Middle Yegua Creek above Lake Somerville is a tributary in the Brazos River Basin. Water samples collected by the Brazos River Authority and the Texas Water Resources Institute (TWRI) confirmed the presence of bacteria concentrations in Middle Yegua Creek that were above the applicable standard and led to the creek’s impaired status. The applicable standard refers to the one set by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) for recreational activities that may involve ingesting water, such as swimming, diving, and wading.
Once impaired, action to restore water quality is required. Funding is being provided to TWRI by the Texas State Soil and Water Conservation Board (TSSWCB) to address this need by developing a voluntary, stakeholder-driven Watershed Protection Plan (WPP) in Middle Yegua Creek. To this end, TWRI will form a well-rounded stakeholder group and facilitate stakeholder meetings, through which TWRI will present estimated point and nonpoint pollution sources for the different impairments and help stakeholders to strategize management measures to improve or prevent pollution issues.
