Restore a cypress and tupelo slough margin at Martin Dies Jr. State Park's Cherokee Unit, segment 5, Martin Dies Jr. State Park, Cherokee Unit day use area, 634 Park Road 48 South, between Woodville and Jasper, TX (public Texas state park, Tyler and Jasper counties) (2026-07-28)

A shallow slough margin along this floodplain-forest reach of B.A. Steinhagen Reservoir has lost cypress and tupelo canopy to invasive brush and sediment buildup, ground and water this floodplain forest depends on to hold its banks. Standard: US EPA Rapid Bioassessment Protocols plus watershed-health condition assessment practice, applied here to the baygall and hillside-seep wetland communities at Big Thicket National Preserve's Beech Creek Unit and the cypress and tupelo slough at Martin Dies Jr. State Park's Cherokee Unit, Tyler County, Texas. SDG 6.6 and 15.1. Proof: before/after photos plus brush/sediment-cleared record plus species/count record plus GPS Method (US EPA Rapid Bioassessment Protocols plus watershed-health condition assessment practice, applied here to the baygall and hillside-seep wetland communities at Big Thicket National Preserve's Beech Creek Unit and the cypress and tupelo slough at Martin Dies Jr. State Park's Cherokee Unit, Tyler County, Texas. SDG 6.6 and 15.1.): 1. 1. Confirm the treatment segment with Texas Parks and Wildlife staff and photograph the eroding or canopy-gapped slough margin at the Cherokee Unit before starting. 2. 2. Working from stable footing or a canoe/kayak where the slough is too deep to wade, hand-clear invasive brush and loose sediment from the margin with hand tools only, no power equipment. 3. 3. Plant native bald cypress and water tupelo seedlings at the design spacing along the slough edge. 4. 4. Water in the planting where accessible and photograph the finished restoration from the matching before vantage, recording species and count. Done when: before/after photos plus brush/sediment-cleared record plus species/count record plus GPS

Where

Martin Dies Jr. State Park, Cherokee Unit day use area, 634 Park Road 48 South, between Woodville and Jasper, TX (public Texas state park, Tyler and Jasper counties)

Pay

$200 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/sediment-cleared record plus species/count record plus GPS

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

Level

advanced

Open until

2026-08-27

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.