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New road signs denote Arroyo Colorado watershedTexas Ten new road signs have been installed throughout the Lower Rio Grande Valley, marking the boundaries of the Arroyo Colorado watershed, according to an official of Texas A&M AgriLife's Texas Water Resources Institute. Jaime Flores, the Arroyo Colorado watershed coordinator for the institute, said the distinctive blue and white signs are part of a campaign to reduce pollution of the 90-mile waterway. "The signs are part of an outreach and education effort to remind the public that they are in the watershed and any pollutants they release will end up in the Arroyo Colorado," Flores said. While the Rio Grande serves as the Valley's water source, the Arroyo is critical to drainage. Its watershed covers most of Hidalgo, Cameron and Willacy counties, home to about one million people, according to a 2006 census report. The Arroyo Colorado runs 90 miles from Mission to the Lower Laguna Madre, and both are on the state's list of impaired waters for high bacteria levels and low dissolved oxygen, Flores said. In early 2007, the institute's Arroyo Colorado Watershed Partnership, made up of about 700 stakeholders, completed and released a watershed protection plan to help restore and protect the Arroyo. Among its many recommendations are public education efforts. "Any pollutants that are released in this watershed area will likely end up in the Arroyo Colorado, which is the only fresh water source for our bay, the Laguna Madre, he said. "We want the public to be aware that when they dump motor oil into the ground or illegally dump trash into canals or drainage ditches, they are polluting the Arroyo Colorado and the Laguna Madre." Even small amounts of hydrocarbons, including oil and gasoline, can contaminate large amounts of water, Flores added. In addition to the signs installed by the partnership, several local cities are also installing signs to mark either the watershed boundary or an Arroyo Colorado crossing, he said. "The cities that will be installing their own signs include McAllen, Weslaco, Mission, Mercedes and Alton," Flores said. "The signs at storm drains or Arroyo Colorado crossings will be a little different. They will read, 'No Dumping, Drains to Laguna Madre.'" Major roadway entrances to the watershed that are already marked include FM 1015 north of Weslaco and State Highway 107 north of Mission. "It is our hope that these signs remind residents as well as those visiting our watershed that it is our responsibility to protect our local watershed," Flores said. The implementation of the Arroyo Colorado watershed protection plan is funded in part through a Clean Water Act 319(h) grant provided by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency through the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality. Texas A&M AgriLife's Texas Water Resource Institute administers the grant and the partnership. More information on the partnership and projects in the Arroyo is available at http://www.arroyocolorado.org. 12/8/08 Date: 12/2/08
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