Pond Creek is a tributary to the Brazos River, draining approximately just over 59,000 ha (59.4 square kilometers) in Bell, Falls, and Milam Counties, Texas (Figure 1).  In 2021, local landowners, farmers and ranchers living and working in the Pond Creek Watershed, Texas, became aware of efforts to convert pasture and cropland to large-scale industrial solar farms on the order tens of thousands of acres. Having previously completed reconnaissance of Pond Creek’s land use, soils, and hydrology, and documenting a history of soil erosion and water runoff issues prior to 2021, we identified several points in Pond Creek that could serve as long-term monitoring sites. These sites will help assess watershed function and evaluate potential changes in sediment and hydrologic connectivity over time resulting from land use intensification.

2023 update: Mier-Valderrama, L., $Leal, J., Perotto-Baldivieso, H.L., Hedquist, B., Menendez, H.M., Anoruo, A., Turner, B.L. 2023. Evaluating soil erosion and runoff dynamics in a humid subtropic, low stream order, southern plains watershed from cultivation and solar farm development. International Soil and Water Conservation Research. doi:10.1016/j.iswcr.2023.09.004. Link. 

2026 update: The project was included as an invited contribution to a special session on "Solar Farms and Watersheds: Implications for Management" at the  2026 University Council on Water Resources (UCOWR) Annual Conference, San Antonio, Texas.  The presentation can be viewed below.