Registration for the 24th Annual Neches River Rendezvous will open on Monday, March 18th. The Neches River Rendezvous is a fun and family-friendly 10-mile paddling adventure down the Neches River and will be held on May 18, 2024.
This is the first year that the Angelina & Neches River Authority will host the event. It was previously hosted by the Lufkin/Angelina County Chamber of Commerce beginning in 1997, and it quickly became a popular annual event, with up to 300 people participating, however, due to Covid-19, weather conditions, and supply chain issues, the event has not been held the past five years.
The Rendezvous will be limited to 100 paddlers for the first year that the Authority hosts the event in 2024, but depending on the available supply of vans, trailers, kayaks, and canoe rentals needed for the event to be successful, the Authority hopes to increase the number of participants back to 300 paddlers within the next few years.
On the day of the event, paddlers will park at International Paper’s North Boggy Slough Conservation Area and will then be shuttled upriver, where volunteers will assist them in launching their kayaks and canoes in the river. There will be four staggered launch times to avoid overcrowding.
After a leisurely 3-4 hours paddling the river, paddlers will end their journey at the Highway 7 bridge, next to Hackberry Bunkhouse & Kayak Rentals, where they will be assisted out of the river and then shuttled back to North Boggy Slough, where they can purchase a meal from one of several food trucks that will be on-site.
No experience is needed to participate in the event, however, anyone under the age of 18, must have a legal guardian present. Since safety is the top priority of the event, life jackets must be worn by all paddlers. Paddlers must provide their own life jackets. A multitude of local organizations will assist with logistics and safety during the event, including the Deep East Texas Amateur Radio Club, Hudson Search & Rescue, Houston County EMS, Boy Scouts of America, and Trail Life USA.
The Authority is still seeking volunteers and sponsors for the event. A volunteer guide and a sponsor information packet can both be found on the Authority’s website.
Early bird registration begins Monday, March 18th and ends Friday, April 19th. Late registration begins on Saturday, April 19 and ends on Friday, May 3rd. Registration is based on a first-come, first-served basis. Paddlers are highly encouraged to register online, but paper registration forms can be downloaded from ANRA’s website or picked up at ANRA’s office at 2901 N John Redditt Drive, in Lufkin, Texas. Forms and registration fees can be submitted via mail or at ANRA’s office.
For more information, call the Authority’s Central Office Facility at (936) 632-7795, email recreation@anra.org, visit https://www.anra.org/conservation-recreation/neches-river-rendezvous/ , or find both the Authority and the Rendezvous’ event pages on Facebook.
Water and Wastewater Infrastructure Opportunities in East Texas
January 9th, 2024 – Lufkin, Texas
Water Finance Exchange (WFX) and RSAH2O, in partnership with T.L.L. Temple Foundation, Communities Unlimited, and the Angelina & Neches River Authority, are hosting an invitation-only workshop, Water and Wastewater Infrastructure Opportunities in East Texas, of public and private sector leaders to discuss the needs and opportunities to support communities in need of financial and technical assistance for water and wastewater infrastructure.
This one-day workshop will focus on the water infrastructure and economic development challenges of rural communities in East Texas. We would like to extend an invitation to attend this workshop, which will be held in the Pitser Garrison Convention Center in Lufkin, Texas. The address for the event is 601 N 2nd Street, Lufkin, TX 75901.
The workshop will be on January 9th, 2024 beginning at 9:00am. A draft agenda for the workshop can be found below. Speakers and panelists will include state and federal agency officials, community representatives, and other thought leaders in the water and wastewater sectors.
This workshop will be an intimate conversation of 50-75 water sector leaders, communities seeking to address sustainable water management needs, and public officials. The informational exchange will identify primary challenges facing smaller and underserved East Texas communities, outline financing opportunities, and generate ideas for collaboration going forward.
Registration Instructions
- Click here to go to the registration page
- In the dropdown menu labeled “Workshop”, select East Texas – Lufkin, Texas – Jan. 9th, 2024
- Fill in the remaining information on the page
- Click “Send”
- You will receive further information and updates as the event gets closer
If you any other questions on the workshop, please reach out to Josh Clement, WFX’s Director of Programs and
Development, at Jclement@waterfx.org or 763-226-3461.
A draft of ANRA’s 2023 Clean Rivers Program Basin Highlights Report is now available for public review and comment.
The document is available on the CRP reports page at anra.org.
Comments will be accepted via email at crp@anra.org until 5 pm CST June 9, 2023
If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact us.
We appreciate your participation!
To: Holmwood Utilities Customers (Public Water System ID # 1210020)
Subject: BOIL WATER NOTICE RESCINDED
On Wednesday, August 24, 2022, the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) required the Holmwood Utilities public water system (PWS ID Number 1210020) to issue a Boil Water Notice to inform customers, individuals, or employees that due to conditions which occurred recently in the public water system, the water from this public water system was required to be boiled prior to use for drinking water or human consumption purposes.
Holmwood Utilities has taken the necessary corrective actions to restore the quality of the water distributed by Holmwood Utilities used for drinking water or human consumption purposes and has provided TCEQ with laboratory test results that indicate that the water no longer requires boiling prior to use as of August 26, 2022.
If you have questions concerning this matter, you may contact Mr. Chris Key, P.E., Operations Division Manager, Angelina & Neches River Authority at (936) 632-7795 or (800) 282-5634.
If a customer wishes to contact TCEQ, they may call (512) 239-4691.
To: Holmwood Utilities Customers (Public Water System ID # 1210020)
Subject: BOIL WATER NOTIFICATION
On Thursday, August 27, 2020, Holmwood Utilities experienced a power outage due to Hurricane Laura that resulted in low water pressures and affects the entire water system. The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) has required Holmwood Utilities (PWS ID Number 1210020) to notify all customers of the need to boil their water prior to consumption.
To ensure destruction of all harmful bacteria and other microbes, water for drinking, cooking, and ice making should be boiled and cooled prior to consumption. The water should be brought to a vigorous rolling boil and then boiled for two minutes. In lieu of boiling, you may purchase bottled water or obtain water from other suitable sources. When it is no longer necessary to boil the water, water system officials will notify you that the water is safe for consumption. Instructions to discontinue boiling will be issued in the same manner as this notice.
If you have questions regarding this matter you may contact Mr. Chris Key, Operations Division Manager, Angelina & Neches River Authority at (936) 632-7795 or (800) 282-5634
If you wish to contact TCEQ, you may call 512-239-4691.