Protect Our Waters of Texas, a citizen-led organization advocating for the protection of Texas water resources, submitted seven formal petitions to the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) and Gov. Greg Abbott on Sept. 24. The petitions requested that the state establish comprehensive, updated water quality protections for Canyon Lake and its contributing watersheds, according to a press release.

Under Title 30 of the Texas Administrative Code, Chapter 311, TCEQ has formal rulemaking power, which the 457 petitioners are asking they use to establish the same substantive watershed and water-quality protections currently afforded to the Highland Lakes for Canyon Lake.

"Today is about putting our formal request before the State of Texas to protect Canyon Lake before we are forced to respond to irreversible degradation," said Founder of Protect Our Waters of Texas Danae Delaney.