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Nonprofit cites growing threats from development and pollution
BASTROP — As development surges downstream of Austin, local advocates say the health of the Lower Colorado River is under growing strain — and urgent action is needed to protect one of Bastrop County’s most vital resources.
Environmental Stewardship, a nonprofit watchdog group, reports that declining water quality is putting recreation, wells and municipal supplies at risk.
“As more pollutants, silt and wastewater are added to the river, one thing is clear — we no longer enjoy that status,” said Steve Box, executive director of Environmental Stewardship. “The state has failed to protect the water quality and aquatic life we once enjoyed.”
Founded in 2007, the organization has challenged state regulators on water monitoring and wastewater permitting, aiming to preserve the river’s ecological health amid the county’s rapid growth. Since becoming a Waterkeeper Affiliate in 2016, its mission has expanded to include aquifers, bays and estuaries along the Texas Gulf Coast.
Monitoring results have revealed the river’s slip from its previously exceptional status, a shift that organizers said demands community attention.
“The river is what drew many of us to this area and we owe Environmental Stewardship a big thanks for its dedicated work over the years,” said nonprofit member Chap Ambrose.
Under Box’s leadership, the group and its partners have worked to limit activities that threaten the river. Their efforts include persuading an industrial user to connect to the city’s wastewater system rather than build a plant that would discharge directly into the river, increasing oversight of sand and gravel mining operations and challenging a permit that would allow up to 500,000 gallons of treated wastewater to flow daily through a nature preserve.
“These challenges are mostly won in government hearings that require Environmental Stewardship to hire the best lawyers and environmental experts to prove its case,” Box added.
To support its legal and scientific efforts, the organization will host a fundraiser Wednesday, April 17, from 7-9 p.m. at Neighbor’s Kitchen and Yard, 601 Chestnut St. The event will feature live music, a silent auction and entries from its river photography contest, highlighting the Colorado’s natural beauty.
Attendees will have the opportunity to learn more about the nonprofit’s advocacy and connect with others dedicated to protecting the region’s waterways.
