Loading...
SWM-PS 981001tnified Watershed Assessment http: / /www.tnrec.state.tx.us /water /quality /tmdl/unified.htm Office of Water Resource Management Address/Phone/Fax s Water QuAlity wquality @tnrcc.state.tx.us 1W Ic Help TMDL Team Search October 1, 1998 Texas Unified Watershed Assessment October 1, 1998 I. Introduction The Clean Water Action Plan (1998) (Plan) is designed to provide a mechanism for attainment of the original goals of the federal Clean Water Act (CWA) and other natural resource goals. These goals were set to ensure that all waters in the United States are fishable, swimmable, and safe. Although not required by the federal Clean Water Act:, the Plan strengthens the foundation of a watershed -based approach for protecting and restoring surface freshwater, coastal and estuarine waters, groundwater, wetlands, and other natural resources which impact water quality and public health. A key element of the Plan relies on collaboration between state, federal, tribal, regional and local governments to identify existing watersheds with water quality problems and other natural resource goals. By identifying watershed priorities, interested parties in each watershed can work to mitigate known problems and develop the means to protect the water quality of those watersheds which are unimpaired. State and federal partners, working with local stakeholders and interested citizens in individual watersheds, can secure and target resources to develop and implement strategies in priority watersheds which restore water quality and meet other natural resource goals. The identification of watershed priorities has been established through the Texas Unified Watershed Assessment (Assessment). II. Texas Unified Watershed Assessment The Assessment in Texas is jointly led by the United States Department of Agriculture - Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), the Texas Natural Resource Conservation Commission (TNRCC), and the Texas State Soil and Water Conservation Board (TSSWCB). Other state and federal partners who assisted in the development of this Assessment include the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD), the Texas A & M University System (TAMU), the Texas office of the United States Geologic Survey (USGS), the Texas office of the United States Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), and the Texas office of the United States Army Corps of Engineers (USCOE). This group of state and federal partners formed the working group for completing the Assessment. The national guidelines for preparing the Assessment recommend that each state delineate watersheds using the eight -digit hydrologic unit codes (HUCs). There are 210 eight -digit watersheds in Texas. Each watershed is categorized into one of four categories based on the evaluation of existing and readily available data. The categories used include: Category I. Watersheds in need of restoration. This includes watersheds that at the present time do not meet clean water and other natural resource goals 1 of 5 11/13/98 11:21 AM Unified Watershed Assessment httpi: / /www.tnrcc.st ate.t x. us / water /quality /tmdl/unified.htin which are summarized in the Clean Water Action Plan. Category H. Watersheds in need of preventive action to sustain water quality. This includes watersheds that meet clean water and other resource goals and standards, and support healthy aquatic systems. Such watersheds require the continuing implementation of core clean water and natural resource programs to maintain water quality and conserve natural resources. Category III: Watersheds with pristine /sensitive aquatic system conditions on lands administered by federal, state, or tribal governments. This consists of watersheds with exceptionally pristine water quality or other sensitive aquatic system conditions that are located on lands administered by federal, state, or tribal governments. Category IV: Watersheds with insufficient data to make an assessment. This includes watersheds that lack significant information, critical data elements, or the data density needed to make a reasonable assessment at this time. III. Texas Assessment Process On July 20, 1998, the collaborating agencies met to determine the data and information which would be used to prioritize watersheds throughout the state. The following outline summarizes the types and sources of data and information evaluated to identify watersheds for each of the four categories. This Assessment is not intended to indicate that sufficient water quality data exists for all water bodies in each category. It depicts current understanding of water quality conditions based on an evaluation of readily available data. The Assessment is considered a dynamic process and therefore, category designations for individual watersheds may change as new data and information become available. The Assessment is not intended to replace the TNRCC's reliance on the 303(d) list for establishing its water quality priorities. The Assessment is depicted in the statewide map (Figure 1 with a legend provided to distinguish the designation of each individual watershed. The map was computer - generated by staff of the NRCS and the TNRCC with input from the other agencies. A second map shows the outline of the hydrologic unit areas in relation to counties and certain cities (Figure 2). Table 2 shows which existing programs are active in the hydrologic unit areas. Category I. Watersheds in need of restoration include: • all impaired water bodies on the Texas 1998 CWA Section 303(d) List (6/26/98); • agricultural nonpoint source priority watersheds of the TSSWCB which have 303(d)- listed water bodies within them; and • watersheds in the NRCS 1998 Environmental Quality Incentive Program (EQIP) priority areas which have 303(d)- listed water bodies within them. It should be noted that if a watershed is designated as a Category I watershed, it does not mean that every water body (reservoir, stream, river, estuary) within the watershed is in need of restoration (see watershed restoration priorities). Category H. Watersheds in need of preventive action to sustain water quality include: • all threatened water bodies from the 1998 CWA Section 303(d) List; 2 of 5 11/13/98 11:21 AM Unified Watershed Assessment http://www.tnrcc.state.tx.us/water/quality/tindl/unified.htm TSSWCB agricultural nonpoint source priority watersheds and/or watersheds designated as 1998 Environmental Quality Incentive Program (EQIP) priority areas which do not have 303(d)- listed water bodies within them; and all other watersheds which do not have 303(d) listed water bodies within them and where sufficient data is available to the TNRCC or TSSWCB to adequately assess the water quality conditions. Category III: Watersheds with pristine /sensitive aquatic system conditions on lands administered by federal, state, or tribal governments include: • those water bodies of exceptional quality that reside within federal, state, or tribal lands. Fifteen percent of the total stream miles within each hydrologic unit area must be considered pristine for the watershed to fall in this category. The 15 percent criterion was chosen based on discussion and consensus of the committee. Category IV. • Watersheds with insufficient data to make an assessment include: • those watersheds where less than nine samples are available from a sampling location over a five -year period from which to conduct an assessment of designated uses. These watersheds were unassessed because they did not fit the committee's criteria for a sufficient quantity of recent data to adequately characterize water bodies or portions of water bodies within the HUC watershed. IV. Public Support The main sources of data which were evaluated to prepare the Texas Unified Watershed Assessment are the TNRCC's 303(d) list, the list of agricultural nonpoint source pollution priority watersheds, and the NRCS -EQIP priority watersheds.. Involvement from federal, state, regional, and local agencies, public interest groups, and concerned citizens has led to a general acceptance of the validity of these three sources of data. This inclusive involvement has garnered support for the use of these data as the primary tools for setting water quality restoration priorities in the state of Texas. For this reason, the Assessment reinforces the direction and commitments already established through existing state and federal programs. As Texas continues to strengthen its CWA 303(d)- listing process in the future, additional interest groups and sources of data and information will be included in the existing process of setting watershed priorities. A notice announcing the availability of the draft Assessment was posted in the Texas Register for a period of 30 days to allow for comment from agencies, organizations, and the general public. Additionally, a public meeting was held in Austin on Aug. 31, 1998 to provide a forum for discussion and comment on the Texas Unified Watershed Assessment. Minimal comments were received at the public meeting and throughout the 30 -day comment period. Paraphrases of specific comments that resulted in revisions to the Assessment are as follows: • the three main data sources used were evaluation of data sets by the various agencies involved in the preparation of the Unified Watershed Assessment; • the criteria used to place a watershed in Category IV minimum of nine samples was set too low; and • for Category III watersheds, an explanation of the 15 percent criterion was requested. This document has been revised to respond to those comments. V. Watershed Restoration Priorities 3of5 11/13/98 11:21 AM Unified Watershed Assessment httl:)://www.tnrcc.state.tx.us/water/quality/tmdl/unified.htm Texas has established a process for defining watershed restoration priorities through its watershed management approach. This approach is a resource - centered method of coordinating operations of existing water resource programs to better achieve water quality goals in a specific watershed. Watershed restoration priorities are set in response to existing state and federal programs, geographic targeting each year in a different portion of the state, available resources (funding, staff, technical), and local concerns. The Assessment is used to reinforce the restoration priorities and schedule already established through existing state and federal programs. The programs under which watershed restoration priorities have been established are the CWA Section 303(d) list, the CWA total maximum daily load process, the Clean Rivers Program, the Source Water Protection Program, the EQIP Program, the Senate Bill 503 Water Quality Management Plan Program, and the Groundwater Protection Program. Watersheds in Category I (in need of restoration efforts) will be given the highest priority. However, current federal and state funding is inadequate to initiate restoration strategies in every Category I watershed. Therefore, within Category I, certain watersheds have been targeted for restoration beginning in FY 1999 and FY 2000. These watersheds are designated in Table 1, and include those watersheds where total maximum daily load projects are currently underway. Restoration efforts for the remaining Category I watersheds around the state will be initiated after fiscal years 1999 and 2000, in correlation with the statewide watershed management approach. Each river basin will be targeted for initiation of watershed restoration priorities in subsequent years (see Table 2). Table 1. Hydrologic Unit Codes for Watersheds Targeted for Restoration in FY 1999 and 2000 River Basin E Hydrologic Unit Codes I Cypress Creek Basin 11140305 Neches -Trinity Coastal Basin 12040201, 12040202 Trinity River Basin 12030101, 12030102, 12030103, 12030105, 12030109, 12030201, 12030202 Trinity -San Jacinto Coastal Basin 12040203 San Jacinto River Basin 12040101, 12040102, 12040103, 12040104 San Jacinto - Brazos Coastal Basin 12040204, 12040205 LB razoasi n : 12060202, 12060204, 12070101 Colorado River Basin 12080008 l San Antonio River Basin 12100301 t Nueces -Rio Grande Basin 12110208 As stated earlier, all water bodies within a given hydrologic unit area may not be impaired. Thus, only portions or select subwatersheds of each hydrologic unit area listed above will be targeted for restoration. The Unified Watershed Assessment process evaluated and combined water quality data and information, 4 of 5 11/13/98 11:21 AM Unified Watershed Assessment http://www.tnrcc.state.tx.us/water/quality/tmdl/unified.htm resulting in a map of high - priority watersheds which can be used to target and leverage the resources and technical expertise of local, regional, state, tribal, and federal agencies. Through the TMDL process, in collaboration with the Source Water Protection Program, the Texas Clean Rivers Program, and the EQIP Program, the TNRCC, the TSSWCB, and the NRCS will work with all appropriate agencies, organizations, and the public in each of the watersheds designated for restoration. The process will rely on participation by affected stakeholders and interested citizens, and coordination between local, regional, state, and federal partners will be necessary for the successful completion of each restoration project. VI. Watershed Restoration Strategies Watershed restoration strategies will be pursued and developed through a combination of existing state and federal programs and locally driven management approaches. Existing forums such as the Texas Clean Rivers Program steering committees, Source Water Protection committees, and others will be used to initiate and advance the implementation of watershed restoration activities for high- priority watersheds. This will ensure that the concerns of local agencies, governments, organizations, and citizens are identified and addressed. Watershed restoration strategies may include elements such as: • identifying implementation and maintenance measures and other actions to achieve clean water and other natural resource goals in the watershed; • prioritizing and scheduling; any additional assessments of watershed health; • researching and securing all available funds for watershed restoration; • developing TMDLs for pollutants in the watershed; • identifying sources of water pollution and determining the relative contribution of each source; • watershed rules; • conducting educational events in the watershed for targeted stakeholders (e.g., dairy farmers) and for the general public; • developing and evaluating appropriate best management practices (BMPs) to reduce the risk of water contamination; • monitoring the quality of the water at appropriate sites in the watershed; and • evaluating overall unified watershed assessment and restoration activities. BACKTNRCC _.__. �.... ....._..__._.___.�...w...._�_.. ___.._.._._. ................. ...... _ ..... .... TNRCC disclaimer Comments regarding Data Collection: wquali y@tnrcc c atP tx US Technical questions regarding the TNRCC Web Server: webmaster @tnrcc.ctate tx u http://www.tnrcc.state.tx.us/water/quality/tmdl/unified.htm 5of5 11/13/98 11:21 AM �130700N 13050004 ? l State of Texas 1998 Clean Water Action Plan Unified Watershed Assessment by 8- digit Hydrologic Unit Code Draft August 1998 111ao1a 11°80106 1109105 ? /0' *1112D 11 11 11120103 1 202(12 130101 1112D1a 11120105 11 M03 11130 1 301 1 1113010/ �S 12060007 12080101 1101: 1 X010 t 12080 1208020/ "'07 12000003 12080002 12080102 12080105:1 12080005 12110105 Category I - Restoration M 3034 high Priority 3034 rnedium Priority egory II - Preventative 303d threatened, NRCS ECSP, TSSWCBAg NPS C—aCegory III - Pristine "Ory Iv - Limited Data D 12070205 -� 12070102 12090301 ---J 11110203 \ 12110205 12110207 i114°3°1� 1>ib1 , s J 1Z( 9 140304 Table 2. Watersheds targeted for restoration activities in Fiscal Years 1999 and 2000. * Watersheds targeted for restoration activities in Fiscal Years 1999 and 2000. 12010001 12010002 12010003 12010004 12010005 • 12020001 12020003 12020004 12020005 12040201* 12040202* Am"i .: 12030101* ♦ • ♦ • 12030102* ♦ ♦ • 12030103* ♦ • 12030104 12030105* 12030106 12030107 12030108 • 12030109* 12030201* 12030202* 12030203 ♦ ♦ 12040203* 12040101* 12040102* 12040103* 12040104* 4i 12040204* 12040205* 12050001 12050002 12050003 ♦ 12050004 ♦ 12050005 ♦ ♦ 12050006 12050007 ♦ 12060101 ♦ 12060102 ♦ 12060103 ♦ 12060104 ♦ 12060105 12060201 ♦ * Watersheds targeted for restoration activities in Fiscal Years 1999 and 2000. ' Watersheds targeted for restoration activities in Fiscal Years 1999 and 2000. " Watersheds targeted for restoration activities in Fiscal Years 1999 and 2000. 12100404 • 12100405 • 12100406 12100407 • 12110201 • 12110101 ; .�.;Y < SL41 �;a: Yb <: a;5 's> "� • im 12110102 • 12110103 • 12110104 • 12110105 12110106 • 12110107 • 12110108 • 12110109 • 12110110 • 12110111 12110202 • • 12110203 • 12110207 • 12110208' • • • tiff':... , .... ,..: 13040100 ....: ...:.. s.. < • 13040201 • 13040212 • 13040301 • 13040303 • 13070001 • 13070007 • 13070008 • 13080002 • • 13080003 • • 13090001 • " Watersheds targeted for restoration activities in Fiscal Years 1999 and 2000.