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

INSTITUTIONAL FRAMEWORK
Successful management of water and other natural
resources depends on a thorough knowledge of the
federal, state and local laws and regulations governing
the use of these resources and the organizations
charged with ensuring that laws and regulations
are followed. The landmark national environmental
legislation known as the federal Clean Water Act is the
main driving force behind the development of the ACW
Protection Plan because restoring the Arroyo Colorado
and maintaining it as a “fi shable and swimmable”
stream is a goal of both the Clean Water Act and the
Arroyo Colorado Partnership. Because a number of
federal and state agencies are responsible for the
protection and restoration of natural resources in
Texas, representatives of these agencies were actively
involved in the development the ACW Protection
Plan. However, it is clear from experience that local
stewardship and the actions of local governments have
the greatest effect on water quality.
A list of all federal and state legislation governing
water quality and habitat protection and restoration
in the Arroyo Colorado is provided in Appendix G of
this document. The following sections provide a brief
overview of the federal, state and local governing
entities and programs associated with resource
management in the Arroyo Colorado watershed.
disaster response .
The Arroyo Colorado Navigation District of Cameron
and Willacy Counties granted a perpetual easement in
1947 to the USACE to use specifi c placement areas
for the dredged material from the GIWW and the
Tributary Channel (USACE 1975). The Arroyo Colorado
Navigation District of Cameron and Willacy Counties
dissolved in 1983. The Port of Harlingen Authority
is currently the local sponsor of the GIWW–Tributary
Channel to Harlingen.
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and its local
sponsor maintain the Tributary Channel which
comprises most of the Tidal Segment of the Arroyo
Colorado.
U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is active
in natural resource management, particularly through
the Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS)
and the U.S. Forest Service (USFS). Both organizations
provide resources for conservation of natural
resources, public land management and educational
programs. The USDA’s Resource Conservation
and Development (RC&D) program promotes the
development and utilization of natural resources and
improvement of economic activity through conservation
Federal Agencies and
Programs
Several federal agencies have authority and
jurisdictions over the natural resources in the Arroyo
Colorado watershed. Following is a description of
federal entities, their roles in the management of natural
resources in the Arroyo Colorado watershed, and the
programs they administer.
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE)
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE)
administers regulatory programs and issues permits
under Section 404 of the Clean Water Act and
Section 10 of the Rivers and Harbors Act. In addition
to its military role, USACE leads efforts in planning,
designing, building and operating water resources
and other civil works projects for purposes such as
navigation, fl ood control, environmental protection and
Citrus Farmer, USDA-ARS Researcher, and Independent Soil
Fertility Consultant at Calpine Orchard
Arroyo Colorado Watershed Protection Plan 64 January 2007