Participating in TMDL Projects
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Stakeholders working on the
Arroyo Colorado Watershed Protection Plan |
We believe the best decisions are made by people closest to the source. Who better to be involved in cleaning up local water bodies than those who have lived or worked in the area, who know it, who have raised their families there, and who care about their future?
Who Participates
We call these people stakeholders. They are individuals and organizations. They represent government, agriculture, business, environmental and community groups, and themselves.
It is these stakeholders who decide what happens in their community and their state. It’s about responsibility and ownership.
By participating in the key decisions made during development of TMDLs and implementation plans, stakeholders have the opportunity to provide critical information and perspective about their watersheds. Because ultimately, it is stakeholders who implement the plans to clean up their rivers, lakes, and bays.
Return to topCommitment
Participating in governmental decisions requires you to commit time and resources. This commitment is as important to the success of improving water quality as the technical aspects of a project. And we ask you to sustain that commitment over several years, because it is difficult to predict how long it will take for all parties to agree on restoration plans and then to improve water quality.
How to Get Involved
The TCEQ works with stakeholders primarily at public meetings. Meetings about TMDL project are open to everyone. To find a project in your area of interest, see Projects of the TMDL Program.
For stakeholder convenience, meetings are ordinarily held in the watershed. The meetings are designed to support collaborative decision-making and to engage the stakeholders deciding how to improve water quality.
The TMDL Team works with local organizations and government agencies to identify and involve appropriate stakeholders in a particular project. The TCEQ also uses notices in print and electronic media to let people know about projects in their area.
The TMDL Program website publishes meeting summaries, project reports, and other information stakeholders use to support their participation. This information is provided on the Web page for a particular project.
Stakeholder Groups
The listed groups are active in guiding implementation of TMDLs. Some are groups formed and coordinated by the TCEQ, and some are independently formed and coordinated by regional stakeholders.
- Arroyo Colorado Watershed Partnership
- Bacteria Implementation Group (BIG) for the Houston-Galveston area
- Dickinson Bayou Watershed Partnership
- Houston Ship Channel and Upper Galveston Bay Stakeholder Group
- Upper Oyster Creek Stakeholder Group
For More Information
To find out more about getting involved in projects in your area, browse the program's Projects of the TMDL Program to find out about projects in your river basin or county. E-mail us at tmdl@tceq.texas.gov, or call 512-239-6682.
