By Danielle Garcia Newton This past spring, Bayou City Waterkeeper launched its first cohort of our inaugural Green Infrastructure Design
Last month, Bayou City Waterkeeper submitted written comments to the Texas House Natural Resources Committee as part of its interim charge hearings. These comments build directly on the advocacy work we did during the 89th Legislative Session, and they’re aimed at making sure that work translates into real accountability as implementation begins.
The passage of Houston’s municipal budget proves that local oversight is more critical than ever. Houston’s water system belongs to its ratepayers. We will continue working through policy, science, organizing, and law to ensure that every dollar we pay in our water bills is treated as a sacred investment in a clean, safe, and resilient Houston.
On May 11, 2026, Bayou City Waterkeeper’s policy staff traveled to Austin to deliver oral and written testimony before the Senate Committee on Water, Agriculture & Rural Affairs. This marked a major milestone for our organization: the very first time Bayou City Waterkeeper has given in-person oral testimony directly to the Texas Legislature.
Join us in welcoming our new staff member, Rachel Jordan. Rachel brings a background in environmental science, law, GIS, and nonprofit advocacy to BCWK’s legal work. With experience supporting environmental protection and cleanup efforts in Houston communities, she will help advance our work for clean water and environmental justice across the region. Learn more about Rachel below.
Join us in welcoming our new staff member, Michael McFadden. Michael will work closely with our staff and partners to execute communications strategies focused on water justice by incorporating storytelling into content, helping shape media coverage on legal and policy developments, and supporting donor and funder communications. Learn more about Michael.
BCWK is a Houston-based organization focusing on water quality, wetlands protection, and flood mitigation across our region with an emphasis on climate resilience and environmental justice. BCWK serves the lower Galveston Bay watershed, a 10-county region that encompasses greater Houston.
At Bayou City Waterkeeper we view water as a catalyst for change in greater Houston and along the Texas Gulf coast. Communities most affected by water pollution, flooding, and system failures must be at the center of this change. Only by centering community priorities can we shape solutions that meaningfully address the largest environmental, climate, and infrastructure threats that our region faces.
Bayou City Waterkeeper works to protect and restore our wetlands, floodplains and riparian habitats that flow into our waterways and surrounding bays. The adjacent map shows the Lower Galveston Bay Watershed that we strive to make fishable, swimmable, and drinkable for all.
