UGRA Launches Trash Free River Initiative; will match clean-up dollars

Kerrville , TX , March 24, 2004 – The Upper Guadalupe River Authority today commenced a Trash Free River Initiative. Janet Robinson , UGRA President, said: “Trash negatively impacts the value of the Upper Guadalupe River . Our goal is to eliminate trash from the River.” The Initiative has four parts:

UGRA cleaning up low water crossings
UGRA matching dollars to clean up additional crossings
A River Clean-up Day
Building a partnership to comprehensively address trash

UGRA successfully initiated its River Clean-up Program in November 2003. The Program removes trash from four popular low water crossings. The following five sites will be added to the Program as part of the Trash Free River Initiative:

Mayhugh Crossing ( North Fork )
Seago Rd. (South Fork)
Indian Creek (Ingram)
Lemos St. ( Kerrville )
Government Crossing (Center Point)

UGRA is seeking sponsors to share the costs of expanding the River Clean-up Program beyond the nine low water crossings to be sponsored by UGRA. Annual sponsorships will cost between Two and Six Hundred Dollars. UGRA will match sponsor contributions, up to five new sites. Anyone interested in sponsorship should contact Scott Loveland at UGRA (896-5445).

UGRA has set Saturday, August 14^th for a volunteer river clean-up. The Alamo Area Council of the Boy Scouts of America has selected the clean-up to be a part of its “Good Turn for America ” program. UGRA General Manager Greg Etter said: “We are delighted to be working with the Boy Scouts, the nation’s leading collaborative organization in community service, on the River Clean-up Day.”

UGRA intends to cultivate a multi-party partnership to jointly develop a comprehensive county-wide plan to eliminate trash from in and around the River. It is anticipated that this plan will address prevention, including education, enforcement and capital projects, as well as restoration. According to Etter: “We’ll start by inviting interested parties, including local governments and non-governmental organizations, to sit down and discuss the problem and potential solutions.”

The UGRA Board also today heard reports on the status of a number of other projects, including the Kerrville South Wastewater Project and the Spring Flow Contribution Study.

The Kerrville South Wastewater Project is an environmentally beneficial project that will replace aging septic systems in a densely populated area with a new sewer system. The Project is a joint effort by Kerr County , the City of Kerrville , Riverhill Country Club, the State of Texas and UGRA. The Project is substantially complete, with a Ribbon Cutting scheduled for March 30^th.

The Spring Flow Contribution Study is an effort by the Plateau Regional Water Planning Group to gain a better understanding of the springs that feed the Upper Guadalupe River . UGRA has participated in developing the Study’s Scope of Work and is compiling existing data for inclusion in the Study. UGRA will also collect spring-flow data for the Study. Etter said: “In order to have sound policy relating to the Upper Guadalupe River , it is essential that an adequate knowledge base about the local aquifers be developed. A better understanding needs to be had of both the relationship of the aquifers to the River and the potential of the aquifers to support use. This Study is a good first step.”

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UGRA aspires to be respected for its efficient, responsive and forthright stewardship of the

Upper Guadalupe River and its tributaries.

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