The Angelina & Neches River Authority (ANRA) will host its annual Texas Clean Rivers Program Steering Committee Meeting at 1:00 p.m. on July 30, 2024, at the Texas Forestry Association, located at 1903 Atkinson Drive, in Lufkin. An online option will be available to those unable to attend in-person.
The meeting will feature presentations from ANRA staff, Texas Water Resource Institute staff, Keep Nacogdoches Beautiful Director, Ashley Villarreal, Texas Conservation Alliance Community Conservation Coordinator, Jose Lopez, The Citizen Nac Building and Booking Manager, Sam Hernandez, and Independent Filmmaker, Curtis Craven.
ANRA’s Clean Rivers Program Coordinator, Andrew Henry, said, “This meeting is a chance for the public to get involved and voice their concerns about water quality in our basin and learn about what we’ve been doing, where, and what is planned for the future.”
Attendees will have opportunities to ask questions, discuss water quality issues and potential solutions, and learn about ways that they can further become involved in decision-making, regarding these issues and solutions.
“Without stakeholder (public) input, ANRA must decide which watersheds to prioritize and conduct work in, and while we do our best to ensure we monitor and remediate the areas in our basin with the greatest need first, this has a possibility of not aligning with the priorities of the public. With stakeholder input, we can prioritize areas the public wants to see action in. Our stakeholders have the ability to steer ANRA toward water quality improvement projects they want to see done,” Henry said.
The Texas Clean Rivers Act of 1991 was enacted by the Texas State Legislature to ensure the comprehensive regional assessment of water quality in each river basin through a local, watershed-based approach. As a partner in the Texas Clean Rivers Program (CRP), the Angelina & Neches River Authority is the lead agency for regional water quality assessments in the Upper and Middle Neches River Basin Study Area.
The goal of the Clean Rivers Program is to maintain and improve the quality of water resources within each river basin in Texas through an ongoing partnership involving the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ), other agencies, river authorities, regional entities, local governments, industries and citizens. Long-term goals, include: provide quality-assured data to the TCEQ for use in water quality decision-making, identify and evaluate water quality issues, promote cooperative watershed planning, inform and engage stakeholders, maintain efficient use of public funds, and adapt the program to emerging water quality issues.
The program’s watershed management approach is designed to identify and evaluate water quality issues, establish priorities for corrective action, work to implement those actions, and adapt to changing priorities.
Visit www.anra.org for more information about ANRA’s partnership with the Texas Clean River Program and water quality information in the Neches River Basin.
For more information about the meeting, call (936) 632-7795 or email ahenry@anra.org.
To join the meeting virtually, please use the Microsoft Teams link below.
Meeting ID: 231 605 367 943
Passcode: tmdpyc
The 24th Annual Neches River Rendezvous, which was scheduled to be held on May 18, 2024, has been cancelled due to unsafe river conditions. The Neches River Rendezvous is a family-friendly 10-mile paddling adventure down the Neches River.
This is the first year that the Angelina & Neches River Authority was scheduled to host the event. It was previously hosted by the Lufkin/Angelina County Chamber of Commerce. Held for the first time in 1997, it quickly became a popular annual event, with up to 300 people participating, however, due to Covid-19, weather conditions, and supply chain issues, the event had not been held since 2018.
“With unpredictable weather patterns in East Texas, it’s tricky trying to schedule a date for an event of this nature. There’s a short window of opportunity to host this event between weather extremes, flooding events and high heat indexes, so timing this event has proven to be challenging. By the time river conditions improve to a safe level, it will likely be too hot to hold the event, especially since most participants are novice paddlers,” Kelley Holcomb, the Authority’s general manager said. “While we are disappointed that we have to cancel the event in our first year, safety is our first priority.”
At the time of this release, the National Weather Service Advanced Hydrologic Prediction Services indicated that it could be weeks before river depth and discharge velocities decrease to safe enough levels for recreational activity. Both the event launch area, the Neches River at Anderson Crossing, between Houston and Cherokee counties, and the takeout area, the Neches River at Highway 7, in Angelina County are experiencing discharges of 20,200 cfs (cubic feet per second).
To put that into perspective, between the launch and takeout areas, the river is flowing at about 151,096 gallons per second. While there is not a river gauge at Anderson Crossing, the gauge at the Neches River at Highway 7, shows a depth of about 27 feet. While this location has limited historical data since it is a new gauge, the upstream gauge near Alto and the downstream gauge near Diboll, indicate major and minor flooding. The Alto gauge indicates a depth of 20.2 feet and rising. The record crest for this location is 28 feet in 1884. The Diboll gauge indicates 16.4 feet and rising. The record crest for this location is 21 feet.
The river is more than ½ mile out of its banks in some areas and has washed out the county roads leading to Anderson Crossing. In addition to high water levels and fast-moving currents, even getting to the river may prove to be difficult for quite some time until county officials can make repairs.
The Authority would like to thank all of the event sponsors, supporters, volunteers, and participants. First, Platinum Sponsor, Stella-Jones, Gold Sponsors; Kyncey Developments, LLC, Lufkin Gears, and Soil Therapy Compost; Silver Sponsor, Texas Conservation Alliance; Bronze Sponsors, Cadence Bank and Hackberry Bunkhouse and Kayak Rentals; Rendezvous Crew Sponsors, Sarabella’s Jewelry, Texas Conservation Alliance, River Bottom Cap Company, and the Law Office of Maira F. Carrillo, PLLC; and in-kind sponsors, Brookshire Brothers, Millenia Water & Ice, Mudbelly Outdoor Supply, Railblaza, and Visit Lufkin. Additional support is appreciated from Classic Country Willy 103.3, Lufkin/Angelina County Chamber of Commerce, Texas Master Naturalist – Longleaf Ridge Chapter, Dos Amigos Taco Truck, I’ve Got Your Dog, Heaven’s Rita, B&T Vans and Shuttles, Real Graphics, Keep Nacogdoches Beautiful, and Angelina Beautiful/Clean.
The Authority would also like to thank the more than 140 volunteers that signed up to help with the event. “The eagerness we have seen from individuals in the community to help bring this event back has been absolutely astonishing and we cannot thank our volunteers enough for all the work they have put into the Rendezvous already, as well as the time and effort they were willing to give to make the Rendezvous happen on Saturday. It would’ve been an amazing event because of their volunteer spirit and I’m optimistic that next year will be the best Rendezvous yet,” Kimberly Wagner, the Authority’s communications director, said. Special appreciation goes out to the following local entities and volunteer organizations: International Paper’s North Boggy Slough, Deep East Texas Amateur Radio Club, Houston County EMS, Hudson Fire Department Search & Rescue Team, Five Rivers District – Boy Scouts of America, and Trail Life USA, Troop 1807.
Event registration maxed out with a total of 151 individual paddlers expected to launch in more than 100 kayaks and canoes on the river. “The enthusiasm for the comeback of this event was clear and while we are severely disappointed to have to cancel the event, we’re already making big plans for next year, so we encourage the public to stay tuned and follow us on social media,” Wagner said.
Registration fees and rental fees will be refunded to participants within the next 30 days. Participants and volunteers are also encouraged to come by the Authority’s office, located at 2901 N John Redditt Drive, in Lufkin, to pick up their t-shirts and goody bags – filled with great items from Rendezvous sponsors. Those that live out of town can contact the Authority if they would like to have their goody bag mailed to them. The Authority’s office is open Monday through Friday, from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
“All is not lost, even in cancelling the event. We’ve still been able to bring a lot of recreational and conservation awareness to the public’s attention and that’s the mission of the Rendezvous – awareness of what we have to lose if we don’t take care of our most important and beautiful natural resource – our rivers,” Wagner said. Once river conditions improve, for those who still want to enjoy a day on the river, contact one of the following East Texas area outfitters: Hackberry Bunkhouse and Kayak Rentals, Lake Livingston Kayak Adventures, and Tack-a-Paw Expeditions.
For more information, call the Authority’s Central Office Facility at (936) 632-7795, email recreation@anra.org, visit https://www.anra.org/conservatio…/neches-river-rendezvous/ , or find both the Authority and the Rendezvous’ event pages on Facebook.
Registration for the 24th Annual Neches River Rendezvous is now live!
To register, please use the following link: https://www.anra.org/conservation-recreation/neches-river-rendezvous/participant-information/
Registration for the 24th Annual Neches River Rendezvous will open on Monday, March 18th. The Neches River Rendezvous is a fun and family-friendly 10-mile paddling adventure down the Neches River and will be held on May 18, 2024.
This is the first year that the Angelina & Neches River Authority will host the event. It was previously hosted by the Lufkin/Angelina County Chamber of Commerce beginning in 1997, and it quickly became a popular annual event, with up to 300 people participating, however, due to Covid-19, weather conditions, and supply chain issues, the event has not been held the past five years.
The Rendezvous will be limited to 100 paddlers for the first year that the Authority hosts the event in 2024, but depending on the available supply of vans, trailers, kayaks, and canoe rentals needed for the event to be successful, the Authority hopes to increase the number of participants back to 300 paddlers within the next few years.
On the day of the event, paddlers will park at International Paper’s North Boggy Slough Conservation Area and will then be shuttled upriver, where volunteers will assist them in launching their kayaks and canoes in the river. There will be four staggered launch times to avoid overcrowding.
After a leisurely 3-4 hours paddling the river, paddlers will end their journey at the Highway 7 bridge, next to Hackberry Bunkhouse & Kayak Rentals, where they will be assisted out of the river and then shuttled back to North Boggy Slough, where they can purchase a meal from one of several food trucks that will be on-site.
No experience is needed to participate in the event, however, anyone under the age of 18, must have a legal guardian present. Since safety is the top priority of the event, life jackets must be worn by all paddlers. Paddlers must provide their own life jackets. A multitude of local organizations will assist with logistics and safety during the event, including the Deep East Texas Amateur Radio Club, Hudson Search & Rescue, Houston County EMS, Boy Scouts of America, and Trail Life USA.
The Authority is still seeking volunteers and sponsors for the event. A volunteer guide and a sponsor information packet can both be found on the Authority’s website.
Early bird registration begins Monday, March 18th and ends Friday, April 19th. Late registration begins on Saturday, April 19 and ends on Friday, May 3rd. Registration is based on a first-come, first-served basis. Paddlers are highly encouraged to register online, but paper registration forms can be downloaded from ANRA’s website or picked up at ANRA’s office at 2901 N John Redditt Drive, in Lufkin, Texas. Forms and registration fees can be submitted via mail or at ANRA’s office.
For more information, call the Authority’s Central Office Facility at (936) 632-7795, email recreation@anra.org, visit https://www.anra.org/conservation-recreation/neches-river-rendezvous/ , or find both the Authority and the Rendezvous’ event pages on Facebook.
ANGELINA AND NECHES RIVER AUTHORITY
INDUSTRIAL DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION
Notice is hereby given of a public hearing to be held on August 22, 2023, at 8:00 o’clock a.m., at the Angelina and Neches River Authority Administrative Office, 2901 N. John Redditt Drive, Lufkin, Texas, with respect to a plan of finance for multiple facilities located at or adjacent to 2001 Kurth Drive, Lufkin, Angelina County, Texas 75901, which facilities include solid waste disposal facilities and may also include sewage treatment and sewage disposal facilities (the “Project”). The Project is currently owned by Jefferson Enterprise Energy, LLC, a Texas limited liability company (the “Borrower”). The facilities proposed to be financed include the revitalizing of the Aspen Power Plant, an electrical power generation facility that uses solid waste such as wood and other agricultural waste to drive steam generators (the “Power Plant”). The Borrower is developing the Project as a renewable fiber complex in Lufkin, Texas, to produce “green” products using renewable energy. The Project includes the Power Plant and a waste-to-pulp pulp mill (the “Pulp Mill”). The Pulp Mill is designed to convert agricultural waste, including wood waste, vegetative waste products (“biomass”), excess sugar cane bagasse (“bagasse”) or energy sorghum into bleached, bone-dry pulp fiber. The Company anticipates that the Pulp Mill will produce 146,000 tons per year of pulp fiber meeting the quality specifications for use in manufacturing products such as paper towels, paper plates, napkins, paper cups, fiber containers and similar products. In addition, it is anticipated that a black liquor co-product could be produced at the Pulp Mill that may be thermochemically converted to sodium carbonate (Na2CO3) pellets for sale to the glass and soap manufacturing markets. The Pulp Mill will be powered by electricity from the Power Plant to produce a pulp that can be used to manufacture products such as paper towels, paper plates, napkins, paper cups, and other products. The Project may also include facilities for the treating of sewage and the development of a specialty chemicals plant using electricity from the Power Plant along with waste brine water to produce sodium chlorate and other co-products.
The plan of finance will include the issuance from time to time of one or more series of bonds in an aggregate principal amount not to exceed $250,000,000 (the “Bonds”), which may include refundings thereof, by the Angelina and Neches River Authority Industrial Development Corporation (the “Issuer”). Proceeds of the Bonds will be loaned to the Borrower or an affiliate thereof to finance or refinance the Project, including but not limited to, financing the costs of acquiring, constructing, rehabilitating, developing, improving and equipping capital improvements, equipment, land and infrastructure and pay related financing costs and to finance capitalized interest and working capital for the Borrower for the Project.
The Borrower, Jefferson Enterprise Energy, LLC, is a Texas limited liability company and is the current owner and operator(s) of the Project. The Borrower’s headquarters are currently located at 9595 Six Pines Drive, Suite 6370, The Woodlands, TX 77380.
The maximum aggregate face amount of the Bonds to be issued in more or more series pursuant to such plan of financing is $250,000,000. Such plan of financing is an addition to the outstanding bonds already issued by the Issuer for this Project, the proceeds of which have been loaned by the Issuer to the Borrower, and which outstanding bonds include the Issuer’s (i) $22,000,000 Solid Waste Disposal and Wastewater Treatment Facilities Revenue Bonds (Jefferson Enterprise Energy, LLC Project), Series 2020 Bonds, (ii) $35,000,000 Solid Waste Disposal and Wastewater Treatment Facilities Revenue Bonds (Jefferson Enterprise Energy, LLC Project), Series 2021A Bonds, (iii) $30,000,000 Solid Waste Disposal and Wastewater Treatment Facilities Revenue Bonds (Jefferson Enterprise Energy, LLC Project), Series 2021B-1 Bonds and (iv) $35,000,000 Solid Waste Disposal and Wastewater Treatment Facilities Revenue Bonds (Jefferson Enterprise Energy, LLC Project), Series 2021B-2 Bonds.
The public hearing will be conducted by Kelley Holcomb, who is a director and officer of the Issuer, or by an authorized representative and hearing officer appointed by Kelley Holcomb.
All interested persons are invited to attend such public hearing to express their views with respect to the issuance of the Bonds and with respect to the nature and location of Project. Questions or requests for additional information may be directed to attorney Lance Fox, Creighton, Fox, Johnson & Mills, PLLC, bond counsel for the Issuer, at 3535 Calder Avenue, Suite 310, Beaumont, Texas 77706, telephone 409-833-0062, fax 409-833-0084, or e-mail lcf@cfjmlaw.com.
Any interested persons unable to attend the hearing may submit their views in writing prior to the hearing to Lance Fox at the address, fax or email stated above or alternatively to the Issuer, Angelina and Neches River Authority Industrial Development Corporation, Attention: Kelley Holcomb, General Manager, 2901 N. John Redditt Drive, Lufkin, TX 75904; Telephone: (936) 632-7795; Fax: (936) 632-2564; Email: kholcomb@anra.org.
This notice is published and the hearing is to be held in satisfaction of the requirements of Section 147(f) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended.
The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) has made available for public comment the Implementation Plan (I-Plan) for five draft Total Maximum Daily Loads (TMDLs) for indicator bacteria in Hillebrandt Bayou and Neches River Tidal, of the Neches-Trinity Coastal Basin and Neches River Basin, in Jasper, Orange, and Jefferson counties.
The purpose of the meeting is to provide the public an opportunity to comment on the draft I-Plan for five assessment units: 0601_01, 0601_02, 0601_03, 0601_04 and 0704_02.
After the public comment period, staff may make appropriate changes to the proposed I-Plan and will respond to public comments. Following the public comment period, the TMDL Program will request that the Commission consider approval of the final I-Plan. Upon approval, the final I-Plan and a response to all comments received will be made available on TCEQ’s website. The I-Plan, combined with the TMDL, provides local, regional, and state organizations with a comprehensive strategy for improving and maintaining water quality in an impaired watershed.
The public meeting for the draft I-Plan will be held at Jefferson County Extension Office, 1225 Pearl St, Ste 200, Beaumont, Texas 77701-3642 on February 28, 2023, at 6:00 p.m.
Meeting-related updates and documents are available on the project websites for Hillebrandt Bayou and Neches River Tidal.
During this meeting, individuals will have the opportunity to present oral statements. An agency staff member will give a brief presentation at the start of the meeting and will be available to answer questions before and after all oral statements have been received.
Written comments on the draft I-Plan may be submitted to Nicole Reed, Water Quality Planning Division, Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, MC 203, P.O. Box 13087, Austin, Texas, 78711-3087 or faxed to fax4808@tceq.texas.gov Electronic comments may be submitted at: https://tceq.commentinput.com/
All written comments must be received at TCEQ by midnight on March 14, 2023, and should reference Implementation Plan for five Total Maximum Daily Loads for Indicator Bacteria in Hillebrandt Bayou and Neches River Tidal.
For further information regarding the draft I-Plan, please contact Nicole Reed at Nicole.Reed@tceq.texas.gov
The draft I-Plan can be obtained via TCEQ’s website for each project at https://www.tceq.texas.gov/…/118-hillebrandtbayou-bacteria and https://www.tceq.texas.gov/…/nav/118-nechestidal-bacteria
The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) has made available for public comment the Implementation Plan (I-Plan) for four draft Total Maximum Daily Loads (TMDLs) for indicator bacteria in Tributaries of the Neches River below Lake Palestine, of the Neches River Basin, in Angelina County.
The purpose of the meeting is to provide the public an opportunity to comment on the draft I-Plan for four assessment units: 0604A_02, 0604B_01, 0604C_01, and 0604M_03.
After the public comment period, staff may make appropriate changes to the proposed I-Plan and will respond to public comments. Following the public comment period, the TMDL Program will request that the Commission consider approval of the final I-Plan. Upon approval, the final I-Plan and a response to all comments received will be made available on TCEQ’s website. The I-Plan, combined with the TMDL, provides local, regional, and state organizations with a comprehensive strategy for improving and maintaining water quality in an impaired watershed.
The public meeting for the draft I-Plan will be held at the Angelina County Extension Office, 2201 S Medford Dr., Lufkin, Texas 75901 on February 27, 2023, at 6:00 p.m.
Meeting-related updates and documents are available on the project website at:
https://www.tceq.texas.gov/…/118-lufkinwatersheds-bacteria
Written comments on the draft TMDLs may be submitted to Nicole Reed, Water Quality Planning Division, Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, MC 203, P.O. Box 13087, Austin, Texas, 78711-3087 or faxed to fax4808@tceq.texas.gov.
Electronic comments may be submitted at: https://tceq.commentinput.com/
All written comments must be received at TCEQ by midnight on March 14, 2023, and should reference: Implementation Plan for four Total Maximum Daily Loads for Indicator Bacteria in Tributaries of the Neches River below Lake Palestine.
For further information regarding the draft I-Plan, please contact Nicole Reed at Nicole.Reed@tceq.texas.gov. The draft I-Plan can be obtained via TCEQ’s website.
ANRA will host a public meeting on Thursday, November 17th at 6:00 p.m. to discuss the transfer and consolidation of the Central Heights Water System.
The meeting will be held at the Central Heights ISD Board Room at 10317 U.S. Hwy 259 North, Nacogdoches, Tx 75964
If you are a City of Nacogdoches water customer who lives in the Central Heights area, please join us for this public meeting to find out more information about the transfer and consolidation of the Central Heights Water System. We look forward to meeting you and addressing your questions and concerns!
We also invite you to join the Facebook group that we have created to encourage open dialog regarding the water system.
The Central Heights Water Customers Facebook group can be found here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/centralheightswater
The Angelina & Neches River Authority (ANRA) is proposing new Rules that outline the policy and procedures that ANRA will follow for the investigation and enforcement of complaints related to On-Site Sewage Facilities (OSSFs) in ANRA’s jurisdictional area.
A copy of the Proposed Rules is available for download here, or from ANRA’s Central Office, located at 210 E. Lufkin Avenue in Lufkin, TX.
Update 2016-09-12: In order to prevent potential confusion, the draft version of the Proposed Rules has been removed now that the final version has been approved. You can view the final version of the Rules here: On-Site Sewage Facilities
A Public Hearing to present the Proposed Rules will be held on Monday, July 11, 2016 from 10:00 AM to 12:00 PM at the following location:
Lufkin/Angelina County Chamber of Commerce
1615 S. Chestnut
Lufkin, TX 75901
Persons or entities that will be impacted by the Rules will have an opportunity to comment on the Proposed Rules prior to those Rules being adopted by ANRA’s Board of Directors. Comments may be presented orally or in writing at the meeting, or in writing beginning at the time of this notification and until fifteen (15) days following the Public Hearing. Written comments may be submitted by mail, fax, or email. The final date for written comments is Tuesday, July 26, 2016 at 5:00 PM. The contact information for written public comments is as follows:
Angelina & Neches River Authority
210 E. Lufkin Ave.
Lufkin, TX 75901
FAX: 936-632-2564
Email: ossf@anra.org
Please reference OSSF RULES as the subject of any comments.
Following the Public Hearing and Public Comment period, comments will be reviewed and ANRA’s Proposed Rules will be evaluated to determine if changes need to be made. The Proposed Rules will be presented to ANRA’s Board of Directors for approval at the August 2016 Regular Board of Directors Meeting.