Meadows Center granted $1.7 million for Clean Coast Texas Collaborative

The Texas General Land Office’s Coastal Management Program recently granted the Meadows Center for Water and the Environment at Texas State University $1.7 million to continue implementation of the Clean Coast Texas Collaborative through 2024.

According to Texas State University, the Clean Coast Texas Collaborative aims to provide coastal communities with technical assistance regarding best practices to reduce nonpoint source pollution and incorporate stormwater management techniques. Additionally, the collaborative features a dynamic team of scien tists, educators, engineers and communication professionals who will work with communities across Texas’ coastal zone to address stormwater management and water quality concerns. Partners in the collaborative include Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Services’ Texas Community Watershed Partners, the Texas Sea Grant College Program and Doucet & Associates, Texas State said.

“We’ve had a great first year, and I am very excited to continue our efforts,” said Nick Dornak, Meadows Center director of watershed services. “The collaborative draws on the strengths of each entity and will ensure we deliver the support coastal communities need to improve water quality, community resilience and floodplain management.”

Nonpoint source pollution occurs when rainfall while moving over and through the ground gathers natural and human-made pollutants and deposits them into lakes, rivers, wetlands, coastal waters and groundwater supplies, according to TXST. Water quality degrades causing harmful effects on drinking water supplies, recreation, fishers, wildlife and the economy when nonpoint source pollution deposits into water supplies.

“Minimizing risks and maximizing resiliency is critical,” Dornak said. “With a focus on local partnerships, the Clean Coast Texas Collaborative will empower communities throughout the Texas Gulf Coast with the knowledge and resources they need to protect both their natural resources and local economies.”

Texas State stated that there is growing necessity to find opportunities to improve water quality and community planning as coastal communities continue to grow. Funding for the Clean Coast Texas Collaborative ensures that it can deliver significant resources to support Little Bay restoration initiatives in Aransas County as well as engage four new communities in the Texas Coastal Zone, the university said.

Local workshops for communities on topics regarding sustainable stormwater management, data-driven community planning for resilience and a virtual tour to highlight existing green stormwater infrastructure will be included as additional support, Texas State said. Additionally, the collaborative enhances the Meadows Center’s Texas Stream Team program’s efforts to bring training opportunities, equity and access to citizen scientists of diverse education levels and backgrounds.

“These projects will showcase how Texas coastal communities can create tangible environmental benefits that can be easily translated to other coastal communities while supporting their local economies through the restoration of coastal natural resources, improved water quality and mitigation of coastal erosion,” Texas State said.

Visit cleancoast.texas.gov to learn more about the Clean Coast Texas initiative.

To learn more about the GLO’s CMP grant program, visit www.glo.texas.gov/coast/grant-projects/funding/index.html.