Congratulations on making it through the holiday season and into a bright new year! Whether you are still savoring the glow of your Christmas lights, or you are eagerly embarking on a new year’s resolution, thank you for taking some time to read our newsletter.

This Spring, we will be hosting a litter pickup event in the Mill Creek Watershed. This is an excellent opportunity for you to get out and make a real difference in your community! In partnership with Austin County and the Trash Free Gulf Campaign, we will work together to clean up a bridge site over Mill Creek. Interested in helping out? Be on the lookout for more information on our Facebook Page (facebook.com/MillCreekWater) or reach out to your watershed coordinator!

Don’t forget – we rely on your involvement to keep this project active! If you have a question, concern, or information about local water quality, please contact me today.

Best wishes,

Annalee Epps
Annalee.epps@ag.tamu.edu

Small but Mighty: Taking Steps to Protect Water Quality

Chances are, if you’re reading this newsletter, you care about the stewardship and protection of our natural resources. But how do we turn that concern into actions that protect local water quality? A challenge in behavior change is often that our schedules are full and our wallets are slim. But one of the best places to start is with small action steps that can turn into a long-term positive impact. These bite-sized tasks are achievable, meaningful, and can be multiplied.

We want to empower people with ideas they can actually achieve! Have you ever been at a meeting where a well-meaning speaker suggests that every homeowner should have a carefully planted pollinator garden instead of a front lawn, or perhaps that every farmer should immediately convert their conventionally managed fields into minimum tilled acreage? While these are wonderful practices that can provide a benefit to the environment, they are often not achievable in the short term. This means that many people who would like to participate in ecological restoration are left feeling as though they can’t contribute. Instead, we want people to feel that they can make a difference.

We want to offer ideas that can cause a meaningful reduction in nonpoint source pollution. One potential risk to focusing on small changes in behavior is that they may not ultimately have a positive effect. For example, it is easy for someone to start putting plastic waste into a recycling container, but if it is not recyclable material, it won’t make a difference. Instead, we want to provide steps people can take that can actually positively impact local water quality!

The work of restoring and protecting water resources cannot be achieved by one person. This is why it is important for our efforts to be multiplied. Whenever we make a change in our behavior to reduce nonpoint source pollution, we have a chance to share our experience with others and encourage them to join our effort. This can lead to a community movement where the burden of behavior change is lightened by teamwork. And this is where the Mill Creek Watershed Partnership shines!

This article kicks of a series that will provide examples of actions you can take to improve local water quality. In the next several newsletters, you will find practical steps that fit into your budget and on your calendar. With your help, we can reduce nonpoint source pollution and protect our creeks for future generations!

Watershed Calendar

May 2- Mill Creek Cleanup

Want to make a measurable difference for the Mill Creek Watershed? Join us in cleaning up a bridge site in May! Be on the lookout for more information on our Facebook page at facebook.com/MillCreekWater

Fall – Texas Watershed Steward Program

Become a Texas Watershed Steward! This workshop starts at the very beginning: learn about watershed science, Texas water laws and regulations, and best management practices to improve local water quality! Nine types of professional continuing education credits (CEC/CEUs) are available. More information coming soon at tws.tamu.edu.

————————————————————————————————

Funding for this effort is provided through a Clean Water Act §319(h) Nonpoint Source Grant administered by the Texas State Soil and Water Conservation Board from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service is an equal opportunity employer and program provider.

The post Newsletter – January 2026 appeared first on Mill Creek Watershed Partnership.

 A Note From Your Watershed Coordinator

Do you know of a local bridge crossing over Mill Creek that needs a facelift? This winter and spring, we are coordinating a creek cleanup event that might be able to help! In previous years, we hosted a dumpster at a central location and asked people in the watershed to bring trash from the watershed to us. This year, we’re going out into the watershed to pick up litter ourselves! But we need your help. If you know of a spot that has collected litter or tires that need to be removed, email your watershed coordinator today. Then, when you see the announcement for the Fall Cleanup, sign up to volunteer with us!

As we plan and prepare for educational and outreach events, we are looking for your input! Is there a topic you want to learn more about, or maybe an issue in Mill Creek that you would like to see addressed? Please reach out and let us know so we can best serve the stakeholders of the Mill Creek Watershed Partnership.

Annalee Epps
Annalee.epps@ag.tamu.edu

Measurements Matter: E. coli Bacteria

Did you know that Mill Creek has an elevated level of E. coli bacteria? This impairment was identified by the Texas Commission for Environmental Quality in 2014, based on 7 years of water quality data collected in Mill Creek. But what do elevated levels of E. coli bacteria mean for water quality? This article continues our series exploring water quality data collected in our watershed and why it matters.

E. coli bacteria are a large group of organisms that can be found in the digestive systems and waste products of warm-blooded animals, including humans. They are also naturally occurring in creeks and streams! The level of E. coli in a water sample is measured in colony forming units per 100 mL (cfu/100mL). To measure cfu, a water sample is collected and taken to a laboratory. There, samples are diluted and incubated on petri dishes. Bacterial colonies are then counted, allowing the estimation of viable bacteria in the original sample.

These bacteria are used as an indicator organism. When levels of E. coli bacteria are elevated, that indicates that the water has come into contact with waste from warm-blooded animals. Other dangerous pathogens could be present in this case, posing a health risk for anyone who is exposed to them. We measure E. coli bacteria because it is a relatively quick and inexpensive process compared to testing for other pathogens.

Changes in E. coli bacteria levels can be associated with variation in temperature, streamflow, and dissolved oxygen. However, increased E. coli bacteria can also be the result of nonpoint source pollution. Waste from feral hogs, pets, livestock, or even humans can be washed into the creek. Reducing sources of pollution is the goal of the Mill Creek Watershed Partnership, so tracking the level of E. coli bacteria in the creek is crucial to identifying pollution sources and measuring project effectiveness. We measure E. coli bacteria because it matters!

Watershed Calendar

Mill Creek Cleanup Event – Winter 2026

This year, we are mixing things up for the Mill Creek Cleanup Event – be on the lookout for more information about how you can be involved!

————————————————————————————————

Funding for this effort is provided through a Clean Water Act §319(h) Nonpoint Source Grant administered by the Texas State Soil and Water Conservation Board from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service is an equal opportunity employer and program provider.

The post Newsletter – October 2025 appeared first on Mill Creek Watershed Partnership.

 A Note From Your Watershed Coordinator

Summer has arrived, this year with plenty of rain to keep Mill Creek flowing strong and the mid-season wildflowers blooming! While it may not last, now is a great time to consider rainwater harvesting to supply your garden and lawn with water. In August, we will be hosting the Healthy Lawns Healthy Waters program in Brenham, which will cover everything you need to know before setting up your own rain barrel or other catchment system. But, if you want to get started today, you can find guides and videos at hlhw.tamu.edu/rainwater-harvesting!

A quick announcement as we head into July – I will be going on maternity leave soon and expect to be back in late August or early September. Extensive planning has been done to ensure that there is no significant lapse in implementation of the watershed protection plan while I am gone. However, if you need anything in my absence, Dr. Jake Mowrer will be your main point of contact. He can be reached at jake.mowrer@ag.tamu.edu or 979-321-5916.

Best wishes,

Annalee Epps

Measurements Matter: pH

Is the water in Mill Creek acidic, neutral, or basic? How do we know the pH of the creek, and does it change over time? While these may not be questions you have considered before, pH plays an important role in many chemical and biological creek processes. But what does pH actually tell us about water quality in Mill Creek? This is the fifth article in our series exploring the water quality data collected in our watershed and why it matters.

A controlling factor in many chemical reactions, pH is a measure of Hydrogen ions (H⁺) in the water. It is often assessed using color-changing reagents on a water sample or with a sensor that is placed directly in the creek. Reported as a number between 1-14, pH is actually measured on a logarithmic scale, meaning a small change in the numeric value can reflect a huge change in H⁺ concentration. A larger number indicates a lower concentration of H⁺ in the water. In natural water bodies, pH usually ranges between 6.5-8. The normal pH of a creek is often determined by the soil and rocks that it flows through.

Changes in water pH can be caused by point or nonpoint source pollution. Shifts or fluctuation in pH can be a cause of immediate or long-term concern. The plants, fish, and insects that live in the creek are adapted to thrive in a specific pH range. If the pH leaves that range, species might migrate away or simply die off in that creek segment. Also, some metals and chemicals change form when exposed to a different pH and can become toxic (e.g. Copper and Ammonia). It is important to consider pH when assessing water quality and stream health. We measure pH because it matters!

Watershed Calendar

August 28 – Healthy Lawns Healthy Waters

Join us at the Washington County Expo Center on August 28th to learn about rainwater harvesting and water conscious lawn management! Watch the events page for more details

Mill Creek Cleanup Event

This year, we are mixing things up for the Mill Creek Cleanup Event – be on the lookout for more information about how you can be involved!

————————————————————————————————

Funding for this effort is provided through a Clean Water Act §319(h) Nonpoint Source Grant administered by the Texas State Soil and Water Conservation Board from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service is an equal opportunity employer and program provider.

The post Newsletter – July 2025 appeared first on Mill Creek Watershed Partnership.

Thanks to the Washington and Austin Co. Young Professionals Organizations, members of the Mill Creek Partnership Steering Committee, and to all the volunteers.  The cleanup event was a success, the weather was nice, and the people were cool.  Roadside trash was put where it belongs and over 1000 lbs of washout tree debris was removed from the point where Happy Hollow Rd crosses East Mill Creek.  I really enjoyed being a small part of it all.  Congratulations Mill Creek Partnership and let’s keep up the good work!  – JM

The post Earth Day Success! Mill Creek Stream Cleanup Event Mission Accomplished! appeared first on Mill Creek Watershed Partnership.

Jennifer Cary has announced her resignation from Texas A&M AgriLife Extension and from her position as Mill Creek Watershed Coordinator.  As her former supervisor, I appreciate the letters of support that have come in from our partners in this project.  It is clear that Jennifer will be dearly missed, and that she has made an immeasurable impact on your community.

Now, moving forward, it is my primary goal to provide a sense of continuity in our watershed community regarding our plans for Mill Creek. In the short term, I will be working with the Texas State Soil and Water Conservation Board to develop a more permanent plan for coordinating the implementation efforts for the Mill Creek Watershed Protection Plan.  Updates will be provided as they become available.

I would like to take this opportunity to post a few reminders of the outcomes of our recent December 12^th stakeholder meeting and more recent news.

• The Austin County Extension Office now has an agent on duty. Agent Haylee Wolfford will be our newest partner in the watershed protection project. She moves to Austin Co. from Hardin Co. and I know her to be an experienced and energetic agent.  https://austin.agrilife.org/contact/
• The Texas Watershed Steward’s Program Workshop was held in Brenham on January 26^th at the Washington County Fairgrounds Sales Facility (1385 Old Independence Rd, Brenham, TX 77833). It was a successful program with over 50 attendees.
• Planning is underway for the quarterly Stakeholder and Steering Committee meeting in March 2018. Quick reminder, we did not have a quorum for the important decision on Mill Creek’s graphic logo at the December 12^th  We need all Steering Committee members to make it to this next one.  The meeting is tentatively planned for Tuesday March 27^th, 2018
• For further review, the minutes of the last meeting can be found at: https://millcreek.tamu.edu/files/2018/01/Mill-Creek-ImplemMtgMinutes_20171219.pdf

You may feel free to contact me directly with questions, comments, and concerns at any the following:

Email:  jake.mowrer@tamu.edu

Office phone:  979.845.5366

All the best – and looking forward to the next phase in our partnership.

Jake Mowrer

The post Letter from the new interim watershed coordinator Feb 09 2018 appeared first on Mill Creek Watershed Partnership.