Official San Fernando and Petronila Creeks WPP now available:
San Fernando Creek begins in Jim Wells County, northeast of Alice, and flows approximately 44 miles downstream to Cayo de Grullo southeast of Kingsville. Its watershed covers approximately 1,270 square miles of predominantly rural land, and includes the cities of Alice and Kingsville. Since 2006, San Fernando Creek has been listed as impaired in the Texas Integrated Report for elevated bacteria. San Fernando Creek also has concerns for chlorophyll-a, total phosphorus, and depressed dissolved oxygen.
Petronila Creek begins in western Nueces County and flows approximately 44 miles downstream into Alazan Bay. The watershed covers 675 square miles of predominantly rural landscapes, although urban sprawl from Corpus Christi is beginning to impact the northeastern portion of the watershed. Since 2010, the tidal segment of Petronila Creek has been listed as impaired in the Texas Integrated Report for elevated bacteria, and has concerns for chlorophyll-a. The non-tidal segment of Petronila Creek was listed as impaired for elevated bacteria in 2016, and has concerns for chlorophyll-a, phosphorus, and depressed dissolved oxygen. Together with Los Olmos Creek, San Fernando and Petronila Creeks are the primary tributaries of Baffin Bay.
TWRI is conducting work on the following projects in the Baffin Watershed, in coordination with project partners:
Petronila and San Fernando Creeks WPP Implementation
Objectives:
- Facilitate the implementation activities outlined in the WPP
- Deliver educational programs and materials to stakeholders regarding strategies that can reduce non-point source pollution
- Maintain public engagement through meetings, mailings, and newsletters
- Collect additional water quality data to support future long-term evaluation of implementation effectiveness
Petronila and San Fernando Creeks WPP Implementation – On Site Sewage Facility Remediation Support
Objectives:
- Provide on-site sewage facility (OSSF) educational programming to homeowners in the Petronila Creek and San Fernando Creek watersheds
- Raise awareness of OSSF best practices though informational mailers
- Provide a limited number of OSSF pump outs and inspections that will help homeowners identify repair and replacement needs for their systems
- Supplement ongoing and complimentary efforts by partners and other groups to address failing OSSFs in the Baffin Bay watershed
