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

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STATE OF THE WATERSHED Figure 21. E. coli and Enterococcus Concentrations at Water Quality Monitoring Stations Located Upstream (13074) and Downstream (13072) of the Arroyo Colorado Tidal Boundary # Colonies/100ml # Colonies/100ml 600 500 400 300 200 100 0 3000 2500 2000 1500 1000 500 Mar-01 0 Mar-01 Jul-01 Bacteria 13072 - Arroyo Colorado Tidal at FM 106 Bridge, Rio Hondo Jul-01 Nov-01 Bacteria 13074 - Arroyo Colorado at Cemetary Road Nov-01 Mar-02 Mar-02 Jul-02 Jul-02 • The City of Mercedes • The City of Mission • The City of Pharr • The City of Rio Hondo • The City of San Benito • The City of San Juan • The City of Weslaco • The East Rio Hondo Water Supply Corporation • The McAllen Public Utility Board • The Military Highway Water Supply Corporation (three facilities) Nov-02 Nov-02 Mar-03 Mar-03 Jul-03 Jul-03 E. coli Enterococcus Criteria for Single E. Coli Criteria for Single Enterococcus Nov-03 Nov-03 Mar-04 Mar-04 Jul-04 E. coli Enterococcus Criteria for Single E. Coli Jul-04 Nov-04 Nov-04 Mar-05 Mar-05 Jul-05 Jul-05 Nov-05 Criteria for Single Enterococcus Nov-05 Mar-06 Mar-06 pollutants in the Arroyo Colorado Watershed. A more detailed discussion of the wastewater treatment facilities in the Arroyo Colorado is included in the section of this document titled “Sources and Causes of Pollution in the Arroyo Colorado.” Municipal The permitted discharge limits for municipal treatment facilities vary widely within the Arroyo Colorado watershed. The permits include limits on effl uent concentrations of fi veday biochemical oxygen demand (BOD5) and total suspended solids (TSS). These permits are commonly referred to by the effl uent limitation sets of BOD and TSS. For example, a permit allowing discharge of up to 30 mg/l of BOD5 and 90 mg/l of TSS is called a 30/90 permit. Permits are also commonly issued for effl uent sets of 20/20 or 10/15 for the same constituents (BOD/TSS). Of the 18 wastewater treatment facilities considered to be the Principal Point Source Contributors of Pollutants in the Arroyo Colorado watershed, nine are currently at the 10/15 treatment level, fi ve are at the 20/20 level, and four are at the 30/90 level. Since 2000, two new wastewater treatment facilities were constructed and one facility was upgraded. As part of the ACW Protection Plan, fi ve additional new The wastewater treatment facilities operated by the participants in the Arroyo Colorado PRP account for more than 95% of all point source loading of pollutants of concern entering the Arroyo Colorado upstream of the Zone of Impairment. These facilities are considered to be the “Principal Point Source Contributors” of Colonia Arroyo Colorado Watershed Protection Plan 48 January 2007
STATE OF THE WATERSHED facilities and seven expansions and/or upgrades to existing facilities are planned for the period of 2006- 2010 and one new facility and two facility expansions or upgrades are planned for the period of 2011-2015. The ACW Protection Plan also includes eight enhanced wastewater treatment projects (small wetlands and pond systems) planned for construction in the period of 2006 through 2010, and three enhanced wastewater treatment projects are also planned for construction in the planning interval of 2011 through 2015. On-Site Wastewater Systems and Colonias Recent population estimates show there are 199,529 residents living in colonias in the Hidalgo, Cameron and Willacy counties (TWDB 2003). Most of these residents are within the Arroyo Colorado watershed. The Phase I DO TMDL analysis of the Arroyo Colorado (2002) accounted for the loading from colonias (lowincome unincorporated communities) that were not connected to centralized wastewater systems as urban nonpoint source pollution (NPS). Extending wastewater service to these residents will result in a decrease in urban NPS loadings and an increase in urban point source loading (see Estimated Loadings section). New municipal wastewater facilities, expansions and upgrades are planned to accommodate a growing urban and suburban population, and to provide service to populations that currently use on-site treatment systems. From 2000 to 2005, more than 37,000 residents of colonias were supplied with centralized wastewater service by neighboring municipalities (TCEQ 2006). There are plans to serve an additional 58,610 residents during the period from 2006 to 2010 and 9,471 from 2011 through 2015 (TCEQ 2006). Pilot channel in the Main Floodway Reuse of Wastewater The partial reuse of effl uent from wastewater treatment facilities is a practice that can limit nutrient loading to the Arroyo Colorado and one that is favored by municipalities in the watershed as a water conservation strategy. Five municipalities are currently reusing approximately 2.5 MGD of wastewater effl uent for irrigation. As part of the ACW Protection Plan, several municipalities plan to reuse an additional 1.75 MGD of wastewater effl uent by 2015 and other municipalities are also considering the reuse option in their plans for future wastewater improvements. Cultivation Agriculture Agriculture is an important part of the economy of the Lower Rio Grande Valley. According to the 2002 Census of Agriculture, the market value of crops sold is over $62 million in Cameron County and more than $182 million in Hidalgo County. The Lower Rio Grande Valley is one of the most intensely farmed regions in Texas, with approximately 28% of the land area classifi ed as cropland and approximately 72% of available cropland in active cultivation (NOAA, 1992). Loss of farmland to increasing urbanization of the Lower Rio Grande Valley is of great concern to local farmers. It is estimated that in the next 25 years, a 14% loss of irrigated cropland will occur in Cameron County due to urbanization and a 26% loss is expected in Hidalgo County. It is estimated that agricultural activity accounts for more than half of the nutrients and suspended sediment entering the Arroyo Colorado (see Estimated Loadings Section). With the help of state and federal agricultural agencies, many management practices designed to reduce nutrient and pesticide runoff from agricultural land have been implemented in the Arroyo Colorado January 2007 49 Arroyo Colorado Watershed Protection Plan
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Photos courtesy of Brand Cowan, Cam
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CONTENTS ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS .........
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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 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: STATE OF THE WATERSHED Figure 20. T
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
Page 102 and 103: EDUCATION AND OUTREACH Fostering lo
Page 104 and 105: EDUCATION AND OUTREACH • Distribu
Page 106 and 107: EDUCATION AND OUTREACH quality prob
Page 108 and 109: 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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