Chet Edwards For Congress

June 25, 2005
Edwards Announced $5 Million For Bosque Clean-up

Waco Tribune Herald
By MATT JOYCE |Tribune-Herald staff writer

U.S. Rep. Chet Edwards on Friday announced his goal for a Bosque River watershed clean-up effort fueled by federal funding, which until now has been directed at studying the issue.

"It's important to study the water problems at Lake Waco, but I'm excited about moving forward in actually funding water projects," said Edwards, D-Waco.

Edwards said $5 million in recently authorized funding could go to a range of initiatives to improve the watershed and Lake Waco drinking water.

Possible projects include building wetlands along the North Bosque River, which would help filter out nutrients that contribute to excessive algae growth in Lake Waco, and making improvements to the Waco water treatment plant.

The U.S. House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee authorized the funding this week as part of the Water Resources Development Act. If passed by the House, the funding would then need to be attached to a spending bill, either in 2006 or 2007.

"Now that the initial authorization hurdle has been cleared, I will work closely with my colleagues on the appropriations committee to fund this important plan," Edwards said.

Under the authorization, funds would be distributed to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, which would coordinate the clean-up efforts with the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Natural Resource Conservation Service, local interest groups and Texas A&M University's Texas Water Resources Institute.

"This new authority is designed to allow stakeholders, farmers and cities alike, to kick the tires on innovative projects that have tangible results for everyone," Edwards said.

The authorization's short-term plan calls for identifying projects to address specific needs in the watershed, according to a news release. The plan's long-term goals call for maintaining environmental improvements, the development of a watershed agriculture council, and implementing four demonstration projects involving dairy producers, rural landowners and municipalities.