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Upper Basin Stakeholder Forum: Monitoring and Assessing Water Quality in Texas

The 2011 Upper Basin Stakeholder Forum organized by the Nueces River Authority aims to monitor and assess water quality in various basins throughout Texas. The forum will discuss the Texas Clean Rivers Program and its budget allocation, as well as the coordinated monitoring schedule and assessment of classified water bodies. Ongoing projects to address impaired water bodies in the Upper Basin will also be discussed.

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Upper Basin Stakeholder Forum: Monitoring and Assessing Water Quality in Texas

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  1. 2011 Upper Basin Stakeholder ForumNueces River AuthorityFeb 16, 2011 – Uvalde Feb 23, 2011 – Corpus Christi

  2. 1991 Texas Clean Rivers Program • To monitor and assess the water quality in the 25 basins throughout Texas • TCEQ developed partnerships to manage CRP • 15 Partner Agencies • State agencies • River Authorities • Local Governments

  3. NRA’s Area of Responsibility • Nueces River Basin • S.A. Nueces Coastal Basin • Nueces Rio Grande Coastal Basin • Bays and Estuaries • 44 Segments • 30,500 Square Miles

  4. Texas Clean Rivers Program • $9 Million Allocated Statewide Amongst CRP Partners Over 2 Years: • NRA: $548,272 Over 2 Years • NRA CRP Budget By Task • Project Administration – 21% • Quality Assurance – 4% • Water Quality Monitoring – 39% • Data Management – 13% • Data Analysis and Reporting – 9% • Stakeholder Participation and Public Outreach – 13% • Special Projects: Petronila Creek Continuous Monitoring – 1%

  5. Quarterly Routine Monitoring • pH • DO • Conductivity • Temp • Ammonia • Nitrates • Phosphorus • Chlorophyll-a • Turbidity • Bacteria • Chloride • Sulfate

  6. NRA Database http://www.nueces-ra.org/CP/CRP/SWQM/index.php

  7. Interactive Maphttp://www.nueces-ra.org/CP/CRP/SWQM/index.php

  8. Coordinated Monitoring Schedulehttp://cms.lcra.org

  9. NRA Coordinated Monitoring Meeting • Plan Sampling for upcoming Year • Invite: • TCEQ Regional Offices • TPWD • CBBEP • Other Interested Parties

  10. Assessment (Integrated Report) • Every 2 Years • Based on 7 Years of Data: • 2010 – December 1, 2001 – November 30, 2008 • 2012 – December 1, 2003 – November 30, 2010

  11. Classified Water Bodies Are Assigned Designated Uses • Aquatic Life • Exceptional • High • Intermediate • Limited • Oyster Waters • Contact Recreation • Primary Contact • Secondary Contact 1 and 2 (New) • Noncontact • Public Water Supply • Fish Consumption • General Use

  12. Water Quality Criteria are Assigned to Designated Uses • Aquatic Life • Dissolved Oxygen • Public Water Supply • Chloride • Sulfate • TDS • Recreation • Bacteria • General Use • Water Temperature • pH • Ammonia • Nitrogen • Phosphorus • Fish Consumption • Fish Tissue

  13. Assessment Includes 2 Lists: • 305(B) List Concerns • 303(d) List Impairments

  14. Concerns 305(b) List • Water bodies where 20% of samples > criteria • Ammonia-Nitrogen • Nitrate+Nitrite • Orthophosphorus • Total phosphorus • Chlorophyll-a

  15. Impairments 303(d) List Water bodies that do not meet the criteria for support of one or more of its beneficial uses

  16. Impairments 303(d) List • TDS, Chloride, Sulfate • Average > criteria (Public Water Supply Impairment) • DO: grab samples and 24-Hr average • 10% of samples < criteria (Aquatic Life Impairment) • pH • 10% of samples outside range (General Use Impairment) • E. coli, Enterococcus • Geometric mean > criteria (Recreational Use Impairment)

  17. List of Impairments in the Upper Basin • 2103 Lake Corpus Christi impaired TDS (New) • 2104 Nueces River Above Frio impaired Fish and Macrobenthos community (New) • 2106 Nueces River/Lower Frio River impaired for TDS • 2107 Atascosa River impaired for bacteria, low DO, Fish, and Macrobethos community • 2108 San Miguel Creek impaired for bacteria • 2109 Leona River impaired for bacteria

  18. 2010 List of Impairments in the Upper Basin • 2110 Lower Sabinal River impaired for nitrates • 2113 Upper Frio River impaired for Macrobenthos and Fish communities • 2116 Choke Canyon impaired for Low DO • 2117 Frio Above Choke Canyon impaired for bacteria

  19. CWA Requires State to Take Action to Restore Impaired Waters • Additional Monitoring - is the impairment real? • Use Attainability Analysis (UAA)- Are existing criteria and uses appropriate for water body? • Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) • Watershed Protection Plan (WPP) • Special Study

  20. Ongoing Projects to Address the Impaired Water Bodies in the Upper Basin • Atascosa River • UAAs • Lower Sabinal • TMDL • Leona River • Assessment

  21. Atascosa River Segment 2107 • Flows 103 Miles to confluence with the Frio River • Impaired for: • Bacteria (1996) • Low Do (1996) • Fish Community (2006) • Macro Community (2010)

  22. Atascosa River • TMDL Team-UAAs • Contact Recreation • Aquatic Life Use • Are designated uses and existing criteria appropriate for the Atascosa? * Currently Contact recreation and high aquatic life use

  23. Recreational Use Attainability Analysis (RUAA) • Evaluate the presence or absence of water recreation activities in the Atascosa • Report was submitted to the standards group

  24. Aquatic Life Use Attainability Analysis • Data Collection to be completed in Fall 2011 • Technical report will be out in 2012 • The UAAS will assess Current Standards and Criteria on the Atascosa

  25. Lower Sabinal • Flows 27 miles to the confluence with the Frio • Listed in 2002 as impaired for Nitrates

  26. Lower Sabinal TMDL • 2003 TCEQ initiated a TMDL (Total Maximum Daily Load) • TMDL team determined nitrates were from the Sabinal WWTF • Built in 1967 within the 100 year floodplain

  27. TMDL Implementation Plan New WWTF To Be Completed This Spring • New WWTF in Sabinal thru the use of ARRA Funds -outside 100 yr. floodplain -looped aeration -clarifiers -UV disinfection -Mech. Screen

  28. Leona River AssessmentsNikki JacksonTIAER

  29. Other Studies and Projects • NRSA Study-EPA Study of streams and rivers across the U.S. • Determine % of good, fair, and poor conditions

  30. NRSA Study

  31. NRA SEP Application

  32. Supplemental Environmental Project Funding • Violators can use fine to support an environmental project in their region • 3rd parties can apply for funding projects

  33. 2011 Basin Highlights Report • Assessment Year BHR– a snapshot of every segment and any impairments or concerns • Year Following the Assessment BHR -any updates and ongoing projects in each basin • Every 5th year Basin Summary-more in depth and detailed than the Basin Highlights Report Comments to Kati Carberry Email: kcarberry@nueces-ra.org Fax: 361-653-2115 Mail: Nueces River Authority 1201 N. Shoreline Blvd. Corpus Christi, TX 78401

  34. Input for FY 2011 Planning • Additional routine monitoring sites? • Special studies? • Additional outreach opportunities? • Additional web-based information?

  35. Contact Information http://www.nueces-ra.org Kati Carberry: kcarberry@nueces-ra.org 361-653-2110 Sky Lewey: slewey@nueces-ra.org830-278-6810 Rocky Freund: rfreund@nueces-ra.org361-653-2110 Beth Almaraz: balmaraz@nueces-ra.org 361-653-2110

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