Texas Stream Team

Texas Stream Team (TST) is a joint collaboration of The Meadows Center for Water and the Environment at Texas State University, the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, and US Environmental Protection Agency. TST coordinates a network of partner organizations and trained volunteers, termed citizen scientists, to conduct water quality monitoring at assigned sites on their local lakes, rivers, streams, and estuaries across the state. Citizen scientists currently monitor 105 quality sites in the North Texas region.

The citizen scientist program seeks to increase public knowledge of water quality issues and non-point source pollution across the state through water quality monitoring, data collection and analysis, and related educational programs. The information collected by citizen scientists is submitted to a database containing 23 years of data on hundreds of sampling sites maintained by The Meadows Center for Water and the Environment.

TST will continue to expand and strengthening their statewide citizen science network by working with partners and established groups; creating partner networks and citizen scientist groups; expanding the role of citizen scientists in Texas, and training the public, students, volunteers, and resource managers about water quality, non-point source pollution, and watersheds.

Leadership Partners coordinate their own monitoring and education programs using the Texas Stream Team Program's standardized protocols and environmental education tools. A Leadership Partner may work with a network of Patron and Donor Partners to fully support its group. Texas Stream Team staff may assist Leadership Partners in writing grants to secure extra funding and loan out training materials whenever necessary. Leadership Partner is the typical role for Municipalities who wish to be part of the TST partnership program.

Educational Partners utilize Texas Stream Team's Education and Outreach materials and curriculum for purposes that may include:
  • Incorporating TST water quality monitoring as part of their educational activities
  • Utilizing TST/environmental educational curriculum, but not necessarily employing active water quality monitoring as part of their educational activities.
More information about educational opportunities with Texas Stream Team can be found here.

Patron Partners contribute funds as a one-time contribution or as on-going support to maintain program activities. These contributions may be provided to assist smaller groups, facilitate watershed monitoring efforts, or to fund general Texas Stream Team activities and support such as routine monitoring and training sessions, technical assistance, and education and outreach.
Supporting Partners contribute in-kind services to an existing network of partners and citizen scientists. These services might include laboratory services, data management resources, or organizational staff to provide field or training support.

Benefits of Partnership
  • Recognition on the Texas Stream Team website and social media 
  • Recognition at Texas Stream Team Regional and Statewide meetings 
  • Technical assistance in implementing citizen monitoring and education activities 
  • Outreach materials and NPS watershed model for distribution upon request 
  • Ability to extend professional monitoring resources by utilizing supplemental data 
  • USEPA-approved certification of partner and volunteer participants as Texas Stream Team Citizen Scientists, Instructors, Quality Assurance Officers 
  • Online dataviewer with analysis functions (2011) 
  • Customized data reports and datasets 
  • Provide technical staff training/technical assistance with water quality issues 
  • Support education and outreach activities – Staff training, curriculum (develop and usage), events (travel reimbursement may be necessary) 
  • Professional networking opportunities 
  • Building stakeholder involvement through monitoring 
  • Watershed Protection Plan stakeholder recruitment and coordination 
  • Implementation of monitoring plans/water quality improvement plans 
    • Can include MS4, TMDL, WPP initiatives 
    • Supplemental water quality data 
  • Collaborative grant writing and fundraising 
  • Materials and content for customer/client/community outreach

Partner Support
To apply to be partner, fill out the application form and send it by email to txstreamteam@txstate.edu or mail to:
Texas Stream Team
Ivey-Moore House – Texas State University
601 University Drive
San Marcos, TX 78666
Partner planning assistance documents, training documents, field guides, and reporting forms can be found here.
If you have questions about becoming a partner or other partner support needs, please contact Michael Jones at mj1226@txstate.edu or call 512-245-1346.

Anyone with a desire to monitor water quality or learn more about the natural resources in Texas can be involved. Volunteers monitor a wide variety of habitats from rivers, creeks, ponds, and lakes to bays, bayous, and estuaries. Volunteers range from school age to senior citizens, from individuals to organized groups like Master Naturalists.

Texas Stream Team citizen scientists are certified by completing a three phase training course using a test kit that measures physical and chemical parameters of water.

Participation in the program includes these commitments:

  • one-year commitment to monitor at least one location,
  • monitor their site(s) monthly at approximately the same time of day each month. Monitoring takes approximately one to two hours.

In order to collect quality-assured data, citizen scientists are asked to attend two quality-control sessions in the first year and one session per year thereafter.

To become connected with your local partner, contact Texas Stream Team at txstreamteam@txstate.edu or (512) 245-1346.

Citizen scientists from each partner organization collect data on various water quality parameters to assist communities, government agencies, businesses and industries, and educational organizations in promoting informed natural resource management decisions.

  • Water and Air temperature
  • pH
  • Dissolved Oxygen
  • Total Dissolved Solids and Conductivity
  • Water Clarity
  • Field Observations

TST citizen scientists with advanced training can collect data on additional water quality parameters, such as:

  • E. Coli bacteria
  • Nitrate-Nitrogen
  • Orthophosphates
  • Water Turbidity
  • Streamflow calculations

Training Events for North Central Texas


This is a 2-part training. Both nights are mandatory. 
Dates, times, and locations:
- Wednesday, May 23, 2018 5:30pm-8:30pm; Grapevine Municipal Service Center (501 Shady Brook Drive, Grapevine 76051)
- Wednesday, May 30, 2018 5:30pm-8:30pm; Parr Park Rotary Pavilion (3010 Parr Ln Grapevine, 76051)
What: Texas Stream Team Core Training
Trainers: Betsy Marsh, bmarsh@grapevinetexas.gov; Hannah Nyquist hnyquist@grapevinetexas.gov
Directions: https://gograpevine.com/listing/parr-park-rotary-pavilion/

Description: Space is limited. Please email hnyquist@grapevinetexas.gov to reserve your spot. Session one of the training will be indoors. Session 2 will be outside so come dresses for the weather and to be near water. Please bring a water bottle and a snack.

The training manual can be downloaded for review at: http://www.meadowscenter.txstate.edu/Service/TexasStreamTeam/citizenscientists/forms.html

Date: Saturday, April 7, 2018
Time: 8:15 a.m. - 3:30 p.m.
What: Texas Stream Team Core Training
Trainer: Christopher Morris, christopher.morris@dallascityhall.com
Where: Trinity River Audubon Center, Wet Lab #1
Address: 6500 Great Trinity Forest Way (Formerly S. Loop 12), 75217
Directions: http://trinityriver.audubon.org/visit-us
Description: Space is limited. Please email christopher.morris@dallascityhall.com to reserve your spot. Lunch will be from 12-1 p.m. Bringing a sack lunch is advisable as food options are limited near Hwy 175. All required materials will be provided.
The training manual can be downloaded for review at: http://www.meadowscenter.txstate.edu/Service/TexasStreamTeam/citizenscientists/forms.html
 

Date: Saturday, March 31, 2018
Time: 10:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.
What: Texas Stream Team Core Training
Trainer: Betsy Marsh, bmarsh@grapevinetexas.gov; Hannah Nyquist hnyquist@grapevinetexas.gov
Where: Parr Park Rotary Pavilion
Address: 6500 Great Trinity Forest Way (Formerly S. Loop 12), 75217
Directions: https://gograpevine.com/listing/parr-park-rotary-pavilion/
Description: Space is limited. Please email bmarsh@grapevinetexas.gov to reserve your spot. Please bring a packed lunch, water, and snacks. Come dressed for the weather. All Required materials will be provided.
The training manual can be downloaded for review at: http://www.meadowscenter.txstate.edu/Service/TexasStreamTeam/citizenscientists/forms.html

Date: Saturday, January 13, 2018
Time: 8:15 a.m. - 3:30 p.m.
What: Texas Stream Team Core Training
Trainer: Christopher Morris, christopher.morris@dallascityhall.com
Where: Trinity River Audubon Center, Wet Lab #1
Address: 6500 Great Trinity Forest Way (Formerly S. Loop 12), 75217
Directions: http://trinityriver.audubon.org/about/hours-fees-directions
Description: Space is limited. Please email christopher.morris@dallascityhall.com to reserve your spot. Lunch will be from 12-1 p.m. Bringing a sack lunch is advisable as food options are limited near Hwy 175.
The training manual can be downloaded for review at: http://www.meadowscenter.txstate.edu/Service/TexasStreamTeam/citizenscientists/forms.html

Date: Sat Oct 14 2017
Time: 8:15 a.m. - 3:30 p.m.
What: Texas Stream Team Core Training
Trainer: Christopher Morris, christopher.morris@dallascityhall.com
Where: Trinity River Audubon Center, Wet Lab #1
Address: 6500 Great Trinity Forest Way (Formerly S. Loop 12), 75217
Directions: http://trinityriver.audubon.org/visit-us
Description: Space is LIMITED so confirmation is needed: christopher.morris@dallascityhall.com. Lunch will be 12-1, bring a sack lunch.
The training manual can be downloaded for review at: http://www.meadowscenter.txstate.edu/Service/TexasStreamTeam/citizenscientists/forms.html

TST's equipment information, including supplier options and prices can be found here. Each partner is responsible for maintaining the tools and chemicals in their monitoring kits.
Texas Stream Team Supplies and Equipment
Volunteers can submit their data to the Texas Stream Team program directly or through their designated TST Partner organization. All monitoring forms are reviewed upon entry to assure the data meets the requirements set by an approved Quality Assurance Protection Plan (QAPP).
All data that meets the requirements of the QAPP are sent to the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) database to be used as a supplement to professionally collected data. The TCEQ uses of approved Texas Stream Team data include:
  • Comparison with water quality standards
  • Trend analyses
  • Identifying water quality conditions and concerns requiring TCEQ action
  • Use as baseline information in the Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) development process

All Texas Stream Team volunteer data are available to the public via the Dataviewer. 
July 25, 2018
Texas Stream Team - Train The Trainer Workshop

This workshop covered core water sampling methods and training procedures for new Citizen Scientists. The workshop was instructed by Chris Morris from the City of Dallas and Michael Jones from the Meadows Center for Water and the Environment.
March 6, 2018
Texas Stream Team Workshop
The Texas Stream Team Workshop addressed the barriers faced by prospective partners, offered guidance to partners seeking to re-establish their Citizen Scientist program, and gathered feedback from active partners. Attendees had the opportunity to ask questions directly to Texas Stream Team management, gather insight from current partners, and discuss opportunities for collaboration and growth in the North Central Texas area. Speakers included Michael Jones, Water Resource Specialist at the Meadows Center for Water and the Environment, Christopher Morris, Environmental Coordinator II at the City of Dallas, and Carolyn Russell, Stormwater Specialist at the City of Plano.
Organization Location Name Email Phone
City of Dallas Dallas Christopher Morris christopher.morris@dallascityhall.com  214-948-4232
City of Denton Denton Matthew Hendrix Matthew.Hendrix@cityofdenton.com  940-349-8203
City of Fort Worth/Nature Center & Refuge Fort Worth Michael Perez Michael.Perez@fortworthtexas.gov  817-392-7414
City of Grand Prairie Grand Prairie Echo Rexroad ERexroad@gptx.org  972-237-8082
City of Grapevine Grapevine Betsy Marsh bmarsh@grapevinetexas.gov 817-410-3071
City of Irving Irving Amber Nelson anelson@cityofirving.org  972-721-4760
City of Plano Plano Carolyn Russell
Heather Firn		 carolynr@plano.gov 
heatherf@plano.gov 		 972-941-5285
Aquatic Alliance Dallas Richard Grayson rhg500@gmail.com 214-733-4140
John Bunker Sands Wetland Center Seagoville John Defillipo jdefillipo@wetlandcenter.com  972-474-9100
Perot Museum Dallas Jessica Crowley Jessica.Crowley@perotmuseum.org  214-428-5555
Town of Flower Mound Flower Mound Matthew Green Matthew.Green@flower-mound.com  972-874-6354