Sandy Creek: Developing a Watershed Characterization
The Texas Water Resources Institute will gather and analyze water quality data and data on sources of pollutants within the watershed to inform future watershed protection planning efforts.
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Project Area
River Basin: Neches River Basin
Water Body: Sandy Creek (0603A)
Location: Jasper County
Background
Sandy Creek (0603A) is composed of two assessment units (0603A_01; 0603A_02) in Jasper County in East Texas. The creek is a tributary to Lake B.A. Steinhagen on the Neches River. The watershed is primarily rural, dominated by pine forests interspersed with improved pastures and unimproved grazing land.
Sandy Creek has not met water quality standards for primary contact recreation use due to high bacteria concentrations since 2000. In 2019, the Texas Water Resources Institute (TWRI) worked with stakeholders to calculate the maximum amount of pollutant the creek could sustain and the plan to restore water quality — the total maximum daily load or TMDL. The Sandy Creek TMDL was approved by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in 2022.
Back to topProject Description
September 2024 – August 2028
TWRI will create a more robust water quality dataset to characterize the Sandy Creek watershed and to support future watershed planning efforts. Project personnel will monitor water quality and analyze previously collected data to estimate the amount of pollutants entering the watershed. The analyses will be used to develop a watershed characterization report and identify water quality improvements needed to meet state standards.
For More Information
Texas Water Resources Institute website.
To find out more about the NPS Program, call 512-239-6682 or email us at nps@tceq.texas.gov.