1991 Texas Clean Rivers Program

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

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

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

13. 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

14. 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

15. 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

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

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

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

19. 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)

20. 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

21. 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

22. 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

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

24. 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)

25. 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

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

27. 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

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

29. 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

30. 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

31. Leona River AssessmentsNikki JacksonTIAER

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

33. NRSA Study

34. NRA SEP Application

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

36. 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

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

38. 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