SCCA Notes

OTHER NOTES

SAYING GOODBYE....

In October, Mr. Virgil Evans, a Sandy Creek resident, died in Houston after a long battle with cancer.

Mr. Evans was retired from the military and had moved to our community over a year ago. He was talkative, friendly, and he liked everyone. In return, he was well-liked by his neighbors and by everyone he met. He had a wonderful sense of humor even during the last days of his illness. Virgil was good with his hands in woodcrafting, and he made beautiful furniture of all sorts for his home and for others. He also collected pictures of ships, and the walls of his home were filled with his collection.

Northwest Rural Community Center and Health Clinic Virgil and his wife, Donna, were active in the renovation of the Round Mountain Community Center. They donated many items for use in the restoration and for fundraisers, as well as giving their time, support, and good will. Mr. Evans leaves his devoted wife, Donna, and a son who lives in Houston. Mr. Evans will be deeply missed by all.

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What Our Water Tests Mean

Our streams and greenbelts are the jewels of our community. We test our streams’ water quality to ensure the health of our fish, turtles, and other aquatic life, in addition to the health of our children and pets who play in and near the water. Training and supplies for this testing are provided by the Lower Colorado River Authority (LCRA) River Watch program. We run these tests monthly and report the results on the front page of this newsletter and also to the LCRA.

Dissolved Oxygen Measurement (Acceptable level 4-12mg/Liter)
Dissolved oxygen measures the amount of oxygen in the water available to fish and other aquatic life. Many things affect dissolved oxygen, including temperature (colder water can hold more oxygen than warmer water). More important, organic material, such as leaf litter, grass clippings, sewage, or runoff from feedlots, needs a lot of oxygen for decomposing by bacteria. A sudden drop in dissolved oxygen can stress aquatic life to the point of death or movement elsewhere.

Tests for Nitrates and Phosphates (Acceptable levels .01mg/Liter-1.0mg/L)
Nitrogen (nitrates) and phosphorus (phosphates) are needed by all life, but too much nitrogen or phosphorus in our streams can cause excess growth, or blooms, of algae or other aquatic plants. As the plants die and rot, they use up oxygen in the water and reduce the amount available for fish to breathe.

Excess nitrogen and phosphorus in our streams would most likely come from inadequate septic systems, animal wastes, and fertilizers, so controlling runoff is very important. (Testing for fecal coliform bacteria is a better way to spot septic system leaks, and we hope to start testing for that this year.)

Total Dissolved Solids (TDS) (Acceptable level 150-500 mg/liter)
TDS measures the dissolved solids, or salts, in water. Aquatic life needs some salts, just as people need sodium and potassium (both salts) in our diets. However, too much salt, usually from pollution or street and building runoff, can be harmful to aquatic life, just as too much can be harmful to us. Too much salt interferes with a creature’s internal water balance, and can cause dehydration or even death.

pH Measurement (Acceptable level 6.5-9)
pH measures the relative acidity of our stream water. The pH scale runs from 0 to 14, with 0 being most acid, 14 being most basic, and 7 being neutral. The pH in our streams is above 7, which means that the water is slightly basic rather than acidic—a result of our acid-neutralizing limestone soils. Water that becomes either too acidic or too basic is harmful to aquatic life, but many young fish and insects are particularly sensitive to a low pH (acidic).

Water Temperature
Temperature is an important measurement because it is related to dissolved oxygen, and because it has a great impact on plants and animals, including how well they can resist stress from pollution or disease.

For more information about water testing, call Seay Nance at 259-0299.

DID YOU KNOW ???

Did you know that you can request not to be telemarketed or receive junk mail? The Direct Marketing Association keeps a national list of people who do not want to get unsolicited sales calls on their phones or who do not want junk mail. Many companies respect those lists and avoid calling or mailing the people on the lists. To add your name to the list, write to:
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        Direct Marketing Association    Direct Marketing Association
        Telephone Preference Service    Mail Preference Service
        P. O. Box 9014	                P. O. Box 9008
        Farmingdale, NY 11735-9014      Farmingdale, NY 11735-9008
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Did you know that under the Texas Litter Abatement Act it is illegal "to dispose of or allow someone else to dispose of litter at a place that is not a legal landfill"? That includes things like throwing litter out of a car or boat, rolling junked cars into rivers, letting someone else dump tires or any waste on your property, or pouring motor oil on the ground.
Studies have shown that people are less likely to litter neighborhoods that are clean, and that crime is generally lower in communities that are clean and well-maintained by the residents. If it looks like a slum, people may treat it like one!
Detective Leonard Rehbein of the Austin-Travis County Health Department investigates illegal dumping and other environmental crimes (office 469-5052). Or, the Austin/Travis County illegal dumping hotline is 469-2100.

Nameless News is published monthly, more or less, by the Sandy Creek Community Association for residents and communities along Nameless Rd. Membership in the Association is free. Articles, comments, complaints, and words of praise can be passed along through the mailing address below, or by calling anyone listed below. We welcome all input; articles or letters may be edited for brevity or clarity. References to services or businesses in this newsletter are for community information only, and are not intended as an endorsement.

Local area businesses can support community involvement by sponsoring one or more issues of Nameless News. Newsletter sponsorships are $18 for one month, two months for $33. The SCCA uses all proceeds in various community projects, including publishing this newsletter.

Ginny Sturdivant, SCCA Coordinator.......259-2449
Jean Nance, Nameless News Editor.........259-0299
Lynne Weir, Misc. Services...............259-2368
Jane Genthe, Reporter, Community View....259-5349
Beverly Patton, Cherry Hollow Chatter....267-7369

If you would like to receive this newsletter by mail, yearly subscriptions are $4.00. Make checks out to Jean Nance, and mail to the return address below.

Sandy Creek Community Association
P. O. Box 1023
Leander, TX 78641