Crying a river over the Brazos

Having been to Big Bend many a time, I appreciated very much Texas Observer's piece over the struggles of the Rio Grande.

I can now say the same as it's dropped the second piece over what is apparently going to be an occasional series over the struggles of Texas rivers, this the Brazos.

I've lived on the river (not right on it, but as in a town) in Marlin, and near it in Jacksboro and Navasota. I've also been out to Caprock Canyons and Palo Duro enough to see the upper Brazos plenty of times. 

The John Graves Scenic Riverway below Morris Sheppard Dam that creates PK Lake is nice. And draws many recreational users.

Per the story, its protected designation by the Lege was not forever but time limited, and expires in a few years. And, the pressures on it from population growth — pushes to build more dams, as the obvious factor, will only get worse.

But, that may not be the biggest pressure from population growth. Wastewater plant discharges could be bigger, as could be other pollutants.

As the story notes, the Brazos' major tributaries don't even have caps set for what is the Total Maximum Daily Load of pollutants. This includes rivers like the Leon and Lampasas. On the Brazos itself, Lake Alan Henry already has a mercury warning about fish.

The riverway also doesn't extend far enough. And, Texas has little in the way of state parks on the river, other than state/Corps of Engineers sites at lakes formed by damned dams. And, getting TCEQ to exist restrictions that are already in place?