Source Water Protection at State Parks

Source Water Protection at Texas State Parks

By Deborah McMullan, Source Water Protection Specialist, Texas Rural Water Association; and Mason T. Miller, TCEQ Water Supply Division

In 2019, the Texas Rural Water Association (TRWA) partnered with the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) Water Supply Division, and Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) to begin implementing Source Water Protection (SWP) efforts at state parks.

In October 2019, TCEQ staff traveled to Guadalupe River State Park in Kendall County to meet with TPWD Park Rangers and TRWA Source Water Specialists to implement a SWP program. As part of the program, an inventory of the park’s surface water intake on the Guadalupe River and four groundwater wells was conducted.

This SWP project proved to be very rewarding and opened the door for other state parks to participate in the program. In October 2020, TRWA again partnered with TCEQ and TPWD to implement a SWP plan for Choke Canyon State Park in McMullen County. An inventory of the surface water intakes on Choke Canyon Lake and terminal reservoir located within the park were completed.

Guadalupe River State Park and Choke Canyon State Park staff participated in training sessions hosted by TRWA. During the trainings, the staff discussed how contaminants can reach the source water, ideas for public education and best management practices that could be implemented. Both state parks placed Drinking Water Protection area signs at each groundwater well, surface water intake and park entrance to help educate park visitors that they were entering a SWP area and to be mindful of their activities. As a future educational effort, both parks are planning to host environment festivals as soon as the COVID-19 closures are over. TRWA looks forward to taking part in these and assisting to educate the public on how surface waters within state parks are vulnerable to contamination, as well as how the public can assist in protecting these water sources now and for the future.

TRWA and TCEQ are currently working with TPWD to select state parks for SWP Plan development during 2021.

TPWD Choke Canyon State Park Rangers Receive Drinking Water Protection Area Sign from TRWA's Deborah McMullan.

TPWD Choke Canyon State Park Ranger and TCEQ's Mason Miller installing Drinking Water Protection Area Sign.