Watershed Protection Plan - Lower Rio Grande Valley Development ...

MEASURING PROGRESS
Table 25. Criteria for Assessing Programmatic Indicators and Associated Numerical Targets
Criteria for Assessing Programmatic Indicators Numerical Target Numerical Target
2006-2010 2011-2015
Acres of wetlands created or restored 386 538
Acres of land placed under conservation NA NA
Length of stream bank stabilized NA NA
Number of wastewater treatment facilities upgraded 6 3
Number of new wastewater treatment facilities built 5 1
Number of wastewater effl uent limits reduced 7 2
Number of colonia residents provided with centralized
wastewater treatment or adequate onsite
wastewater treatment 58,610 9,471
Number of enhanced wastewater systems
built or implemented 8 4
Acres of agricultural land in the watershed
under WQMPs and RMSs 50,000 50,000
Pounds of commercial fertilizer spillage
prevented at and near the Port of Harlingen NA NA
Pounds of raw sugar spillage prevented at
and near the Port of Harlingen NA NA
NA – no target developed.
not develop numerical targets for land conservation,
stream bank stabilization and industrial management
practices at and near the Port of Harlingen, the
targets for these indicators are not shown on Table 25.
However, the totals for the criteria associated with these
measures are expected to increase with time during
implementation of the ACW Protection Plan. Therefore,
success for these indicators will be measured in
terms of a relative increase in the totals for the criteria
associated with each indicator over time.
Criteria for Assessing Environmental Indicators
Table 26 shows the criteria for assessing
environmental indicators and the numerical targets
associated with each. Since the TCEQ does not
include total suspended solids or BOD among the
parameters assessed during development of the
Texas Water Quality Inventory and 303(d) list, the
numerical targets for these indicators are not shown
on Table 26. Likewise, since the ACW Partnership did
not develop numerical targets for the number of algal
blooms reported, the number of fi sh kills reported and
the abundance, diversity and distribution of aquatic life
species in the Arroyo Colorado, the numerical targets
for these criteria are also not included in Table 26.
However, baseline data for these criteria are available
from individual studies conducted in the Arroyo
Colorado in the recent past. Therefore, success for
these indicators will be measured in terms of a relative
improvement in the numerical values of the totals for
these criteria over time.
Criteria for Assessing Social Indicators
The ACW Partnership developed the following
criteria for assessing social indicators:
• Estimated percentage of watershed residents
knowledgeable about water quality issues in the
Arroyo Colorado
• Number of watershed residents involved in
restoring and protecting habitat and water quality
in the Arroyo Colorado
• Number of volunteer water quality monitors
trained in the watershed
Because of the inherent diffi culty associated with
quantifying the environmental effects of E&O, the
ACW Partnership did not develop numerical targets
for these criteria. However, baseline data for these
criteria are available from individual studies conducted
in the Arroyo Colorado in the recent past. Therefore,
success for these indicators will be measured in terms
of a relative improvement in the numerical values of the
totals for these criteria over time.
Milestones
Table 27 shows the milestones selected by the
ACW Partnership to mark the progress of the ACW
Protection Plan. In defi ning interim goals or milestones
for implementation of the ACW Protection Plan, the
ACW Partnership focused attention on actions and
measures in the plan that could be easily quantifi ed.
January 2007 155 Arroyo Colorado Watershed Protection Plan