Participating in TMDL Projects
We believe the best decisions are made by people closest to the source. Local stakeholders, who live and work in the watershed area, raise families and run businesses there, and know care about the watershed's future most are the best people to include in the process of cleaning up local water bodies.
Who Participates
We call these people stakeholders. They are individuals, organizations, and communities. They represent government, agriculture, business, environmental and community groups, and themselves.
It is these stakeholders who decide what happens in their communities and their state. By participating in the key decisions made during development of TMDLs and implementation plans, stakeholders have the opportunity to provide critical information and perspective about their watersheds. Because ultimately, it is stakeholders who implement the plans to clean up their rivers, lakes, and bays.
Participating in governmental decisions requires you to commit time and resources. This commitment is as important to the success of improving water quality as the technical aspects of a project. We ask you to sustain that commitment over several years, because it is difficult to predict how long it will take for all parties to agree on restoration plans and then to improve water quality.
How to Get Involved
TCEQ works with stakeholders primarily at the public meetings of community stakeholder groups, which are open to everyone. The TMDL Team works with local organizations and government agencies to identify and involve appropriate stakeholders in a particular project. TCEQ also uses notices in print and electronic media to let people know about projects in their area. Meetings are ordinarily held in the watershed and are designed to support collaborative decision-making that engages stakeholders in deciding how to improve water quality. To find a project in your area of interest, see Projects of the TMDL Program.
Find a current group by choosing an individual current project, and check out the "Get Involved" section to learn more.
We publish information about meetings, along with links to the stakeholders' website (if applicable), on our project pages and our TMDL News page.
Contact the TMDL Program
To find out more about getting involved in projects, browse our Projects of the TMDL Program to find out about projects in your area. Email us at tmdl@tceq.texas.gov, or call 512-239-6682.
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