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

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THE ARROYO COLORADO WATERSHED Resaca Harlingen (USACE 1975). Although the USACE did some additional straightening and bend-easing of the navigation channel, several of the larger oxbows on the Arroyo Colorado were already bypassed during earlier federal projects implemented by the IBWC. As part of the navigation project, which encompasses the lower portion of the Arroyo Colorado Tidal from river mile 7 to the mouth, the old bed of the Arroyo Colorado was bypassed completely and a new channel was completed to the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway in the Laguna Madre, approximately 21 miles north of Port Isabel, Texas (Bryan 1971). The maintenance dredging cycle of the channel varies with location. The channel’s intersection with the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway has a historical dredging cycle of about three years and the (barge) turning basin at the farthest upstream end of the channel in the Port of Harlingen has a historical dredging cycle of about 2.5 years. The middle reach of the channel has a historical dredging cycle of fi ve to eight years. The authorized depth of the Tributary Channel to Harlingen is 12 feet below Mean Low Tide (USACE Datum). Also authorized are two feet of advanced maintenance dredging and one to two feet of overdepth dredging, so the channel can be dredged to 16 feet at Mean Low Tide. The authorized width of the bottom cut of the channel is 125 feet. The bottom cut dimensions of the turning basin at the Port of Harlingen, located at the far upstream end of the tidal segment, are 400 feet by 500 feet, with a 200-foot transition where it narrows from 400 feet to 125 feet. The authorized depth of the Port of Harlingen Turning Basin is 14 feet below Mean Low Tide. Also authorized are four feet of advanced maintenance dredging and one to two feet of overdepth dredging, so the basin could be dredged to 18 feet below Mean Low Tide. Soldiers working on levee, circa 1917 Center for American History, UT-Austin Robert Runyon Photography Collection Arroyo Colorado Watershed Protection Plan 30 January 2007
THE ARROYO COLORADO WATERSHED Signifi cant urbanization began in the Rio Grande Valley in the late 1980s, concentrating in areas along the Arroyo Colorado where it continues today. Conversion from agricultural use to urban development is the principal land use change occurring in the Arroyo Colorado watershed (TCEQ 2003). Between 1970 and 1990, the population in Hidalgo County more than doubled, while that of Cameron County nearly doubled (Chapman et al., 1998). This urbanization trend continued in the decade between 1990 and 2000 and is currently the principal trend in land use change in the Arroyo Colorado watershed. Urbanization has a tendency to change the hydrology of a water body, making it more prone to fl ash fl ooding. By increasing the amount of impervious cover in a watershed, urbanization increases the intensity of rainfall runoff into nearby lakes and streams. Natural vegetation captures rainfall in leaves and root systems, absorbing and reducing runoff; this phenomenon is known as interception storage. Vegetation also has a mediating effect on runoff, holding back and regulating storm water that otherwise would fl ow directly into a receiving water body. Urbanization can also have a negative effect on the quality of the rainfall runoff. When not properly applied, fertilizers and pesticides used in urban gardens and landscaping are washed away quickly in urban runoff along with carelessly discarded pet waste and human waste from leaking sewer lines and failing septic systems. Arroyo Colorado banks Mesquite forest January 2007 31 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 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 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
Page 76 and 77: INSTITUTIONAL FRAMEWORK Successful
Page 78 and 79: INSTITUTIONAL FRAMEWORK the water r
Page 80 and 81: INSTITUTIONAL FRAMEWORK managing pr
Page 82 and 83: INSTITUTIONAL FRAMEWORK criteria fo
Page 84 and 85: INSTITUTIONAL FRAMEWORK pertaining
Page 87 and 88: ELEMENTS OF THE ARROYO COLORADO WAT
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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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