The Texas Legislature created the Clean Rivers Program in 1991 when it passed the Texas Clean Rivers Act. Legislators’ goal was to push Texas towards comprehensive water planning and management to ensure the future quality of the water supply.
The state designated the Brazos River Authority as the lead agency to conduct water quality assessment and Clean Rivers Program (CRP) planning in the Brazos River watershed. Every one to three months, the Authority tests water for everything from temperature and salinity to dissolved solids and chemical contaminants at 150 to 200 sites.
If that data indicates there is a problem, officials could respond with a Watershed Protection Plan. A WPP is a means for the community to come together to discuss and plan ways to resolve water quality issues.
More severe issues might call for a government mandated Total Maximum Daily Load Program which limits the discharge of certain contaminants. An example of the program’s success can be found at Lake Aquilla, where officials worked with farmers to reduce levels of herbicide in the water.
More information on the Clean Rivers Program may be found by clicking here