Clear invasive brush and replant native bottomland at Ballinger City Park, segment 1, Ballinger City Park, 120 Crosson Ave, Ballinger, TX 76821 (public City of Ballinger park at the Elm Creek and Colorado River confluence)

This Elm Creek and Colorado River confluence frontage carries invasive brush choking the native pecan-bottomland understory, ground cover that once held this floodplain's soil beneath the mature pecan canopy. Standard: US EPA Rapid Bioassessment Protocols plus watershed-health condition assessment practice, applied here to the Elm Creek and Colorado River confluence at Ballinger City Park and the Elm Creek Reservoir spring and seep shoreline near Winters in Runnels County, Texas. SDG 6.6 and 15.1. Proof: before/after photos plus brush-area-cleared record plus species/count record plus GPS Method (US EPA Rapid Bioassessment Protocols plus watershed-health condition assessment practice, applied here to the Elm Creek and Colorado River confluence at Ballinger City Park and the Elm Creek Reservoir spring and seep shoreline near Winters in Runnels County, Texas. SDG 6.6 and 15.1.): 1. 1. Confirm the treatment segment with City of Ballinger parks staff and photograph the invasive-brush-encroached segment before starting. 2. 2. Hand-cut and bag invasive brush seedlings with loppers and a hand saw only, hand tools only, no power equipment, no cutting down mature pecan or bottomland hardwood trees. 3. 3. Plant native bottomland hardwood and pecan-understory seedlings at the design spacing along the accessible park margin. 4. 4. Water in and mulch the planting, photograph the finished restoration from the matching before vantage, and record species and count. Done when: before/after photos plus brush-area-cleared record plus species/count record plus GPS

Where

Ballinger City Park, 120 Crosson Ave, Ballinger, TX 76821 (public City of Ballinger park at the Elm Creek and Colorado River confluence)

Pay

$175 proposed

This packet is not funded yet, so this figure is a proposed price and not money waiting in escrow. If a buyer funds it, approved proof settles that price onchain. If nobody funds it, approved proof earns provable credit toward the work instead of cash. You see which before you claim, never after.

Proof

before/after photos plus brush-area-cleared record plus species/count record plus GPS

This is exactly what gets it approved. Nothing settles without it.

Level

intermediate

Open until

2026-09-11

How this work is done

A documented method, so this packet comes out the same whoever does it. Typically 30–60 minutes. Method of record: EPA dry-weather / AMD field screening

Bring

• GPS phone
• pH meter or strips
• conductivity meter
• ammonia + iron test kit as specified
• surfactant screen if specified
• gloves
• camera

Steps

1. 1. Navigate to the outfall/reach; record GPS; photograph it, capturing any visible flow or staining.
2. 2. Note whether flow is present in dry weather (yes/no).
3. 3. Measure and record pH, conductivity, and each specified analyte per kit instructions.
4. 4. Log any color, odor, floc, or aquatic-life observation.
5. 5. Enter all readings with units, GPS, time, and photos into the proof record; sign.

If it does not match the plan

• Dry-weather flow present with elevated conductivity/ammonia/surfactants -> flag suspected illicit discharge for the responsible agency.
• pH < 6 with visible iron floc -> tag suspected acid mine drainage; recommend metals lab panel.

What counts as done

• pH + conductivity recorded with units
• Each specified analyte recorded with a value
• Dry-weather flow present? recorded yes/no
• GPS waypoint + timestamped photo

Proof is measured against these, not judged by taste.