Plum Creek: Implementing Low Impact Development at the Caldwell County Justice Center

Background

In the 2014 Texas Water Quality Inventory and 303(d) List Plum Creek did not meet state water quality standards for bacteria concentrations and had concerns for dissolved oxygen and high nitrate, total phosphorus and ortho-phosphorus, and impaired aquatic habitat. The portion of the creek that receives runoff from the project area is impaired due to high bacteria concentrations and has concerns for low dissolved oxygen and elevated nitrogen levels.

The Plum Creek Watershed Protection Plan calls for incorporating low impact development (LID) to help reduce nonpoint source pollution in urban stormwater runoff and improve water quality in the creek.

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Project Description

This project is retrofitting the Caldwell County Justice Center in Lockhart with xeriscaping, cisterns for rainwater harvesting, a rain garden, and a porous pavement parking lot.

The county will estimate how much the pollutants are reduced by these measures.

An education campaign will include a workshop, tours, permanent signs at the site to identify the LID features, and a brochure to explain them.

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For More Information

To find out more about the NPS program, call 512-239-5582 or e-mail us at nps@tceqtexas.gov