08/24/2026
Wow, I was just talking about the fear of business as usual, could not neccessarly mean right, and I watched this segment of Braiding Sweetgrass author, and she is quoted saying Business as Usual Is Dangerous.
I am not saying i am right, I am saying this is interesting to learn what this woman is saying.
I was like WOW, look at her pathway on the land she shows for show and tell, that pathway is the exact vision I have for the 5th Street Public River access. Or to go along with the mowing laws inner city, then a buffalo gras mix, maintained by mowing with a Ventrac Mower, and leaving a native buffer that is maintained by volunteers.
If you look at what is growing, it is just plants, plants that are not going impede water flow.
But guess what? these kinds of plants allow predators to hide. So the question we need to ask the City and County of Lavaca County, is this why herbicides is used along the Lavaca River as a mowing technique, so we can see our feet when walking?
Because if that is the reason, then that reason needs to be discussed with TPWD, Corpus Christi, to discuss a compromise. IS TPWD willing for compromise? I don't know this answer because it has never been asked by anyone that I am aware of.
What native grasses can be planted so we can see our feet? This isn't rocket science, because if you go to NRCS website, and look up your county, you'll see roughly a dozen native grasses, and you can look up each grass and look at the heights.
I did, and I found grasses that are native to Lavaca County that are 4 inches tall, 8 inches tall, and 2 feet tall.
Why can we have a mix of those planted?
The whole thing with native plants, is that once seeded, there is not caretaking of them, it is all natural and will reseed.
But since this is a river that flows by businesses and residences, it has to be maintained.
And how is maintenance done? It isn't rocket science.
The science is already done, the work is already done. That is where you seek advice from a TPWD expert and hear them out, listen to how to plant it, and care for it.
My impression is that this is too hard. But the reality is, it isn't hard, it is only 7.5 miles by about 400 feet wide.
What is hard to me is running a marathon.
River recovery can get started by contractors, or volunteers. Or a little bit of both, and a river manager could be hired to make reports, and too, that river manager can be the sprayer, and plant hand-puller, and the mower. Why not? Or it could be several contractors, and too, what I have been trying to explain is that no matter what people's opinions are - the City, County, Flood Control, Friends of Lavaca River have to get along and work together because it is going take all these involved entities to take care of this river.
If you don't believe me, then watch the movie Hope for the Guadalupe: The River Will Heal. It is a collaboration of government teams and volunteers, and local government leadership.
If the whole operations is over fighting, then nothing will happen as far as gaining volunteers and grants.
River recovery has to be a collaboration.
The hard part to define what the needs are an apply work towards all the needs and not excluding concerns, there is no reason the river has to be treated the exact same way the entire length of it - 3.5 miles in an S shape as a crow files or 7. 5 miles as straight line.
Friends of Lavaca River is for less herbicides, we are not against herbicides. We are for a collaboration of what other cities do - seeding, planting, watering, mowing, cutting, hand-pulling. And what peoplle may not realize is that once desired native vegetation gets started, it isn't any work, it is pure love and seasonal work to be done. It isn't rocket science. It
It is love of nature. Some people don't like nature, I know, some people fear nature, I know, and all that needs to be taken in account, but we don't kill nature just because we can kill nature.
Why, because it is dangerous. If you care about the Lavaca River and want to see collaboration in action, attend the Lavaca County Flood Control Meeting Wednesday, Nov. 26 at 5:30 pm Fire House, without you, it is dangerous. Why? Because some people don't care about nature, people, businesses, or children, I know, I have interviewed and talked with over 700 people. Some people are selfish. Some people are fearful of nature and of people. But that is not an excuse to not go to a meeting and hear with your own ears.
What we are hoping for is that our local TPWD and AgriLife start attending the local Flood Control meetings to offer support that they know how to do.
To be a partner in caring for the Lavaca River in Hallettsville. And too, the hope is that on the business side of things, it is more transparent, where the money is going by listing names, listing the board seats and seat numbers and duration of the seat, filing our the TPWD with intention on doing what they say they are going to do, to explain longterm and short term goals, and to write a proposal of the care of the Lavaca River listing out methods and chemicals being used, and listing the contractors, and listing all advisors in the plan. That would be a start.
Because understanding what is happening can be very soothing to understand what is happening and why.
And too, understanding how this is going to be done, is soothing too.
Soothing by transparency. Explaining why things can happen, and why things are happening. That is one thing - the business side, and the other thing is so many opinions of fears -- we must know the opinion that is being taken and how, and whose opinion is it. Why? Because it is a start for river recovery, that is why, and too, constant blanket spraying just isn't making sense, and it needs to be made as sense, or a collaboration of consideration needs to be included to add conservation into the picture. Why? Because a community has a say, that is why it needs to be explained to everyone that wants to know how this river is treated and why and how. by whose leadership. Another confusing issue is the role Flood Control what is their mission, their duties, and what are they doing to uphold that role.
