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

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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Water Quality Water quality in the tidal segment of the Arroyo Colorado does not support aquatic life because of occasional occurrences of low dissolved oxygen (DO). Water quality in the non-tidal segment of the Arroyo Colorado does not support contact recreation because of high fecal bacteria concentrations. Nutrient concentrations (nitrogen and phosphorus compounds) are high in both segments of the Arroyo Colorado. The concentration of nitrogen compounds such as ammonia and nitrate in the Arroyo Colorado are among the highest in the state, exceeding the 85th percentile of all other tidal water bodies in the state, and historical water quality data indicate an increasing trend over time for these pollutants. Chlorophyll–a concentrations, a measure of the stream’s algal productivity, consistently exceed the screening criteria in the tidal segment of the Arroyo Colorado and have reached very high levels within recent years (2000- 2006), displaying a trend similar to that of nitrogencontaining compounds. Productivity overall is high in the tidal segment of the Arroyo Colorado, and algal blooms, indicative of ecological imbalance, are common in the spring and summer months. Wide daily swings in DO often accompany periods of high algal productivity. A reduction in nutrients in the Arroyo Colorado will help control excessive algal growth and will improve dissolved oxygen levels in the Arroyo Colorado’s Zone of Impairment. Sea birds in the Arroyo Colorado Tidal Segment Wastewater Infrastructure The Arroyo Colorado receives treated wastewater from fourteen municipalities and two water supply corporations located in the watershed. The Arroyo Colorado also receives substantial volumes of untreated or poorly treated wastewater generated in colonias, which are low income, unincorporated border communities lacking adequate water and wastewater infrastructure. The most recent population estimates (2003) show there are approximately 200,000 residents living in colonias in Hidalgo, Cameron and Willacy counties. Most of these residents live within the Arroyo Colorado watershed. Since the year 2000, compliance with state effl uent limits has improved substantially among wastewater treatment facilities in the Arroyo Colorado, and 11 municipalities have signifi cantly increased their wastewater infrastructure, providing new sanitary sewer services to over 37,000 colonia residents. During that period (2000-2006), two new wastewater treatment facilities were built and one facility was upgraded. As part of the ACW Protection Plan, municipalities in the Arroyo Colorado watershed will provide wastewater services to an additional 68,000 colonia residents (approximately 42% of the current colonia population in the Rio Grande Valley) and six new wastewater treatment facilities and nine upgrades and/or expansions to existing wastewater facilities are planned. The ACW Protection Plan also includes 11 enhanced wastewater treatment projects (small wetlands and pond systems designed to remove nutrients from treated wastewater), a 500-acre regional wetland system and a 300-acre regional wetland system planned for construction between 2008 and 2015. Agriculture The Arroyo Colorado watershed contains approximately 333,000 acres of agricultural land. This land area amounts to approximately half of the land use in the Arroyo Colorado watershed. Cotton and grain sorghum are the primary crops. However, corn, sugarcane and citrus are also commonly grown in the area. Agricultural production contributes approximately 41% of the BOD, 68% of the total nitrogen, 49% of the total phosphorus, and 87% of the sediment entering the Arroyo Colorado. The goal of the ACW Protection Plan is to achieve the voluntary adoption of agricultural best Arroyo Colorado Watershed Protection Plan 4 January 2007
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY management practices (BMPs) on 33% of the irrigated cropland (approximately 100,000 acres) by 2010 and 50% (approximately 150,000 acres) by 2015. Storm Water Management Until recently, pollution from urban storm water was largely unregulated in the Arroyo Colorado watershed. Since 2003, efforts to control urban storm water runoff in the Arroyo Colorado watershed have been limited to outreach and education for municipalities in the Rio Grande Valley in efforts to familiarize them with the requirements of the recent federal (Phase II) storm water regulations for small Municipal Separate Storm Sewers (MS4s). However, in 2007, local governments will begin developing Storm Water Management Programs (SWMPs) for more than 60 Urbanized Areas located in the Arroyo Colorado watershed. The ACW Partnership will work with the Lower Rio Grande Valley TPDES Storm Water Task Force, a local partnership of 18 municipalities and Texas A&M University–Kingsville established to ensure compliance with Phase II Storm Water requirements for small MS4s in the Rio Grande Valley, to focus SWMPs on preventing nonpoint source pollution of the Arroyo Colorado. The SWMPs are expected to reduce loading of pollutants of concern to the Arroyo Colorado. The ACW Partnership will also work with the TCEQ to complete demonstration projects showing the effectiveness of non-structural BMPs in reducing urban nonpoint source pollution. Education and Outreach Prior to 2000, only limited outreach and education (E&O) efforts were conducted by state and local governments in the Rio Grande Valley focusing specifi cally on the water quality issues associated with the Arroyo Colorado. Since 2004, the ACW Partnership has provided E&O to stakeholders and citizens about topics and issues that affect water quality and habitat in the Arroyo Colorado. In 2006, the ACW Partnership commissioned a social marketing report to guide outreach efforts in the watershed. The report forms the basis for the E&O campaign described in the ACW Protection Plan. The campaign consists of nine major Strategies and uses a combination of broad and targeted outreach efforts with a variety of message delivery vehicles. The Strategies are the following: Acknowledging the contribution of Cameron County Drainage #5 to the development of an educational wetland in Mercedes Strategy 2 - Deliver Basic Facts about the Arroyo Colorado. Strategy 3 - Raise Awareness and Increase Community Involvement in the Arroyo Colorado Watershed Partnership Initiative. Strategy 4 - Develop Partnership Agreements for Message Distribution. Strategy 5 - Create Micro-Campaigns for Specifi c Target Audiences. Strategy 6 - Institutionalize a Practice of Ongoing Campaign Evaluation. Strategy 7 - Establish Volunteer Monitoring Programs on the Arroyo Colorado and Associated Drainages. Strategy 8 - Collaborate with Government Agencies Offering Environmental E&O. Strategy 9 - Collaborate with Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) Supporting Environmental Education and Conservation Programs in the Watershed. Strategy 1 - Establish a Brand. January 2007 5 Arroyo Colorado Watershed Protection Plan
Page 2 and 3: Photos courtesy of Brand Cowan, Cam
Page 5 and 6: CONTENTS ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS .........
Page 7 and 8: CONTENTS - FIGURES Habitat Restorat
Page 9: TABLES LIST OF TABLES Table 1. Tabl
Page 13 and 14: EXECUTIVE SUMMARY The Arroyo Colora
Page 15: EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Habitat Approxima
Page 19 and 20: EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Elements of the W
Page 22 and 23: INTRODUCTION In its most pristine c
Page 24 and 25: INTRODUCTION Colorado, where physic
Page 27 and 28: THE ARROYO COLORADO WATERSHED PARTN
Page 34 and 35: THE ARROYO COLORADO WATERSHED The A
Page 36 and 37: THE ARROYO COLORADO WATERSHED the D
Page 38 and 39: THE ARROYO COLORADO WATERSHED Figur
Page 40 and 41: THE ARROYO COLORADO WATERSHED Table
Page 42 and 43: THE ARROYO COLORADO WATERSHED Resac
Page 45 and 46: STATE OF THE WATERSHED From a natur
Page 47 and 48: STATE OF THE WATERSHED resacas loca
Page 49 and 50: STATE OF THE WATERSHED Water Qualit
Page 51 and 52: STATE OF THE WATERSHED Table 8. Des
Page 53 and 54: STATE OF THE WATERSHED Figure 12. L
Page 55 and 56: STATE OF THE WATERSHED Figure 14. 1
Page 57 and 58: STATE OF THE WATERSHED Figure 18. T
Page 59 and 60: STATE OF THE WATERSHED Figure 20. T
Page 61 and 62: STATE OF THE WATERSHED facilities a
Page 63 and 64: STATE OF THE WATERSHED controlled.
Page 65 and 66: STATE OF THE WATERSHED Tree plantin
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XXX Arroyo Colorado Watershed Prote
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POLLUTION IN THE ARROYO COLORADO
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POLLUTION IN THE ARROYO COLORADO 1)
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POLLUTION IN THE ARROYO COLORADO St
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INSTITUTIONAL FRAMEWORK Successful
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INSTITUTIONAL FRAMEWORK the water r
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INSTITUTIONAL FRAMEWORK managing pr
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INSTITUTIONAL FRAMEWORK criteria fo
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INSTITUTIONAL FRAMEWORK pertaining
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ELEMENTS OF THE ARROYO COLORADO WAT
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EDUCATION AND OUTREACH Fostering lo
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EDUCATION AND OUTREACH • Distribu
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EDUCATION AND OUTREACH quality prob
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EDUCATION AND OUTREACH • Develop
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EDUCATION AND OUTREACH take to do t
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EDUCATION AND OUTREACH industry, de
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EDUCATION AND OUTREACH To support m
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EDUCATION AND OUTREACH members of t
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ESTIMATED WATERSHED LOADINGS AND LO
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WATER QUALITY MONITORING PLAN Figur
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WATER QUALITY MONITORING PLAN Figur
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WATER QUALITY MONITORING PLAN Autom
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TECHNICAL AND FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE
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SOURCES OF TECHNICAL AND FINANCIAL
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IMPLEMENTATION SCHEDULE Federal CWA
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IMPLEMENTATION SCHEDULE Table 24. T
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IMPLEMENTATION SCHEDULE TMDL Monito
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MEASURING PROGRESS The ultimate mea
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MEASURING PROGRESS Table 25. Criter
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MEASURING PROGRESS Table 27. Milest
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APPENDICES HUC HWWS IBWC IMAS km LL
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APPENDICES APPENDIX B Arroyo Colora
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APPENDICES arise necessitating the
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APPENDICES c. Committee Members: Co
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APPENDICES APPENDIX C Arroyo Colora
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APPENDICES FRANK MARTINEZ IBWC JAME
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APPENDICES WESLEY ROSENTHAL TAMU JE
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APPENDICES APPENDIX E Rare Plants a
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APPENDICES Common Name Scientific N
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APPENDICES APPENDIX F Locally Activ
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APPENDICES Gorgas Science Foundatio
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APPENDICES Endangered Species Act T
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APPENDICES APPENDIX H List of Feder
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APPENDICES Common Name Scientific N
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APPENDICES APPENDIX I Selected Mars
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APPENDICES Mid-Depths - 15 to 50 cm
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REFERENCES Arnold, J.G., P.M. Allen
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REFERENCES IBWC, 2003. Hydraulic Mo
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REFERENCES TAES (Texas Agricultural
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REFERENCES USEPA, 1999. Draft Guida
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