Texas Conservation Alliance (TCA) is partnering with the Meadows Center for Water and the Environment at Texas State University to develop “stream teams” for East Texas rivers. TCA is creating stream teams for the Sabine and Sulphur River basins and expanding its Neches River Stream Team. Work done by volunteers in this citizen science project contributes to the state’s water quality database.
The Neches, Sabine, and Sulphur River Stream Teams will be part of Texas Stream Team, a network of trained volunteers and supportive partners who gather information about the water resources of Texas. Established in 1991, Texas Stream Team is administered through a cooperative partnership between Texas State University, the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ), and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Currently, more than 1,400 Texas Stream Team volunteers collect monthly water quality data on lakes, rivers, creeks, wetlands, bays, bayous, and estuaries in Texas.
Texas Conservation Alliance will hold training sessions to certify volunteers to test water in rivers, creeks, and lakes in East Texas. Using kits provided by TCA or Texas Stream Team, volunteers will test for temperature, conductivity, pH, and level of dissolved oxygen. These tests are indicators of whether the water body tested is safe for swimming and fishing, and of its ability to sustain fish and other aquatic life. The information will be sent to TCEQ to help the state create a picture of the health of rivers all over the state.
Anyone interested in being a volunteer water quality monitor is invited to contact Texas Conservation Alliance at TCA@tcatexas.org or by calling 512-777-9730.