Two environmental agencies have approved a new plan to improve water quality throughout the Rowlett Creek watershed.
The new plan was approved by the Environmental Protection Agency and the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality Aug. 24, according to Texas A&M AgriLife.
In a nutshell
Local partners are planning the following efforts to reduce the presence of E. coli bacteria in the watershed:
Reduce pollutants from stormwater
Promote responsible lawn care and pet waste practices
Address illegal dumping and litter
Expand education programs
Support flood management strategies
Continue water quality monitoring
Nearby cities, counties and schools worked with Texas A&M AgriLife in Dallas to collect data from the watershed and receive input from the community and local organizations, per a news release from the city of Plano.
“Acceptance of this watershed protection plan is an important step toward improving water quality in Rowlett Creek,” Texas A&M AgriLife professor and extension specialist Fouad Jaber said in a statement.
Some other partnered organizations include the cities of Frisco and Allen, Collin County, Dallas County, North Texas Municipal Water District, Collin College and Plano ISD.
Dig deeper
The study took samples from five sites along the creek, according to documents from Texas A&M AgriLife. Loads of E. coli were estimated to come from dogs, feral cats, livestock, feral hogs, ducks and wastewater treatment facilities. Dog waste was found to have the greatest contribution to E. coli loads, per the study, making up 96.88% of the total load.
Rowlett Creek has not met state water quality standards since 2014, according to the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality. Water quality monitoring took place from September 2018-August 2022 before meetings and partnerships with local partners started.
