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Plan will set course for river protection
Published November 10, 2009
Though E. coli bacteria levels in the San Bernard River are above the allowed amount, they’re well below urban areas and other Texas rivers, officials said.
Tests conducted in 2008 showed harmful bacteria levels, likely from fecal contamination by animals, said Texas Commission on Environmental Quality spokeswoman Andrea Morrow.
“Bacteria levels in the San Bernard River are not that extraordinarily high,” said Aubin Phillips, the Houston-Galveston Area Council’s senior environmental planner.
The number of allowed E. coli bacteria in water is 126 per 100 milliliters, Phillips said. The
San Bernard River E. coli levels range from 200 to 400.
“That may sound high, but in urban areas, that number could be around the thousands,” Phillips said.
But officials still want to do something to get the numbers down and address overall river quality.
HAVING A STAKE
The Houston-Galveston Area Council is hosting three public meetings to enlist the help of community organizations, residents, government agencies and local industry in forming a stakeholder group to develop a watershed plan, Phillips said. Meetings are planned in Wharton, Brazoria and Austin counties.
The first meeting is from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. today at the Wharton County Library, 1920 N. Fulton in Wharton. Others meetings are scheduled for Nov. 17 in West Columbia and Nov. 18 in Sealy.
Among the stakeholders are members of Friends of the River San Bernard, a grassroots group that aims to preserve the quality of the river.
The group has several certified water testers who are supplying additional information to the Houston-Galveston Area Council, said Susie Alford;s co-chair of Friends of the River’s Environmental Team.
“We’re just helping and we’re providing additional samples in locations they have not tested before,” Alford said. “There have been similarities to what they’ve tested but the data fluctuates some with every rain event.”
The group doesn’t test for bacteria, but does test for dissolved oxygen, temperature and other things, Alford said.
POLLUTION TYPES
The segments of the San Bernard River in Brazoria County tested in 2008 are from the Intracoastal Waterway to a point 2 miles upstream of Highway 35, and from that point upstream for 25 miles, according to a Texas Commission on Environmental Quality report.
Because of the high bacteria levels, officials have cautioned people against engaging in recreational activities in the river and will have meetings to develop a best management practices plan, she said.
No signs advising against recreational activities have been posted along the San Bernard River, and they likely won’t be, Phillips said.
“You’re taking a risk anytime you’re getting into a water body, especially after rain because there is a risk for bacteria in the water that’s elevated after it rains,” Phillips said.
There are two types of pollution, nonpoint source and point source, Phillips said.
Point source pollution would be from something like a wastewater treatment plant, and is easily identified as such. Nonpoint source pollution more likely has wildlife, domestic animals and cattle or horses as its source.
“This is nonpoint source pollution. We don’t know where it’s coming from so there’s nothing to enforce right now,” she said.
CREATING A PLAN
A watershed plan includes the analyses, actions, participants and resources related to the plan and defines existing conditions, identifies and prioritizes problems, defines ways to manage the plan and develops and implements ways to correct and protect the river, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Web site.
The problems will be addressed in a best management plan developed for the San Bernard Watershed and funded by $292,805 in TCEQ grants.
The money spent developing the watershed plan will go toward mapping the area, monitoring the bacteria levels, working with the stakeholder group and coming up with a course of action, Phillips said. Acquiring land along the San Bernard River is not part of the plan, she said.
Erin McKeon is a reporter for The Facts. Contact her at 979-237-0152.
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BE HEARD
The Houston-Galveston Area Council will host three public meetings to develop a plan to address contamination in the San Bernard River. Learn more at h-gac.com/go/sanbernard.
Today: 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at Wharton County Library, 1920 N. Fulton in Wharton.
Nov. 17: 6 to 8 p.m. at West Columbia Civic Center, 518 E. Brazos St.
Nov. 18: 4 to 5:30 p.m. at Gordon Memorial Library, 917 N. Circle Drive in Sealy.
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