Jaime Flores appointed new Arroyo Colorado Watershed Coordinator
WESLACO -- Jaime Flores has been named the new watershed coordinator of the Arroyo Colorado in South Texas for Texas A&M AgriLife’s Texas Water Resources Institute, an official said. As watershed coordinator, Flores manages the activities of the Arroyo Colorado Watershed Partnership, said Cecilia Wagner, project manager for the institute.
(Media-Newswire.com) - WESLACO -- Jaime Flores has been named the new watershed coordinator of the Arroyo Colorado in South Texas for Texas A&M AgriLife’s Texas Water Resources Institute, an official said.
As watershed coordinator, Flores manages the activities of the Arroyo Colorado Watershed Partnership, said Cecilia Wagner, project manager for the institute.
“Mr. Flores will coordinate the steering committee and facilitate and track implementation measures described in the completed watershed protection plan for the Arroyo Colorado,” she said.
Wagner added that Flores will work to publicize and build awareness of watershed improvement efforts, provide outreach and education, and seek additional funding for implementation activities.
The Arroyo Colorado runs 90 miles from Mission to the Lower Laguna Madre adjacent to the Gulf Coast and is the primary source of fresh water to the Lower Laguna Madre, Wagner said.
The estuary found in the lower 25 miles of the Arroyo Colorado is an important nursery for many fish, crab and shrimp species, she added.
Both the Arroyo Colorado and the Laguna Madre are on the state’s list of impaired water bodies. The watershed protection plan was designed to restore the Arroyo Colorado and remove it from the list.
Flores has a bachelor’s degree in geology from Baylor University. For the past 15 years he has worked in the environmental industry, most recently with Geologic Drilling Inc.
Flores, an avid outdoorsman, said he felt honored to be working with the watershed steering committee and partnership, including some 700 area citizens and individuals representing federal, state and private organizations who helped develop the Arroyo’s protection plan.
“It’s amazing how many people volunteer so much of their time to help clean up the Arroyo Colorado,” Flores said. "Coordinating their efforts is truly a dream job for me. It’s exciting to be working with one of the state’s first completed plans to help preserve and restore our watershed, which is so important to the overall well-being of the rich and diverse ecology to be found here in South Texas."
Flores and his family live in La Feria, Tx. He replaces Laura de la Garza who recently took a position with a private environmental firm.
The Texas Water Resources Institute, an entity of Texas A&M AgriLife, administers the partnership with funding provided by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
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