AUSTIN, Texas -- Feral hogs are contaminating water in Creeks and Rivers around South Central and Central Texas.

Now, state animal control experts are helping fund a bounty program to help get the local populations under control.

The regional project spans Guadalupe, Hays and Caldwell Counties. Local and state agencies are working together to host workshops and webinars so residents can learn to trap or hunt the wild animals safely. The bounty program begins Wednesday, July 25, and runs through Aug. 22. There are an estimated three million feral hogs across Texas. Because they cannot sweat, they stick to creeks and rivers, which frequently ends up contaminating that water.

Farmers and ranchers also struggle to manage hogs because they will root and eat their crops. To find out more about the bounty program, visit the Central Texas Feral Hog Task Force website.