Local and state officials will meet today to develop new ways to protect the Caddo Lake Watershed.

The Texas Commission on Environmental Equality, Northeast Texas Municipal Water District and the Jeffersonian Institute will be holding the meeting from 1 to 5 p.m. at the Jeffersonian Institute, 120 E. Austin St. in Jefferson.

It is the first time that such a meeting will take place, according to NETMWD water general manager Walt Sears.

"This effort is a meeting to come to a consensus and work in a cooperative way led by local stakeholders," Sears said. "And a stakeholder is anyone who has an interest in Caddo Lake."

The public is encouraged to attend to discuss some of the area's problems, including the flow of water in the lake, the quality of the water and the presence of noxious vegetation – like hydrilla and water hyacinth – that interferes with people's use of the lake, Sears said.

"Caddo Lake is a unique and valuable natural treasure to both East Texas and to the state as a whole," Larry Soward, TCEQ commissioner, said in a recent press release. "We welcome full public participation as we all work together to develop strategies and plans to protect this remarkable resource."