The headwaters of Davidson Creek start in Milam County and then flow southeast through Burleson County before joining Yegua Creek downstream of Lake Somerville. The Davidson Creek watershed covers roughly 218 square miles of largely hay and pasture and mixed and deciduous forests land cover. The largest developed area in this watershed is centered on the city of Caldwell, while the rest of the watershed is primarily rural and undeveloped.
In 2018, the Texas Water Resources Institute (TWRI) received funding from the Texas State Soil and Water Conservation Board (TSSWCB) to collect water quality data at three sites along the creek monthly (Stations 11729, 21420, and 18349) and develop a characterization report in conjunction with two other creeks in the region. Two additional water quality monitoring projects were funded by the TSSWCB that extended through Fall of 2024. These water quality monitoring projects provided enough information to begin creating a watershed protection plan (WPP).
A WPP is a voluntary, stakeholder-driven plan to estimate point and nonpoint source pollution sources and strategize how to implement management measures to improve or prevent further pollution. TSSWCB provided funds to the TWRI to create and facilitate an WPP effort in the Spring of 2024 that will continue through the fall of 2026. The goal of this document is to outline a clear path for improving water quality and enhancing the resilience of the Davidson Creek ecosystem.
Currently, this segment still contains elevated bacteria concentrationsas well as depressed dissolved oxygen, according to the 2022 Texas Integrated Report of Surface Water Quality for the Clean Water Act Sections 305(b) and 303(d).
Through the WPP project, TWRI will update information regarding Davidson Creek watershed’s physical characteristics, water quality conditions, and potential pollutant causes and sources. Based on the updated information, TWRI will facilitate meetings with stakeholders to strategize suitable management measures to reduce bacteria loads in the creek.
