Texas Coastal Collaborative Project Kicks Off
Texas Coastal Collaborative Project Kicks Off
Texas Stream Team works with communities across Texas to integrate stormwater management and non-point source (NPS) pollution control. Over the past year, Texas Stream Team has worked to identify and collaborate with communities in regions that are especially vulnerable to the effects of NPS pollution. Included within these regions is the coastal zone of Texas, which is not only exceptionally ecologically unique, but also highly vulnerable to habitat loss, storm surge damage, flooding, and water-quality degradation as a result of frequent natural disasters. Unfortunately, many coastal communities lack the financial and technical resources needed to adequately address these environmental issues.
As part of an ongoing effort to address these issues and increase the amount of statewide citizen scientist environmental stewardship, Texas Stream Team has teamed-up with the Texas Coastal Collaborative (TCC), a diverse group of scientists, educators, engineers, and communication professionals. Comprised of The Meadows Center for Water and the Environment (Texas State University), Texas Community and Watershed Partners (AgriLife), Texas Sea Grant, and Doucet and Association, the TCC aims to assist target communities with issues of stormwater management and water quality.
Beginning in fall of 2020, the TCC plans to spearhead a two-year, coast-wide effort to engage key stakeholders in targeted communities. These communities have been identified as rapidly growing municipalities located within the coastal zone that stand to benefit from technical and financial assistance, and include the communities of Jamaica Beach, Beach City, Port Lavaca, Fulton, Aransas Pass, Port Aransas, Ingleside, Rockport, Port Isabel, Laguna Vista, and South Padre Island. Of these 11 target communities, the TCC will select four to work closely with, delivering customized workshops aimed at informing and empowering community members and stakeholder groups.
The TCC will work to initiate community projects with tangible environmental and community benefits, prioritizing methods that promote the restoration of coastal natural resources, improve water quality, strike a balance between the protection of coastal natural resources and public use of those resources, improve environmental management, and mitigate coastal erosion. Guided by these objectives, the TCC plans to engage stakeholders and community members in stormwater management practices that empower, educate, and engage communities in the Texas coastal region.
If you are interested in learning more about Texas Stream Team’s participation in the Texas Coastal Collaborative, please contact us at txstreamteam@txstate.edu.