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

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INTRODUCTION Colorado, where physical modifi cations and habitat destruction contribute signifi cantly to poor water quality. Hard as it may be to predict water quality from changes in pollutant loading, predicting changes in water quality brought about from restoration of channel features and aquatic and riparian habitat is nearly impossible. For this reason, the ACW Partnership is using an adaptive management approach to implementing the ACW Protection Plan. The ACW Partnership will monitor changes in pollutant loading, habitat, and water quality in the Arroyo Colorado during implementation of Phase I of the ACW Protection Plan. The information gathered during Phase I of the plan will be used to develop subsequent phases of the Plan. Watersheds A collection of watersheds forms a drainage basin, and a collection of drainage basins forms a drainage system. An easy way to understand watersheds, drainage basins and drainage systems is to think of them as a series of bowls that fl ow into each other (Figure 3). The “bowls” become successively larger as the size of the receiving water body increases and the number of “bowls” fl owing into each successively larger “bowl” also increases with the size of the receiving water body. Figure 3. Diagram Showing the Relationship Between the Arroyo Colorado Watershed, the Laguna Madre Drainage Basin and the Gulf of Mexico Drainage System In order to effect signifi cant change in the condition of the Arroyo Colorado, or any natural water body, the strategies and plans designed to improve water quality and/or habitat must encompass all elements that contribute fl ow and pollutant loading to the aquatic system. For this reason, virtually all plans designed to restore and/or protect aquatic resources are watershedbased plans. A watershed is the land surface that drains into a specifi c water body (i.e., creek, stream, river, lake, wetland, marsh, bayou or bay). In most river systems, the creeks and streams that drain small land surfaces are known as fi rst order streams. These small streams eventually run into bigger second and third order streams that represent the drainage of bigger and bigger areas of land (Figure 2). Watersheds are defi ned by both the water body receiving the drainage and by the terrain or topography of the land surface that drains into the water body. Figure 2. Diagram Representing Stream Order as it Relates to the Arroyo Colorado 1 1 2 3 1 1. First Order Streams - Drainage Ditches 2. Second Order Streams - Floodway 3. Third Order Streams - Arroyo Colorado 1 2 1 1 3 Arroyo Colorado Watershed Protection Plan 12 January 2007
INTRODUCTION Watershed Stewardship Virtually everyone lives or works in a watershed. Even if a person’s home is not located near water, that home is certain to be on land that drains into a creek, river, lake or estuary. As homeowners and citizens, we often engage in activities that affect the quality of the water that drains from the areas in which we live and work. Individual actions may not seem like much, but collectively, they can have a big impact on the health of our natural water bodies. Because watersheds are defi ned by natural topography, which in turn defi nes drainage area, watersheds make good units for managing aquatic resources, although they often cross the jurisdictional boundaries of local governments. Using watersheds as management units, the aquatic resource becomes the focal point, and managers are able to gain a more complete understanding of overall conditions in an area and the stressors that affect those conditions (USEPA 1996). However, resource managers cannot effect change in water quality by themselves. Ultimately, it takes the caring stewardship of the citizens living within the watershed to restore and protect the aquatic resources offered by the receiving water bodies. Recreational fishermen in the Arroyo Colorado Tidal Segment View of the south shore of the Arroyo Colorado at Arroyo City January 2007 13 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 and 16: EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Habitat Approxima
Page 17 and 18: EXECUTIVE SUMMARY management practi
Page 19 and 20: EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Elements of the W
Page 22 and 23: INTRODUCTION In its most pristine c
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
Page 67 and 68: XXX Arroyo Colorado Watershed Prote
Page 69 and 70: POLLUTION IN THE ARROYO COLORADO
Page 71 and 72: POLLUTION IN THE ARROYO COLORADO 1)
Page 73 and 74: 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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