The semi-annual Clean Rivers Program Basin Steering Committee meeting will be from 2 to 4 p.m. Wednesday, June 2.

The event will be online, and registration is required.

For more information, to submit public comment, or to receive call-in information, contact Jean Wright.

H-GAC and the Spring Creek Watershed Partnership will hold a public meeting at 2 p.m. Thursday, June 3, to discuss the incorporation of community-driven strategies for water quality into the first draft of a Watershed Protection Plan.

The event will be online, and registration is required.

More information about this project is available online or by contacting Rachel Windham.

H-GAC will host the 2021 Disaster Debris Workshop from 8:30 to 11:30 a.m. Wednesday, June 9.

This meeting will be online, and registration is required.

For more information, contact Erin Livingston.

The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality and H-GAC will hold a public meeting from 2 to 4 p.m. Thursday, June 17, to discuss water quality in the Cotton Bayou Watershed. Project staff will review updates since the submission of the Watershed Characterization Report and provide an outlook on the development of a Technical Support Document and Total Maximum Daily Load calculation for Cotton Bayou.

The event will be online, and registration is required.

More information about this project is available online or by contacting Rachel Windham.

The next Parks and Natural Areas Roundtable will be from 1:30 to 3:30 p.m. Monday, July 12. 

The event will be online, and registration is required.

For more information, contact Andrea Tantillo.

Save the date for H-GAC's next Bringing Back Main Street Roundtable from 9:30 a.m. to noon Tuesday, July 27.

The event will be online, and registration is required.

For more information, contact Sarah Torresen at 832-681-2505.

In May, H-GAC released the third issue of the Trash Free Texas Monthly News and Updates.

This monthly newsletter offers information about Trash Free Texas, an initiative by the Houston-Galveston Area Council and partners aimed at reducing or eliminating litter along area waterways. The newsletter also features litter reduction efforts from our partners across the region.

Join our mailing list if you are interested in receiving this monthly update or sharing news about your litter reduction activities, or submit your stories about past or future litter reduction activities.

H-GAC recently released the 2020 regional aerial imagery for public sale. This latest aerial imagery was captured during the leaf-off season of 2020 and is now available by individual tile, county, any combination of tile and county, or the entire regional coverage at 13,500 square miles. This aerial imagery data is heavily relied on by the GIS and engineering communities to plan for growth and expansion within our region. The imagery is available in 6-inch and 1-foot resolutions and in true color (RGB) or infrared color (CIR).

For additional details, coverage maps, and pricing, visit the H-GAC Aerial Imagery website.

Coastal Communities works to provide communities resources and opportunities to reduce pollution concerns in area waterways. One of the resources is the Coastal Communities Roadmap with free outreach messaging communities can share with residents on different topics, such as illegal dumping, pet waste, and FOG (fats, oils, and grease).

A full year’s worth of messaging is available, with two messages each month in four formats (social media graphic, web banner graphic, flyer, and bill insert).

All messages are free to download, and communities are welcome to add their logo/branding to all messages.

For more information, contact Kendall Guidroz.

Serving as H-GAC’s small business financing arm, the Houston-Galveston Area Local Development Corporation (H-GALDC) is able to help new or established small businesses access capital to purchase and develop real estate. With interest rates at all-time lows, now may be the time to move your business from a lease to a mortgage.

For more information about H-GALDC and its resources visit hgaldc.com or email [email protected] and learn how H-GAC can help your business.

Texas General Land Office, in partnership with members of the Texas Coastal Nonpoint Source Pollution Program, launched a comprehensive, online resource for coastal communities to learn about managing and protecting water quality along the Texas coast at CleanCoast.Texas.Gov. The website contains state-of-the-art technical manuals and general information for local governments, builders, engineers, and homeowners with helpful links and guidance on how communities can do their part to protect their local water sources. Please complete this 10-minute survey to inform future workshops and opportunities for Clean Coast Texas to serve your community.

Residents in Harris, Galveston, Fort Bend, and Brazoria counties and select cities across Texas now have access to a new water conservation tool. WaterMyYard is a free website and app that uses local weather data to help users water less and keep their yards beautiful. Download WaterMyYard and receive free customized weekly watering advice. Galveston Bay Foundation is working alongside partners at Texas A&M AgriLife Extension and the Harris-Galveston Subsidence District on this tool to increase water conservation, reduce subsidence, and improve water quality.

Bayou Land Conservancy, Buffalo Bayou Partnership, Galveston Bay Foundation, Houston Audubon, and Katy Prairie Conservancy announce Headwaters to Baywaters: A Story of Urban Resilience, an interactive website explaining the scientific importance of riparian corridors and the organizations' conservation efforts to preserve them in the Houston-Galveston region.

The Texas Historical Commission is accepting applications from cities interested in becoming designated Main Street Communities. Each year, the Commission may select up to five cities for official designation. Communities selected this year will enter the program in January 2022. Main Street is an economic development program focusing on small business development using historic preservation and reuse of historic properties as primary tools. Full applications are due Friday, July 30. Main Street communities in the region are Bay City, Houston-Emancipation Avenue, Huntsville, and Sealy.

Keep Texas Beautiful will host a virtual conference - Texas 2021: Leading Sustainable Transformations in Our Communities - from June 29 to July 1, with pre-conference sessions on June 28. The virtual conference is an opportunity for community leaders across the state to attend innovative keynotes, panels, and sessions that tackle environmental topics like waste reduction, recycling education, and more. The sessions will be held in the afternoons. Registration is required.

EPA Region 6 is hosting the Annual EPA Region 6 Stormwater Conference August 8-12 in New Orleans, Louisiana. There will also be 450 virtual registration slots available. The conference provides participants national, regional and state updates on water regulations and policy, as well as information on stormwater controls, water conservation management practices, and new technologies that can address stormwater pollution discharges to surface waters. On-site registration is $350 (if you register by July 13), and virtual registration is $225 (while slots are available)..

Every year, students throughout the state compete in the annual Take Care of Texas Video Contest. The goal is to produce the most entertaining and compelling content demonstrating how to keep Texas’ air and water clean, reduce waste, and conserve water and energy.

Jacobo will receive a $2,500 scholarship. Watch Jacobo’s video.

Yunlin Chu, a first-grader at Enya Studio in Richmond, was selected to win the grand prize in the Texas General Land Office 25th Annual Treasures of the Texas Coast Children’s Art Contest and will receive a prize package including round trip airfare, a Caribbean cruise, and a Feed the Fish Tour at the Texas State Aquarium. Yunlin's teacher, Hongliang Huang, will also receive a prize package. Yunlin's artwork depicts Texas sea turtles receiving a warm embrace during the historic winter freeze this year. 

H-GAC has compiled a list of local, regional, state, federal, and private funding sources for local governments and other organizations. H-GAC also maintains a list of ongoing funding opportunities for parks improvements, conservation projects,  and economic recovery resources.

If you know of a funding opportunity, forward it to Andrea Tantillo.

Looking for interactive applications or GIS data related to the H-GAC Community and Environmental Planning Department? Visit H-GAC's interactive applications web page.

H-GAC has a Facebook page where information about current and upcoming events is posted. Please visit and like H-GAC's page. While there, visit other H-GAC pages on Facebook, including Recycling, Trash Bash, and Regional Data Lab.