Extension Education
IMPACT
Protecting the Plum Creek
Watershed
High Contamination Levels Lead to
Environmental Concerns
 High nutrient and bacterial levels in the Plum Creek
Watershed flows into the San Marcos River have
raised concerns among local citizens and state officials
about public health, water quality, water-use
limitations, aquatic habitat, and reduced or lost
recreational opportunities.
 Key potential sources of this water pollution include
feral hogs, wastewater-treatment systems, livestock,
pets, and fertilizer and chemical runoff from cropland,
pasture, lawns and landscapes, parks, and industrial
sites.
Extension’s Response
 The Texas A&M AgiLife Extension Service partnered
with the Texas State Soil and Water Conservation
Board in 2005 to inform and educate local citizens
about water quality concerns in the watershed.
 AgriLife Extension then guided the formation of the
Plum Creek Watershed Partnership – comprised of
local stakeholders – with the goal of improving water
quality and protecting water resources.
 AgriLife Extension facilitated
the partnership through the
development of the Plum Creek
Watershed Protection Plan – a
comprehensive management plan
for identifying causes of water
pollution and improving and
protecting water quality.
 Through 259 educational events, watershed planning
meetings and workshops, AgriLife Extension and
partnering agencies engaged 12,595 citizens and
landowners (37,728 contact hours) to improve public
awareness and participation vital to developing and
AgriLifeExtension.tamu.edu
implementing the watershed protection plan.
Economic and Environmental Impacts
 The Plum Creek Watershed Protection Plan was
formally approved by the Environmental Protection
Agency as the first plan in Texas to meet all federal
requirements.
 As a result of this designation, nine externally
funded grants totaling $2.98 million over three
years were obtained to implement critical waterquality protection activities identified in the Plum
Creek plan.
 The grant funds include more than $440,000
directed to agricultural producers to address waterquality practices; $780,000 for city and county
officials to implement urban water-quality efforts;
and $1.76 million for onsite wastewater-treatment
trainings, feral hog education/control, and
improved residential and conservation plan
development.
 These grant-financed projects for improving and
protecting the watershed support an additional 13
jobs annually in the region.
 More importantly, in 2011 the Plum Creek
Watershed was removed from the list of impaired
water bodies due to the significant progress made
toward water-quality improvement.
Contact:
Dean McCorkle
Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service
ph. 979.845.1861
e-mail: d-mccorkle@tamu.edu
agrilifeextension.tamu.edu/impacts
MKT-3558AO, October 2012