HCC Conservation Forum

The virtual community meeting that will be hosted by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and U.S. Dept. of Justice on Tuesday, November 12 from 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM should offer a good opportunity to find out more about the most current and reliable sources of data regarding water quality in Cedar Bayou, Goose Creek, and other water bodies near Baytown following heavy rains. For more information and to register for the meeting, visit the website https://www.epa.gov/tx/virtual-community-meeting-baytown-texas-sanitary-sewer-overflows.  

Thanks, Tom. We paddle some of these waterways, including Goose Creek, Cedar Bayou, Burnet Bay, Scott Bay, Crystal Bay, and Tabbs Bay. Six or so years ago, HASK had a guest speaker from the Houston Galveston Area Council whose responsibility, was to gather, curate, and post water quality data from all sampling stations in the greater Houston area. We paddlers wanted to know how we could find and understand timely water quality data to help us avoid potentially unsafe water conditions prior to a trip. The lesson seemed to be that such an effort succeeds only sometimes because the data is not always fresh and water quality can change rapidly. He left us with a general rule of thumb that it is prudent to avoid locations for four or so days following heavy rainfall if those locations might be affected by pollution sources, such as sewage treatment plants, residential neighborhoods, pastures, etc. Of course, those locations are numerous and are not always recognizable. Still, I try to do that when I choose a paddling location. That said, I have not yet heard any paddler report illness due to contact with polluted water. But that doesn't mean it never happens.

What: Community Meeting Hosted by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and U.S. Dept. of Justice  

When: Tuesday, November 12, 2024 from 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM

Where: Virtual – see the link below

Places where we like to paddle can suffer when sewer systems overflow. On numerous occasions, sewage from the City of Baytown’s sewer system has spilled into waterways, including Black Duck Bay, Cedar Bayou, Tabbs Bay, Goose Creek, Cary Creek, Burnett Bay, Scott Bay and Spring Gully.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and U.S. Department of Justice will host a virtual meeting for the public to learn about the civil lawsuit against the City of Baytown, along with causes and reporting of these overflows. 

Attendees can speak with EPA and/or DOJ staff about related concerns and ask questions about the enforcement action against the City of Baytown.

For more information and to register for this free event, visit:

https://www.epa.gov/tx/virtual-community-meeting-baytown-texas-sanitary-sewer-overflows

View a video about these spills at:

https://abc13.com/baytown-sewege-backup-wastewaster-city-of-infrastructure-flooding/13235887/