Coastal Stormwater Best Management Practices Guidance. Listening Session ANAHUAC December 9, 2013

Transcription

1 Coastal Stormwater Best Management Practices Guidance Listening Session ANAHUAC December 9, 2013

2 Who We Are Dr. Michael Barrett, Ph.D., P.E. University of Texas at Austin CRWR Danica Adams, MSCRP, MSSD University of Texas at Austin CRWR Mel Vargas, Project Manager Parsons

3 Coastal Management Program (CMP) About $2.2M awarded annually in grants in 18 Texas coastal counties for: Coastal Natural Hazards Response Critical Areas Enhancement Public Access Waterfront Revitalization and Ecotourism Development Permit Streamlining/Assistance, Governmental Coordination and Local Government Planning Assistance Water Sediment Quantity and Quality Improvements Funding is available to county and local governments, nonprofits, universities, and others.

4 TCEQ Nonpoint Source Program Plans and implements activities that prevent or abate urban and other nonagricultural nonpoint source pollution in Texas waters Provides grant funding for: assessment of nonpoint sources of water pollution education and outreach implementation of both technology-based and water quality based management measures

5 Federal Funding Requirements Federal government funds the Texas Coastal Management and Nonpoint Source Programs A condition of the funding is that the states adopt measures to reduce nonpoint source pollution in the Coastal Zone Sources of nonpoint pollution include: Construction activities Marina operation Septic systems Highways Urban development

6 EPA Recognized Programs Any entity with established procedures for managing stormwater All municipalities with a stormwater permit including: Phase 1 MS4 Permits (Large municipalities: Houston, Beaumont) Phase 2 MS4 Permits (Small municipalities located in metropolitan areas) TxDOT Established program for road and bridge maintenance

7 Our Role Provide planning assistance to communities and counties to address nonpoint source pollution in the coastal zone Objective is to produce a guidance document to help coastal areas that are not covered by state stormwater permits to reduce nonpoint source pollution Adoption of the guidance document by local agencies is strictly voluntary The hope of state agencies is that protection of local natural resources will provide the incentive for voluntary adoption of these measures by coastal entities.

8 Project Tasks Conduct Outreach, Partnership Development and Watershed Inventory With the Oversight of an Advisory Group Develop Guidance for Urban Development Facilitate Access to TxDOT Materials for County Roadways Provide Technical Assistance Produce and distribute guidance documents Conduct training workshops Assist communities that apply for funding assistance

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10 Clean Water Act Requirements Sets the goal of all making all waterbodies fishable and swimmable Requires The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) to assess the quality of all lakes, rivers, bays and estuaries. The TCEQ publishes a list of waterbodies that don t meet water quality standards (303(d) list). Stakeholders in these watersheds must adopt practices to reduce the discharge of pollutants to the listed waterbodies

11 303(d) Stream/Bay Segments and Population Growth Municipality County 303D Segment Name 2012 Use Impairment 2012 Pollutants of Concern 2010 Population 1990 Population % Change 1990 to 2010 Anahuac Chambers Trinity Bay Fish, Oysters Dixon in edible tissue PCBs in edible tissue 2,243 1, Beach City Chambers Trinity Bay Fish, Oysters Dixon in edible tissue PCBs in edible tissue 2, Old River- Winfree Chambers Cotton Bayou Contact Bacteria 1,245 1,233 1 Jamaica Beach Galveston West Bay Fish, Oysters Dixon in edible tissue PCBs in edible tissue Taylor Landing Jefferson Taylor Bayou/North Fork Taylor Bayou Aquatic Depressed dissolved oxygen 228 Unknown Unknown

12 Upper Coastal Area

13 Upper Coastal Area

14 Growth and Development can Lead to Decreased Water Quality Growth and development increases impervious cover - bigger parking lots, more buildings and driveways. This means more areas where rain cannot soak into the ground, so runoff is increased. This additional runoff picks up a variety of pollutants including bacteria and discharges into nearby waterways.

15 Effects of Imperviousness on Runoff and Infiltration

16 TYPICAL BACTERIA SOURCES

17 Why Are You Here? You are the experts in your community we need to learn from you. Our goal is to create a stormwater guidance document that is targeted to non-ms4 municipalities in the Texas Coastal Zone. This document will be designed to help these cities voluntarily implement sustainable strategies to improve stormwater quantity and quality. To make this guidance manual as relevant as possible to you, we must first learn what stormwater problems you are experiencing. What we learn in these sessions will inform the development of our recommendations.

18 Discussion At this point, you have heard from us; now we need to hear from you! You know your city best: What urban conditions in your city might be contributing to stream impairments down river? Do you have stormwater controls in place? What controls might or might not work for your town? How is your town unique in its stormwater and drainage conditions? What barriers might you face in trying to implement stormwater controls?

19 Constraints to Work Around What political constraints might you face when trying to get stormwater controls implemented? What physical or environmental constraints might you encounter when addressing stormwater in your area? Old dumping areas? Abnormal soil conditions? Not enough space?

20 Current Practices to Build On Do you have political capital? Are there current practices that lay a good foundation for additional stormwater controls? Are there outside funding sources that you are currently using that could directed towards stormwater? Do you have development opportunities? Is there existing development that could be regulated to make it perform better?

21 Stay in the Loop - Join our Advisory Board! Be part of our stormwater Advisory Board get updates, give us feedback, and be an ambassador for this guidance document. Meet semi-annually, either in person or conference call. It is easy to sign up just let us know you are interested!

22 Have questions? No question is too small call or Danica Adams with the Center for Research in Water Resources (CRWR): or (512) Dr. Michael Barrett; Ph.D, P.E. University of Texas at Austin CRWR Danica Adams; MSCRP, MSSD University of Texas at Austin CRWR Mel Vargas; Project Manager Parsons