TWS Central Texas November 1 2018 newsletter

Publication Year

2025

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Protecting Soil and Water Texas has more than 60 million acres of forests and woodlands (about the size of Louisiana and Mississippi combined) that are both economically and environmentally significant. Land operations designed to enhance grazing, property access, wildlife, aesthetics, wildfire mitigation, or other management activities have the potential to negatively impact soil and water resources if poorly planned or implemented. Best Management Practices (BMPs) are the principal means of protecting soil and water resources during these management activities. In Texas, BMPs are voluntary conservation practices that protect soil and water resources – two key elements necessary for maintaining healthy, sustainable, and productive woodlands and rangelands. BMPs can include methods such as leaving a buffer zone of trees and/or other vegetation next to a stream, installing a culvert or low-water crossing to cross a waterway, or conducting mechanical operations along the contour of your property. Texas A&M Forest Service, in cooperation with Texas State Soil and Water Conservation Board and numerous natural resource partners, develops and periodically updates BMP guidelines, and provides education, outreach, and training on their application. The Texas Forestry Best Management Practices Handbook and Best Management Practices Pictorial Directory are geared towards East Texas operations, but the principles and methods also apply to Central and West Texas land management operations as well. Go to tfsweb.tamu.edu/. BMP to find these documents and other resources. The BMP guidebook also comes as a free app for your phone or tablet in Android and iOS versions. Private land stewardship, through the implementation of BMPs, is one of the principle means of protecting water resources. Treating water at its origin, and not just its destination, is an efficient, cost-effective, and sustainable way to provide clean water for Texas. Geronimo Creek and its tributary Alligator Creek are located in Comal and Guadalupe Counties. The almost 70-square-mile Geronimo Creek watershed lies within the larger Guadalupe River Basin Established by the Texas Legislature, the GuadalupeBlanco River Authority (GBRA) was first created in 1933 under Section 59, Article 16 of the Constitution of Texas as a water conservation and reclamation district and a public corporation called the Guadalupe River Authority. In 1935, it was reauthorized by an act of the Texas Legislature as the Guadalupe-Blanco River Authority. GBRA provides stewardship for the water resources in its ten-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. The mission of GBRA is to support responsible watershed protection and stewardship, provide quality operational service, and promote conservation and educational opportunities in order to enhance quality of life for those they serve. GBRA is governed by a board of nine directors appointed by the Governor and subject to confirmation by the Texas Senate. Prior to each regular monthly meeting, board committees meet to recommend and review policies, programs, and actions for consideration. The General Manager and staff conduct management and administrative duties in accordance with policies established by the board. The following are just some of the departments housed in GBRA’s General Division office, located in Seguin: Operations and Water Quality directs water resource management, recreation and parks, and utilities operations in all 10 counties of GBRA’s district; and is responsible for water quality and environmental related matters, providing technical assistance to GBRA’s water and wastewater treatment facilities. Resource Policy and Stewardship creates partnerships to support community and economic development, and encourages stewardship of water resources and environmental protection. Project Engineering and Development conducts hydrology and flow monitoring studies; assists with water and wastewater plant design services; monitors basin rainfall conditions, including surface run-off for streams, rivers, lakes, and groundwater in the Guadalupe River Basin; provides assistance to emergency management coordinators and local officials during severe weather events; and works with homeowner and land associations to enhance current lake management and flood response programs. GBRA is the owner and operator of Lake Dunlap, Lake McQueeney, Lake Placid, Lake Nolte, Lake H-4, and Lake Wood located in Comal, Guadalupe, and Gonzales Counties, Texas. GBRA has the right to establish regulations for navigation of the waterways subject to its jurisdiction, and is empowered under the laws of the State of Texas to establish restrictions on the use of watercraft navigating the waterways subject to its jurisdiction. For notices involving the lakes, go to http://gbra.org/public/lakemanagement.aspx. For rain gauge reports, go to http://gbra.org/rain/.aspx where data is gathered by remote automated sensors and is posted and updated regularly. The GBRA Education Department works with customers, teachers, students, and the general public to increase their awareness and appreciation of the water and natural resources in the Guadalupe River Basin, and GBRA’s stewardship, protection, conservation, and reclamation of these resources. Tours, displays, speakers and literature are available for classrooms, clubs and organizations on a wide variety of subjects, including water quality, water and wastewater treatment, GBRA lab and hydroelectric plants, Canyon Dam and Reservoir, water conservation, etc. For more information about Education Services, please contact the GBRA Communications and Education Department at: 830-379-5822 or 800-413-5822, or e-mail [email protected]. What is a Watershed? A watershed is the area of land that drains into a specific water body; an area of land that water flows across, through, or under on its way to a stream, river, lake, or ocean. Watersheds in the Guadalupe River Basin can have rocky hills or be on flat prairies. They can be made up of farmland, ranchlands, small communities, and big cities. The Geronimo Creek Watershed is one of ten smaller watersheds (subwatersheds) that make up the Guadalupe River Basin. Geronimo Creek and its tributary Alligator Creek are located in Comal and Guadalupe Counties, and lie within the larger Guadalupe River Basin. The headwaters of Alligator Creek begin in southeastern Comal County, just above Interstate 35 near New Braunfels. Alligator Creek flows southeast towards Seguin until about midway in the watershed where it joins Geronimo Creek. The majority of the Alligator Creek watershed lies within the extra-territorial jurisdiction (ETJ) of New Braunfels, while the majority of the Geronimo Creek watershed is almost entirely within the ETJ of Seguin. Big or small, urban, suburban, or rural, we should all understand our connection to watersheds and strive to keep them healthy. For more information on watersheds, go to: http://texasaquaticscience.org/watershedaquatic-science-texas. An online tool called “My Land Management Connector” has been added to the Texas Forest Information Portal, a web-based application. “My Land Management Connector” is an application that connects landowners and land management service providers. Landowners can find land management service providers in their area and check their credentials. Landowners can also send service requests to these service providers by entering their land management service needs into the mapping application. Service providers can list their company and the services they provide in a specified area. Companies can view land management services that need to be completed in their service area. Through the application, service providers can send a request to landowners to provide the land management services they need. Go to http://texasforestinfo.tamu.edu and click on “My Land Management Connector” or one of the many other applications that could help you in planning the management of your land.