TTU Llano River Field Station Contributions to the South Central Climate Science Center

Transcription

1 TTU Llano River Field Station Contributions to the South Central Climate Science Center QuickTime and a TIFF (Uncompressed) decompressor are needed to see this picture. Llano River Field Station: The mission of the Llano River Field Station (LRFS) is to encourage, conduct, and coordinate basic and applied research projects dealing with water/watersheds, exotic species, range management, natural resources, ecological restoration, environmental education and related activities on the Texas Tech University field station at Junction, Texas. As the largest (> 400 acres) inland field station in Texas, bisected by the headwaters of the South Llano River, a primary emphasis is placed on critical education, engagement and natural resource, water and watershed problems in the biologically diverse Central Texas Hill Country with expansion to encompass state, national and international water and environmental issues of common concern.

2 The Llano River Field Station has multipurpose, multidisciplinary research, education and engagement programs directed toward recognition, understanding and solutions to natural resource, education and regional problems with national and international implications in the following areas: Watershed and Range Science best management practices for brush control, wildlife, biodiversity, restoration and conservation. Freshwater Systems basic/applied/integrated studies of groundwater, springs, rivers and lakes. Environmental Education/Engagement studies, programs & workshops on natural resources and STEM school content for students, teachers, parents and public. The TRP is interested in learning more about your consortium s ability and experience across the full range of the region defined as South Central Which runs from New Mexico east to Louisiana, with a broad variety of ecological and socio-cultural settings. Please describe your consortium s capabilities / experience across this region, and/or your strategy for moving into areas in which you have not historically been active. The Texas Tech University Llano River Field Station enjoys the best geographic position of any university in the state to conduct climate, water and watershed, invasive species impacts and ecological studies in the Texas Hill Country, which was recently named by the Nature Conservancy as one of the last great ecosystems in the United States worthy of special preservation. Researchers/educators through and at LRFS strive to establish collaborative and interdisciplinary relationships to further enhance natural resource science and conservation, watershed best practices and exemplary STEM based pedagogy, curriculum and environmental education. To do this, LRFS has engaged in multiple partnerships with state & federal agencies, Independent School Districts, professional scientific and educational organizations, funding agencies and NGOs and municipalities and national research institutes including: Texas State University, Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, Texas Water Development Board, Texas Council on Environmental Quality, Nueces River Authority, Texas Agrilife, Texas Department of Agriculture, and many others-see below. Climate and nature will present humanity with a whole series of local, regional, and global challenges. In 2006, Texas Tech was one of the first 62 institutions and the first university in Texas to earn the Carnegie Foundation s classification for Community Engagement. Community engagement describes the collaboration between higher education institutions and their larger communities (local, regional/state, national, global) for the mutually beneficial exchange of knowledge and resources in a context of partnership and reciprocity. Below are examples of Llano River Field Station s diverse traditional and innovative experience in working directly with natural resource managers, local and regional conservation alliances and professional academic and educational organizations to ensure the utility of scientific products as well as natural resource management agencies to support their science needs. TEXAS WATER SYMPOSIUM The TTU Llano River Field Station helped develop the Texas Water Symposium, which is a partnership with Texas Public Radio, Schreiner University and Hill Country Alliance. LRFS plans and develops the majority of programs (5/years, ) Texas Water Symposium: is a unique and innovative approach to educating the public about water in Texas. The Texas Water Symposium series provides perspectives from key stakeholders and illustrates the complexity and challenges in providing water for Texans in this century. The

3 Symposium venue alternates among cities in the Hill Country and San Antonio and Texas Public Radio records and archives each program for subsequent Friday night broadcast over KSTX (San Antonio) and KTXI (Ingram). The series of lectures/discussion for broadcast on Texas Public Radio involves a variety of water topics & issues, including climate change and panelists including: state legislators, general managers of river authorities and groundwater agencies, scientists, state agencies, NGOs, municipalities, ranchers and lawyers including Texas Legislators, Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, Texas Water Development Board, The Nature Conservancy, Groundwater Management Districts, Legal Scholars, Sierra Club, San Antonio Water System, Upper Guadalupe River Authority, Texas Master Naturalists, South Llano River Watershed Alliance, Environmental Defense Fund, Dixon Water Foundation, University of Texas at Austin, Texas A&M University, Texas State University, University of Texas at San Antonio TTU LLANO RIVER FIELD STATION CONFERENCES AND WORKSHOPS The LRFS conducts, hosts, organizes and presents conferences and workshops for professional scientific and educational organizations and local and regional landowners related to land stewardship and conservation. Such activities and programs get the science of natural resources, water and climate change to critical stakeholders that represent not only the impact endpoints of climate change, but also groups and voters that can implement carbon behavior modification. Texas Association of Environmental Educators Annual Meeting. October 23-25, Llano River Field Station. Texas Tech Junction, Texas. 120 registrants Southwestern Association of Naturalists. Successful proposal to host the 2010 Annual Meeting of SWAN at the Llano River Field Station-Texas Tech University-Junction. April registrants Riparian Essentials in Practice Workshop. March 12 14, Texas Riparian Association. Llano River Field Station. TTU-Junction. 45 registrants. Edwards Plateau Ecoregion Workshop. April 19-20, Multiagency Stakeholder Meeting to develop Texas Conservation Action Plan. 35 registrants. Llano River Field Station. TTU-Junction. Texas Watershed Steward Workshop. April 29, Llano River Field Station. TTU-Junction. 40 registrants. Riparian Workshop. May 3, Llano River Field Station. Texas Tech University Center in Junction. Sponsored by South Llano Watershed Alliance, Nueces River Authority and Llano River Field Station. 35 registrants. Hill Country Land Stewardship Workshop: Plans and Practices for Maximizing the Value and Resources of Your Land Organized by WEPTMN, TTU Llano River Field Station, and Texas AgriLife Extension Service. 95 registrants. Conservation Across Boundaries Texas Workshop, July Teacher Natural Resource Education Workshop. Llano River Field Station. TTU-Junction. 22 teachers. Rainwater Harvesting Workshop, August Texas AgriLife Extension Education. Llano River Field Station. TTU-Junction.

4 LLANO RIVER FIELD STATION SERVICE ON SCIENTIFIC, NATIONAL, STATE AGENCY AND NGO ADVISORY COMMITTEES/BOARDS The Director of the LRFS was recently selected to serve as Chair, Executive Committee of the Society of Freshwater Science (formerly North American Benthological Society). Climate change symposia are being organized for the next 3 SFS annual meetings including 2014 in Portland where SFS will be the lead organization for a joint meeting including American Society of Limnology and Oceanography, Society of Wetland Scientist and the Phycological Society of America. The Society of Freshwater Science is an international scientific organization whose purpose is to promote further understanding of aquatic ecosystems, with particular interest in the stream benthic biological community and its relationship to aquatic ecosystem structure and function, the watershed and landscape, habitat assessment, conservation, and restoration. We foster exchange of scientific information among the membership, and with other professional societies, resource managers, policy makers, educators, and the public. Today SFS enjoys its status as a premiere international organization of aquatic scientists interested in a wide range of various scientific endeavors including: environmental impact assessments, ecology and taxonomy of microbes, algae, invertebrates, and fish; carbon and nutrient dynamics; watershed dynamics; climate change, hydrology and geomorphology; conservation and restoration. SFS membership is approaching 1800 scientists, a large percentage of which are students. Although the majority of members hail from North America, NABS membership is comprised of individuals from around the globe. The membership also crosses many employment sectors: academia, private consulting, and federal, state, provincial, and municipal governments. SFS commitments to interdisciplinary, international, and interinstitutional exchange and mentorship of young scientists has positioned SFS as a leader in integrative aquatic science. The Director of Llano River Field Station also serves on: Texas Academy of Science Board of Directors Organization of Biological Field Stations Executive Committee Hill Country Alliance Advisory Board Texas Multiagency Invasive Species Coordinating Committee Advisory Committee Texas Tech University Water Leadership Council GBRA Canyon Lake Gorge Scientific Committee Llano River Watershed Alliance Board of Directors University Council Water Resources Delegate Organization of Biological Field Stations Elected ( ) Board of Directors Texas Tech University Research Advisory Council Invited Member. Edwards Plateau Ecoregion Core Team for revision of the Texas Conservation Action Plan. MultiAgency. Lower Colorado River Authority/San Antonio Water System Interbasin Water Project Science Review Committee Nueces Basin and Bay Expert Advisory Team Appointed, Senate Bill 3 Environmental Flows Program The 80th legislature passed Senate Bill 3 and House Bill 3 to address environmental flows in the state. Because specific environmental flows can vary greatly throughout the state, the bill called for the creation of the statewide environmental flows advisory group and local stakeholder groups to oversee the

5 establishment of environmental flow standards. The bill requires that each basin and bay area stakeholder group appoint a basin and bay expert science team to assist them in making recommendations regarding environmental flow regimes. The bill defines "environmental flow regime" as a schedule of flow quantities that reflects seasonal and yearly fluctuations that typically would vary geographically, by specific location in a watershed, and that are shown to be adequate to support a sound ecological environment and to maintain the productivity, extent, and persistence of key aquatic habitats in and along the affected water bodies. The basin and bay expert science team is specifically tasked with finalizing the environmental flow regime recommendations and submitting them to the basin and bay area stakeholders committee. Each basin and bay expert science team will be composed of technical experts with special expertise regarding the river basin and bay system or regarding the development of environmental flow regimes Technical experts in the fields of biology, hydrology, hydraulics, geomorphology or the physical processes of river systems, connectivity or the exchange of organisms, energy, and matter through river systems, and water quality. Appointment to a basin and bay expert science team is for a five-year term. The Senate Bill 3 process is adaptive and instream flow and freshwater flow recommendations can change as information on climate change on the region can factor into rainfall, drought, flood, aquifer recharge, invasive impacts, springflow and water management considerations.

6 The Technical Review Panel (TRP) interpreted the proposal as emphasizing capabilities related to physical climate issues more strongly than those related to, especially, fish and wildlife and hydrologic endpoints. Please clarify or provide additional information describing the Consortium s capabilities in these impact areas. This includes both research on climate impacts for these endpoints, as well as the experience of the Consortium in working directly with natural resource managers and adaptation planners to ensure the utility of scientific products. Please elaborate on how Consortium members have worked with natural resource management agencies to support their science needs. Guadalupe Bass Restoration Project: Llano River and Texas Hill Country The TTU Llano River Field Station is a key partner in this Texas Parks and Wildlife Department initiative. This project will preserve populations of Guadalupe bass in the Llano River, Texas by developing a network of willing landowners interested in implementing coordinated landscape conservation actions at a watershed scale. Conservation actions implemented by the landowner network promote functional riparian and stream systems, and emphasize the conservation of native fish communities and supporting habitats. The network is attempting to curtail or eliminate activities on the landscape that degrade water quality, reduce water quantity, degrade riparian systems, favor non-native species, or fragment stream systems, while encouraging a wide array of sustainable land-use activities that are compatible with aquatic resource conservation. Through more than $1.4M in grants and donations from project sponsors, including the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation and Anheuser-Busch Corporation, project partners are taking action to protect and restore instream, riparian and upland habitats in the Llano River Watershed that support healthy habitats, natural ecosystems and sustainable populations of Guadalupe bass. Specific actions include stream bank stabilization and reestablishment of native vegetation to support functional riparian zones, removal or redesign of road crossings that serve as barriers to fish passage or that alter natural fluvial processes in the river, instream structural habitat enhancements, including placement of root wads, log and boulder complexes that support sustainable populations of Guadalupe bass and other native fishes, and upland grasslands restoration to support recharge of springs and restored hydrologic flows. The TTU Llano River Field Station works with a variety of municipalities, county judges, groundwater conservation districts, river authorities and state agencies providing expertise related to water and natural resources including the Texas Senate Bill 3 process to determine instream and freshwater flow requirements for Texas rivers, bays and estuaries. As a result of this project and innovation The National Fish Habitat Action Plan ( has recognized the Llano River as one of the nations, Waters to Watch list, a collection of rivers, streams, estuaries, watershed systems and shores that will benefit from strategic conservation efforts to protect, restore or enhance their current condition. Key partners include: National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, South Llano Watershed Alliance, Southeast Aquatic Resources Partnership, Texas Parks and Wildlife Foundation, Anheuser-Busch Corporation, US Fish and Wildlife Service, The Nature Conservancy, Texas State University, University of Texas, KT Diaries, World Fishing Network, Trout Unlimited - Guadalupe River Chapter, City of Junction, USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service

7 Springs QuickTime and a TIFF (LZW) decompressor are needed to see this picture. Springs: Interface between groundwater and surface water Texas originally had 281 major and historically significant springs, and of these, four were originally very large springs (over 100 cubic feet per second flow); however, only two, Comal and San Marcos, remain in that class today - 63 springs, many with important historical backgrounds, have completely ceased flowing (Gunnar Brune s Springs of Texas 1973) Why does this matter? Spring flow is a barometer of underground water supply and it is those reservoirs, through seeps and springs, that provide what hydrologists call base flows, the water that courses through streams after runoff from rainfall ceases. Successfully managing our water resources requires acting on a broader scale than we are accustomed to. We need to manage entire watersheds, not just pieces within them. What the groundwater districts need, above all, is regular monitoring of flows from key spring sites, recording of rainfall at those sites, and monitoring of water levels in designated wells for the purpose of more clearly defining the boundaries of groundwater basin zones and the relationship between rainfall, aquifer levels and spring flows. Springs that create the headwaters of the North and South Llano, San Saba, Nueces, Frio and South Concho Rivers and perennially flowing tributaries of those rivers are located within a six-county area on the western edge of the Texas Hill Country. The Llano and San Saba Rivers are major tributaries of the Colorado River and, during dry periods, contribute more than 75% of the flows into the Highland Lakes, the major water supply for Austin and other downstream users along the lower Colorado. These springs all discharge from the Edwards- Trinity aquifer, a limestone karst formation that overlies more than 32,000 square miles of Central Texas. Because there is little groundwater production in the area, and it is sparsely populated, this basin, or cluster of basins, has not undergone the extensive hydrological study that more productive aquifers of the state have. Little is known about the extent and boundaries of the groundwater basins that supply the various springs. The primary management goal of area Texas Hill Country groundwater conservation districts is the preservation and protection of spring and stream flows, but lack of relevant data, and insufficient funding of

8 groundwater conservation districts to perform their own aquifer studies impair development of an appropriate management plan. Spring ecosystems of the Texas Hill Country: Ecological structure, a consideration of their importance, threats to their existence, and efforts for their conservation The Edwards Plateau in central Texas is characterized by large number of springs fed by the Edwards Aquifer and known as the Texas Hill Country (THC). THC consists of all or parts of 23 counties and boasts at least 126 notable springs (Brune 1981). These springs and associated ground waters are an important natural resource in a semiarid region and form the headwaters of many rivers (Colorado, Nueces, Frio, Guadalupe, Blanco, San Marcos, and Llano). From a biodiversity perspective, springs in Texas are biologically unique and are home to numerous species of endemic flora and fauna found nowhere else in the world, with new species and genera still being discovered. However, knowledge of the biodiversity and community structure of spring fauna is fragmentary and incomplete due to the lack of comprehensive study. The springs are thermally constant, clear and are chemically characterized by high alkalinities because of the limestone geomorphology of the region. Community and trophic structure among springs varies along a continuum of autotrophic to heterotrophic, depending on flow volume and whether they emerge in closed or open canopy locations. A significant component of the biological diversity of the flora and fauna of urban springs is comprised of exotic species. During this century, larger springs have suffered declines in flow and thousands of small springs have ceased flowing due to declining water levels. Threats to spring ecosystems are mining of aquifers associated with human population growth, agricultural practices, urbanization, pollution, exotic species and climate change. The most serious is depletion of groundwater; at least 65 of the 281 major and historical springs in Texas no longer flow. Protection of springs can involve public education, water conservation, groundwater districts, water plans and alternate water supplies, and land/watershed management program. The Menard County, Kimble County, and Sutton County groundwater conservation districts have expressed interest in working with Texas Tech University Llano River Field Station on development of water resource projects for data collection and analysis which will form the basis for district management plans. What the groundwater districts need, above all, is regular monitoring of flows from key spring sites, recording of rainfall at those sites, and monitoring of water levels in designated wells for the purpose of more clearly defining the boundaries of groundwater basin zones and the relationship between rainfall, aquifer levels and spring flows. Springs, which create the headwaters of the North and South Llano, San Saba, Nueces, Frio and South Concho Rivers and perennially flowing tributaries of those rivers, are located within a six-county area on the western edge of the Texas Hill Country. The Llano and San Saba Rivers are major tributaries of the Colorado River and, during dry periods, contribute more than 75% of the flows into the Highland Lakes, the major water supply for Austin and other downstream users along the lower Colorado. These springs all discharge from the Edwards- Trinity aquifer, a limestone karst formation that overlies more than 32,000 square miles of Central Texas. Because there is little groundwater production in the area, and it is sparsely populated, this basin, or cluster of basins, has not undergone the extensive hydrological study that more productive aquifers of the state have. Little is known about the extent and boundaries of the groundwater basins that supply the various springs. The primary management goal of area groundwater conservation districts is the preservation and protection of spring and stream flows, but development of an appropriate management plan is impaired by lack of relevant data, and insufficient funding of groundwater conservation districts to perform their own aquifer studies. The South Central Climate Science Center can play a key role in assisting groundwater conservation districts in the Texas Hill Country in managing critical and limited water resources with informed scientific basis.

9 EPA HEALTHY WATERSHED /TEXAS STATE SOIL AND WATER CONSERVATION BOARD CLEAN WATER ACT 319(H) NONPOINT SOURCE GRANT Llano River Field Station has a pending $1.1 million EPA Healthy Watershed /Texas State Soil and Water Conservation Board Clean Water Act 319(h) Nonpoint Source Grant Program: Development of the Upper Llano River Watershed Protection Plan. The project goals are: Implement EPA s Healthy Watersheds Initiative by developing a nine element Watershed Protection Plan (WPP) for the Upper Llano River watershed through 1) empowering local stakeholders, 2) characterizing current water quality conditions (fish, macroinvertebrates, chemistry), 3) analyzing watershed data using models, and 4) increasing education among the targeted audience. This proposed project seeks will to assist the South Llano Watershed AllianceSouth Llano River Watershed Alliance (an organization of landowners and interested stakeholders whose mission statement is to preserve and enhance the South Llano River and adjoining watersheds by encouraging land and water stewardship through collaboration, education, and community participation) with proactive, holistic aquatic ecosystem conservation and protection through the development and future implementation of a watershed protection plan (WPP) for the Upper Llano River watershed (Figure 1) consistent with the EPA Healthy Watersheds Initiative. The Upper Llano River WPP will be developed consistent with EPA s nine key elements for developing WPPs, as well as EPA s Healthy Watersheds Initiative and the EPA OWOW Invasive Species Action Plan. This plan will include information and results from all project tasks and be based on decisions made by the SLWA as a means to manage their watershed resources in the best manner that they see fit while achieving watershed goals. The WPP will also identify brush type, density, and canopy cover; geology and soils data; water needs and potential needs; hydrologic characterization; potential water yield from BMP implementation; invasive hydrophyte control and impacts, watershed education components (including programs for K-12 and adult education), wildlife concerns and compatibility to the project; economics of BMPs; landowner interest/cooperation; types of treatment measures needed/recommended; and completion schedule. Following the Healthy Watersheds Initiative concepts, assessments, and management approaches outlined in the EPA Identifying and Protecting Healthy Watersheds released in March 2011, both watershed assessment and development of a strategic, systems approach to the management of the watershed will be conducted. Using the Healthy Watersheds Framework, the projectwe will address the complexity of the watershed ecosystem through an integrated assessment of the landscape condition, biotic condition, chemical/physical parameters, and critical watershed functional attributes. Only through understanding these dynamic linkages can proactive management and protection of this healthy watershed be achieved. Figure 1. Upper Llano River watershed (from TPWD Guadalupe Bass Restoration Initiative.

10 Through collaboration of state and local governments, the SLWA, and others, this project will conserve the healthy components of the watershed; therefore, avoiding additional water quality impairments in the future. Public participation and stakeholder involvement will be carried out primarily through the South Llano Watershed AllianceSLWA. The Director of the Texas Tech University Junction Llano River Field StationTTU-LRFSJunction, who also serves as a Director on the Watershed AllianceSLWA Board, will serve as the Watershed Coordinator. The diverse group of landowners, public officials, special interest groups and agencies participating on the Alliance SLWA will be asked to provide guidance for the direction of the project and development of the WPP. Input from stakeholders is critical to the success of all watershed planning and implementation efforts and will be sought throughout this project to provide information and assist in identifying BMPbest management strategies for future implementation. Routine stakeholder meetings will be held to provide information about the project objectives, data analysis results; GIS inventory updates and the results of the project. Project information will be presented through other avenues as well (LCRA CRP meetings, Regional Water Planning meetings, Special Interest Meetings, project website, etc.). The Watershed Coordinator will be assisted throughout this effort by Texas AgriLife Extension Service, TSSWCB, South Llano Watershed AllianceSLWA, Texas Parks and Wildlife Department and TWRI. To assist with the planning process, a comprehensive GIS inventory of the watershed will be developed by the SSL that illustrates waterbodies, roadways, land use/land cover, soils, geology, and points of concern. These data will be provided to TTU-WRC for inclusion in the model analysis. Targeted monitoring and analysis of historic data will be employed, led by Llano River Field to assess ecological conditions, invasive species populations, bank erosion, and other indicators of watershed condition. Additionally, TTU-Water Resources CenterWRC will develop a watershed model using available historic data. The complex hydrologic conditions in the South Llano River reflect the contribution of dozens of springs in the Edwards-Trinity (Plateau) karstic aquifer, wide variations in rainfall intensity and distribution, and changes in vegetation and land use (Broad, 2008). Limited streamflow, precipitation, and groundwater level data are available to quantify these interactions, and such data are needed to precisely calibrate numerical hydrologic models to simulate the watershed s behavior. Of particular interest are hydrologic models that can simulate changes in streamflow and groundwater recharge caused by land use and vegetation manipulation, such as removal of invasive vegetation. Ashe juniper is of concern for its ability to intercept precipitation and reduce recharge and runoff. TTU-WRC will review available data and recommend additional monitoring instrumentation and data collection. TTU-WRC will use existing hydrologic data, as well as land use and vegetation distributions, to prepare preliminary models of important subwatersheds within the Upper Llano basin. Existing models such as SWAT and EDYS will be considered for application. Modeling results will be used to inform stakeholders about the physical behavior of their watershed resulting from various implementation scenarios. Through watershed education and programs at TTU-LRFSJunctionthe Llano River Field Station, students, their teachers, parents and land managers will be introduced to ecology, nature, watersheds, and land stewardship. Texas Tech U-niversity Llano River Field Station Outdoor School is a twice recognized Texas High School Project Exemplar Program: it is a STEM TEKS transdisciplinary, inquirybased, innovative curriculum (12 content areas) that incorporates multiple best learning practices to improve instruction for at-risk students and provide training for teachers. The teachers and students receiving the watershed curriculum developed in this project will be able to learn how to teach science based on Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS). They will also be able to observe educational theory and best pedagogical practices implemented in an outdoor classroom setting with diverse student learners, learn critical STEM content and use of scientific equipment, and learn scientific method and hypothesis testing best practices. The Outdoor School incorporates Globe GLOBE (Global Learning and Observations to Benefit the Environment training and protocols into the STEM curricular units, which is a federal K-12 environmental education program instituted by NASA, NOAA, and NSF.

11 Key partnerships for the proposal and natural resources managers and agencies include: Texas Tech University Llano River Field Station (TTU-LRFS), Texas State Soil and Water Conservation Board (TSSWCB), Texas Water Resources Institute (TWRI), Texas Tech University Water Resources Center (TTU-WRC), Texas AgriLife Extension Service Department of Ecosystem Sciences & Management (ESSM), South Llano Watershed Alliance (SLWA), Texas AgriLife Extension Service Department of Soil and Crop Sciences (SCSC), Texas A&M University Spatial Sciences Laboratory (TAMU-SSL)