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UGRA
Expands
Volunteer
River
Monitors Program
Kerrville
,
TX
,
February 25, 2004
– UGRA today announced that
it is expanding its Volunteer River Monitors Program.
Janet Robinson
, UGRA President, said: “Based on the success
of last year’s volunteer monitoring program, we are creating additional
opportunities for volunteers to contribute to the understanding and stewardship
of the Upper Guadalupe.” The
expanded Volunteer River Monitors Program will consist of three separate water
quality studies. According to UGRA
General Manager
Greg Etter
, “We are looking for
volunteers for all three studies.”
The first phase of the Volunteer River Monitors Program will
focus on springs and the seeps. These
springs and seeps are vital to the health of the Upper Guadalupe and provide the
base flow of the River. The study
will be initiated in early March. The
second study will focus on water quality at popular swimming holes over the
course of the swimming season. Etter
stated: “Last year, volunteers monitored fourteen popular swimming sites.
We’d like to add a good number of sites this year.”
The third study will sample numerous parameters throughout the length of
the Guadalupe as it flows through
Kerr
County
. This
sampling is designed to expand baseline data for numerous constituents important
to the well being of the River. The
sampling will take place during the summer months.
According to Etter, “The opportunity to participate in the “Springs
and Seeps” and “Length of River” monitoring are new this year.
The expanded Program will provide a wide variety of volunteer
opportunities, ranging from one-time, one-site sampling to participating in
sampling over the course of the study period.”
Anyone with a desire to participate in the UGRA Volunteer River Monitors
Program should contact
Charles Kneuper
or
Scott
Loveland
(830-896-5445).
The Program is open to individuals, groups, organizations and classes.
The UGRA Board also today reviewed UGRA’s continuing efforts to
provide the community with pertinent information relating to water resources.
UGRA’s educational efforts have three major components:
Understanding Water Resources; Water Safety; and On-Site Sewage
Facilities. Among other things, UGRA
is facilitating the use of the “Major Rivers” curriculum, which UGRA placed
in eight elementary schools last year. The
curriculum is designed to enhance understanding of the importance of water.
UGRA has also initiated a joint program with
Kerr
County
that is designed to
provide present and prospective property owners with relevant information about
on-site sewage facilities.
The Board
was also updated on the continued progress of the Kerrville South Wastewater
Project. This environmentally
beneficial project is a joint effort on the part of UGRA,
Kerr
County
, the City of
Kerrville
, Riverhill Country Club and the State of
Texas
. It
will replace aging septic systems in a densely populated area with a new sewer
system. Phase I of the Project is
nearly complete. The City of
Kerrville
will provide wastewater
treatment, facility maintenance and customer service.
According to Etter: “The arrangement with the City is a win-win deal.
It is structured to maximize efficiencies and avoid duplication, which is
in the best interest of our customers and the taxpayers.”
_____________________________________________________________________
UGRA
aspires to be respected for its efficient, responsive and forthright
stewardship of the
Upper
Guadalupe River and its tributaries.
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