Surface Water Quality Monitoring in Texas and the Clean Rivers Program

1. Surface Water Quality Monitoring in Texas and the Clean Rivers Program Kyle Girten Texas Commission on Environmental Quality LRGV Water Quality Management and Planning Conference May 17, 2018

2. Monitoring • Statewide routine monitoring • Data objective: general purpose, WQ assessment, WQS development • Coordinated, systematic, comparable • Others • Compliance monitoring • Targeted monitoring • Volunteer monitoring

3. Monitoring Program • Surface Water Quality Monitoring Program (SWQM) established in 1967 • Clean Rivers Program (CRP) established in 1991 • Monitoring at ~1800 stations on a quarterly basis

4. Active monitoring stations

5. Ways to Get Data and Information • https://www.tceq.texas.gov/waterquality • Surface Water Quality Monitoring Information System (SWQMIS) • Tips: Need to know basin, segment ID, parameter of interest

6. Water Quality Parameters • Field – DO, pH, specific conductance, temperature, transparency, salinity, flow • Conventional – Nutrients, Total Suspended Solids, Total Dissolved Solids, Chloride, Sulfate, chlorophyll a • Bacteria – E. coli, enterococcus • Biological assemblages (nekton/benthics) • Metals in water / sediment • Organics in water / sediment

7. Routine Monitoring

9. Routine Monitoring Programs in Texas

11. Clean Rivers Program • A partnership between the TCEQ, regional water authorities, and the public for: • Coordination and quality assurance of surface water quality monitoring • Water quality assessment • Stakeholder participation www.texascleanrivers.org

12. In 1991, the Texas Legislature passed the Texas Clean Rivers Act (Texas Water Code 26.0135) The Act outlines: Source of program funding Responsibilities of the TCEQ and the river authorities Timelines for assessment CRP Major Functions Enabling LegislationThe Clean Rivers Act

13. CRP Funding • Sources of funding: • Water rights • Permitted discharges • Overall budget • $4.5 million per year • TCEQ retains $250,000 per year for program administration ugra.org

14. CRP Partners • River Authorities (12 of 15 partners) • Public agencies established by the Texas legislature • Tasked with a variety of tasks/duties (i.e. conserve, plan, distribute waters in their region) • Other public entities • Council of governments • Municipal water district • Federal agency

15. CRP Major Functions • Monitor Water Quality • Facilitate Coordination of Water Quality Activities • Evaluate Water Quality Issues • Engage Stakeholders

16. CRP collects over 60% of data used by TCEQ Rigorous quality assurance process Water Quality Data • Additional data provided using partner funds • Coordinating resources to get more data

17. CRP Major Functions • Monitor Water Quality • Facilitate Coordination of Water Quality Activities • Evaluate Water Quality Issues • Engage Stakeholders

18. Facilitate Coordination of Water Quality Activities • Coordinate monitoring activities by basin • Annual meeting in each basin of water quality monitoring entities to plan next year’s sampling • Maintain and update the web-based monitoring schedule http://cms.lcra.org • Address sampling priorities of the TCEQ and stakeholders • Provide technical input on TCEQ water quality assessment and standards development

19. CRP Major Functions • Monitor Water Quality • Facilitate Coordination of Water Quality Activities • Evaluate Water Quality Issues • Engage Stakeholders

20. Evaluate Water Quality Issues • Intensive study of water quality issues • Explain water quality conditions • Track water quality trends • Investigate solutions

21. CRP Major Functions • Monitor Water Quality • Facilitate Coordination of Water Quality Activities • Evaluate Water Quality Issues • Engage Stakeholders

22. Engage Stakeholders • Periodic basin steering committee meetings • Setting water quality priorities • Bringing issues to the table • Work to resolve water quality issues

23. CRP in the Lower Rio Grande Valley

24. CRP in the Lower Rio Grande Valley

25. Monitoring in the Lower Rio Grande Valley

26. Monitoring in the Lower Rio Grande Valley

27. CRP Assessments

28. Stakeholder Engagement • IBWC: • Basin Advisory Council • IBWC Citizen’s Forum • NRA: • Steering Committee • Stakeholder Newsletter • Education and outreach

30. Challenges and Successes • Coordinating monitoring statewide • Maintaining data comparability • Ongoing partnership

31. Coordinated Monitoring Schedule Searchable by basin, segment, monitoring entity, and fiscal year (2003-2016)

32. Coordinated Monitoring Schedule Calendar of meetings Station Description Parameters Monitored Monitoring Entity Site Map Sampling Frequency

33. Maintaining Data Comparability • Surface Water Quality Monitoring Procedures Volumes 1 and 2 • Biennial Quality Assurance Project Plan Development • Risk based and scheduled audits • Annual Surface Water Quality Monitoring Workshop

34. Ongoing Partnership • Partners as stakeholders in TCEQ processes: • CRP Guidance updates • Water Quality Standards Workgroup • Assessment Guidance Workgroup

35. Ongoing Partnership • TCEQ as partners in the basins: • Coordinating and supporting special projects • Quality assurance research and development • TCEQ updates and outreach • Equipment loan and repair

36. Ongoing Partnership

37. Questions? Kyle Girten TCEQ—Monitoring and Assessment Section 512-239-0425 Kyle.girten@tceq.texas.gov