Fall 2019

Plum Creek Current

Fall 2019 Hello Plum Creek Watershed Partnership Stakeholders and Friends,   We hope you are enjoying a relaxing fall season, enjoying the outdoors and spending some extra time with family as we ease into the cooler months. This is the time of year when water is sparse and a conservation mindset is of utmost importance. Being conscious o f your water usage is more important than ever, even the seemingly small changes can make a huge difference. The end of this newsletter includes simple conservation tips you can implement right at home.   Our best management practices (BMPs) have been moving right along. The Caldwell County Feral Hog Bounty Program had a successful year in 2019; with over 2,300 feral hogs removed from the Plum Creek Watershed. The initial design review has been completed for the Lockhart Urban Trail Low Impact Development Project, and the Caldwell County Justice Center Project has been maintained monthly by a dedicated group of dedicated volunteers and is set to have completed construction by February of 2020.

Visit our Website

We’re looking forward to seeing those of you who can make it out to our annual Keep Lockhart Beautiful Plum Creek/Town Branch/Lockhart Springs Cleanup at the Lockhart City Park Pavilion on November 9th at 9:00 AM! You can RSVP  here.

Upcoming Events

October 15, 2019 - Texas Riparian & Stream Ecosystem Workshop. This free workshop will include both indoor classroom and outdoor presentations by multiple natural resource agency experts and an outdoor field portion on Clear Fork Creek to discover how it functions and the role of riparian vegetation in properly functioning systems. RSVP by October 11, 2019 HERE or by contacting Clare Entwistle. The workshop is being co-hosted by the Plum Creek Watershed Partnership, the AgriLife Extension Office in Caldwell County and the Texas Water Resources Institute.   For more information and to register please contact Clare Entwistle at 210-277-0292 ext. 205 or clare.entwistle@ag.tamu.edu.

Nov 9, 2019 - The Keep Lockhart Beautiful Cleanup is set for its 12th year in 2019. This is Lockhart's premier community service opportunity for families, students, organizations and businesses. All cleanup volunteers are encouraged to gather at the Lockhart City Park Main Pavilion by no later than 9 AM on Nov. 9 to confirm your project and litter drop-off locations, turn in safety sheets, and collect additional supplies.   Register your group online here  to select your location and receive additional information. Receive breakfast and an event t-shirt while supplies last!

Local News

Wimberley ISD breaks ground on new primary school that will be first of its kind in Texas The Wimberley School District is making history at a groundbreaking ceremony Monday evening. A new primary school at Ranch Road 12 and Winters Mill Parkway will be the first of its kind in the state. The state-of-the-art, green campus is trying to balance rapid growth in the area with conservation efforts. Bright Green Future Grant Program Awards Funding to 58 Austin area schools The City of Austin’s Office of Sustainability announced today that 58 schools will receive funding support to implement 70 sustainability projects that are expected to benefit over 30,000 students. These projects will offer students hands-on learning opportunities and lessons in environmental stewardship, while also providing tangible community benefits to school campuses and their surrounding neighborhoods. New study: Solar power delivers more than clean energy to Texas Solar panels will help Texas avoid blackouts this summer and provide many other benefits often overlooked by policymakers, according to  The True Value of Solar: Measuring The Benefits of Rooftop Solar Power , a new study released today by the Environment Texas Research and Policy Center and Frontier Group. The group used the study to call on the Public Utility Commission of Texas to do more to promote the use of solar.  Texas plastic bags are killing horses and cows A year after the Texas Supreme Court dealt a death blow to municipal bans on plastic bags, legislative efforts to revive them have fallen flat, and ranchers, city leaders and environmental groups say plastic bag litter is as big a problem as ever.

EPA Water Sense Guidelines

WaterSense, a voluntary partnership program sponsored by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), is both a label for water-efficient products and a resource for helping you save water. Water Saving Tips

Funding for the development and support of the Plum Creek Watershed Protection Plan is through a Clean Water Act grant provided by the Texas State Soil and Water Conservation Board and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.