Public meetings for coastal water plan

Three July meetings

Vilas Bhuchar, Jul 08, 10.

The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality and The Galveston Bay Foundation will host three public meetings in July to receive public feedback on an implementation plan to improve water quality along the Upper Texas Coast, according to Guidry News.

Each meeting will begin at 7:00 pm, notes the story:

July 20, 2010
Flower Garden at NOAA, 4700 Avenue U, Bldg. 216, Galveston

July 21, 2010
American Legion Hall, 1704 South Main St., Anahuac

July 22, 2010
Clear Lake Park, 5001 NASA Parkway, Seabrook

Finally, the meetings will give the public an opportunity to be involved in the creation of an implementation plan for the region, adds the story:

Five work groups formed in February to draft sections of the implementation plan (or I-Plan) have been meeting monthly. The July meetings will provide information to stakeholders and the public to ensure all are a part of the writing and design of an I-Plan to improve water quality in the oyster waters.

The document developed will describe the steps the TCEQ and partners will take to achieve a reduction in bacteria concentrations identified in the total maximum daily load report for waters in the Upper Galveston Bay (Segment 2421), Trinity Bay (Segment 2422), East Bay (Segment 2423), West Bay (Segment 2424), Chocolate Bay (Segment 2432), and the Lower Galveston Bay (Segment 2439). The counties within the watershed include Brazoria, Chambers, Galveston, and Harris counties. Texas is required to develop TMDLs for impaired water bodies included in the State of Texas Clean Water Act, Section 303(d) list of impaired water bodies.

A copy of the 2008 TMDL report, previous meeting summaries, and documents can be viewed online on the TCEQ or Galveston Bay Foundation websites.

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(Photo credit: Mike Rodriquez)