exTRA by the Trinity River Authority of Texas

Montgomery County Commissioners Court met Tuesday morning to consider a number of agenda items, including a resolution opposing a permanent reduction of Lake Conroe lake levels by three feet. Here is everything you need to know. Court approves resolution to oppose reduction in Lake Conroe water levels Commissioners Court approved a resolution appealing to the state legislature to oppose a proposed permanent three-foot reduction in Lake Conroe lake levels as a means of flood mitigation.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has approved Texas' first new reservoir in 30 years with hopes of providing water to North Texas' rapidly growing population.

Construction of the Lower Bois d'Arc Creek Reservoir will begin in spring, northeast of Bonham. (ID::39175)

KOSSE, TX (KXXV) - One toad has put a multimillion-dollar construction project on hold in Kosse. "They've really been in serious decline. There hasn't been a Houston toad in the Houston area since the 1970s," said Brian Henley, animal care manager of amphibians and reptiles at the Cameron Park Zoo in Waco.

Lake Austin, Lady Bird Lake Newest Additions to Statewide List of Infested and Suspect Lakes AUSTIN – Two central Texas lakes have received upgraded classifications for invasive zebra mussels as a result of statewide sampling by Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) Inland Fisheries staff and partner agencies. Lake Austin’s classification has been upgraded to infested, meaning it was confirmed to have an established, reproducing population of zebra mussels, after TPWD and Lower Colorado River Authority (LCRA) staff found several size classes of adult zebra mussels and larvae in multiple locations on the lake, including at Tom Miller Dam and Pennybacker Bridge. Lady Bird Lake has been upgraded to suspect, meaning zebra mussels or their larvae have been found at least once, after LCRA found several larvae in a plankton sample.

The Buda City Council has approved the second and final reading of the City’s amended Water Resource Management and Drought Response Ordinance on Feb. 20. The ordinance establishes drought condition triggers and serves as a strategy for reducing water consumption, reducing the loss or waste of water, and improving the efficiency in the use of water.

Crews have dropped water levels on a stretch of the San Antonio River as they install equipment that will pump water from the river into the San Pedro Creek. Starting early Tuesday, workers with the City and the San Antonio River Authority began partially draining the river downstream of Nueva Street by lowering flood gates at South Alamo Street, said Abigail Bush, engineer and project manager with the River Authority.

DALLAS — In February the Texas hornshell mussel, Popenaias popeii, became the first among 15 state-threatened freshwater species to receive federal protection under the U.S. Endangered Species Act. A team of Texas A&M AgriLife scientists led by Dr. Charles Randklev in Dallas now works alongside collaborators from Laredo Community College and the Illinois Natural History Survey to better understand the species’ ecology and taxonomy. Their goal is to identify contributing factors to the Texas hornshells’ decline and provide data to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and Texas Parks and Wildlife Department to aid in its protection and recovery.

As growth blankets San Antonio in housing developments, shopping centers, roads, and parking lots, flooding is getting worse and the city’s rivers and streams remain impaired because of bacteria that collect on hard surfaces and wash in with rainwater. These problems aren’t new to San Antonio officials, especially after two wet years that caused frequent local flooding and the record-shattering rainfall Hurricane Harvey dropped on Houston last August.

Rapid growth in eastern Pflugerville is spurring a multi-million dollar project to expand and renovate the city’s wastewater treatment plant. The City Council on Tuesday approved a $3.4 million contract with Freese and Nichols Inc. to oversee engineering and planning for the plant expansion, which the city is conducting in several phases to spread out costs. The approved contract brings the project’s cost so far to $3.82 million, with a council vote last year to set aside $375,806 for interim improvements to the facility.

Just days after the biggest volunteer trash collection effort of the year, the San Antonio River is a big mess again. Thousands of people showed up for Basura Bash on February 17th. They hauled away tons of trash and floatable debris from the river and most of its major tributaries, but then the rains came six days later.

San Antonio (April 5, 2017) – The City of San Antonio’s Office of Innovation held a full-day Smart Cities Readiness Workshop on March 21 to discuss and develop a roadmap to guide San Antonio to a Smart Cities future.
San Antonio City Council approved funding to support smart city initiatives in the areas of transportation, sustainabilit

The North Texas Municipal Water District (NTMWD) is preparing to conduct the annual 28-day water system maintenance of its Wylie, Tawakoni, and Bonham water delivery systems. Maintenance will begin Monday and conclude March 26. During the water system maintenance, tap water remains safe for use and consumption. Residents who are sensitive to changes in the water may notice a stronger taste or smell of chlorine.

VAN ALSTYNE, Texas -- More than 200,000 gallons of sewage has spilled from Van Alstyne's wastewater treatment plant, and the city expects a further overflow before the end of the week. The city flagged the spillage in a required report to the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality. The spill is in two locations on the east side of Van Alstyne: At the treatment plant on Spain Road south of FM 121; and at a manhole along Ballard Road, about a half-mile east of John Douglas Road.

Undependable pipes and pump stations and the infiltration of rain water into the sewer system are to blame for sewage problems and overflowing manholes in Beaumont during thunderstorms, city officials said last week.
The fix will be extensive and expensive, they say.
A video was posted on social media last weekend showing what appears to be wastewater spewing from a manhole near Martin Elementary in Beaumont's North End. Viewers' comments showed frustration and concern.

The San Antonio River Authority is more than two-thirds of the way toward meeting its 2020 goals, according to a rubric the organization uses to measure its progress each year. If it meets these goals, the San Antonio and Medina rivers will be clean enough to swim in, fewer homes will be at risk for flooding, and more people will be aware of the organization’s efforts. Since 2010, the River Authority has been evaluating itself based on what its managers call a River Health Index, sort of like a report card for the river and the organization itself.