We are very fortunate to have the GBRA as our good neighbor who did the actual removal of the domestic illegal dumping at these six stream crossings," said Tom D. Bonn, Caldwell County Commissioner Precinct 1, adding, "I was very pleased to see these stream crossings absent of domestic trash, unwanted refrigerators, tires bottles, cans, and whatever the local populace had previously discarded in our streams."
"GBRA-led clean up crews spent 237 man-hours collecting trash and debris such as tires, batteries, scrap metal, construction materials, appliances, medical waste, mattresses and other furniture from the creek," said Debbie Magin, GBRA director of Water Quality Services.
The 397-square-mile watershed serves as a major tributary of the San Marcos River and lies within the Guadalupe River Basin covering portions of Hays, Travis and Caldwell counties. Magin said clean-up sites included Plum Creek at Biggs Road (CR 131), Plum Creek at Old Kelly Road (CR 186), Copperas Creek at Wattsville Road, Salt Branch at Salt Flat Road (Spruce Avenue), Plum Creek at Whisper Road (CR 135), and Plum Creek at Old McMahon Road (CR 202).
"As a county commissioner in a county that utilizes the Unit Road System, an individual commissioner does not have direct control of the work done in his precinct. The unit road administrator presents his annual plan for the Commissioner's Court approval," Bonn explained. "After discussions with me and realizing this procedure was in place, Debbie Magin elected to task her parent organization with the project. This proactive initiative is a credit to GBRA's leadership."
The clean up projects were funded by an outreach and education grant from the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
Magin said that funding was awarded because of the recent protection planning by the Plum Creek Watershed Partnership, and GBRA is the only known source that will offer this service for Plum Creek.
This unique watershed is managed by the Plum Creek Watershed Partnership program established in 2006 to address water quality issues through the development and implementation of a Watershed Protection Plan. As a partner of the program, GBRA is joined by local citizens, civic entities, and state and federal agencies in managing the watershed.
"It just means so much to know that GBRA got involved to get these sites cleaned up and I hope it will continue," said Craig Harris, a property owner who lives in the Plum Creek Watershed.
"I have had experience with these environmental issues during my earlier years as a fisheries biologist with the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department," Bonn said. "It is great to see the final results - a natural flowing stream with fish swimming against the current free of trash. I do wish our citizens would take a look at the Boy Scouts of America's policy of 'leave no trace' when visiting our natural resources," he added.
These creek crossings will have posted signage of "No Dumping" and a county phone number to call if it is observed. Bonn said, "I will do my part to insure that our county code enforcement officer investigates each incident and files an appropriate case with our Justice of the Peace Courts."
The GBRA was established by the Texas Legislature in 1933 as a water conservation and reclamation district. GBRA provides stewardship for the water resources in its 10-county statutory district, which begins near the headwaters of the Guadalupe and Blanco rivers, ends at San Antonio Bay, and includes Kendall, Comal, Hays, Caldwell, Guadalupe, Gonzales, DeWitt, Victoria, Calhoun, and Refugio counties.
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