Importance and Utility of Watershed Protection Plans

Transcription

1 Importance and Utility of Watershed Protection Plans Aaron Wendt Texas State Soil and Water Conservation Board Attoyac Bayou Watershed Partnership June 7, 2012 Nacogdoches, TX

2 Texas Conservation Partnership Providing Conservation Assistance to Private Landowners for 70+ Years LOCAL = 216 SWCDs STATE = TSSWCB FEDERAL = USDA-NRCS June 7,

3 Federal Clean Water Act restore & maintain the chemical, physical & biological integrity of the Nation s waters water quality which provides for the protection of fish, shellfish, & wildlife & provides for recreation in & on the water also, federal Safe Drinking Water Act June 7,

4 Federal Clean Water Act requires States to establish Water Quality Standards to achieve objective & goals requires States to identify waterbodies failing to meet water quality standards & not supporting their designated uses this list of impaired waterbodies is known as the Texas 303(d) List must be submitted to USEPA for review & approval every two years June 7,

5 Water Quality in Texas Texas State Soil and Water Conservation Board (TSSWCB) Agricultural and Silvicultural Nonpoint Source Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) Point Source Permitting (WWTF, CAFO, MS4) All other forms of Nonpoint Source June 7,

6 2010 Texas 303(d) List Data from Dec 2001 to Nov 2008 was assessed 621 segment-pollutant combinations (impairments) 51% for bacteria Need to deal with magnitude of listings through any & all means June 7,

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8 Why Bacteria? Elevated levels of bacteria (E. coli, Enterococcus, fecal coliform) indicate possible fecal contamination and the potential presence of diseasecausing pathogens These bacteria are present in the intestinal tracts and feces of warm-blooded animals Pathogens cause gastrointestinal (GI) illness Symptoms include chills, nausea, diarrhea, fever June 7,

9 Approaches to Restore Water Quality (tools for addressing magnitude of 303(d) List) additional monitoring demonstrates now achieving water quality standards conduct a Use Attainability Analysis to change water quality standards develop Total Maximum Daily Load & Implementation Plan for adoption/approval develop a Watershed Protection Plan June 7,

10 What is add l SWQM? Data assessed for 303(d) List is often limited spatially and temporally Such a minimum dataset may indicate a water quality concern but confounds efforts to identify sources and target solutions Additional Surface Water Quality Monitoring could demonstrate the waterbody is no longer impaired and should be delisted, or confirm the impairment and provide data for use in further assessments June 7,

11 What is a UAA? Use Attainability Analysis Evaluation of waterbody and its ability to achieve a specific level of use Assess physical, chemical, biological, and economic factors affecting the use of a waterbody Can result in site-specific water quality standard that may lead to delisting Recreational UAA ascertain the types and degree of recreation actually occurring examines the hydrologic and physical conditions of a stream which limit or support contact recreation June 7,

12 Recreation Use Tiers Primary Contact Recreation Geometric mean = 126 cfu/100 ml Involves a significant risk of water ingestion Wading children Swimming Whitewater kayaking/canoeing/rafting Waterskiing, diving, tubing, surfing Secondary Contact Recreation 1 Geometric mean = 630 cfu/100 ml Commonly occur but have limited body contact incidental to shoreline activities that pose a less significant risk of water ingestion Fishing Motor boating/canoeing/rafting June 7, 2012 Incidental body contact from shoreline 12

13 Recreation Use Tiers Secondary Contact Recreation 2 Geometric mean = 1,030 cfu/100 ml Activities that occur less frequently than SCR1 due to physical characteristics of the waterbody and limited public access Noncontact Recreation Geometric mean = 2,060 cfu/100 ml Activities that do not involve a significant risk of water ingestion such as those with limited body contact incidental to shoreline activity Birding Hiking/Biking Where PCR and SCR should not occur due to unsafe conditions such as ship and barge traffic. June 7,

14 Other RUAAs across Texas RUAAs being conducted on 90 streams Reports published on ~70 streams TCEQ recommendations on 8 streams 4 remain as PCR 4 change to SCR1 ndards/ruaas/index June 7,

15 What we Know about contact recreation in Attoyac Bayou SFASU Not observed anyone doing any type of recreation Observed evidence of SCR Historical information indicates PCR in 1980s and prior ANRA Historical knowledge about uses June 7,

16 Factors to Consider in Changing Water Quality Standard classified or unclassified waterbody downstream waterbody uses activities observed/documented during field surveys interviews - anecdotal use or observed historical information physical characteristics of stream June 7,

17 What is a TMDL? Total Maximum Daily Load budget for pollution in the stream defines the maximum amount (or load) of a pollutant that a waterbody can assimilate on a daily basis & still meet water quality standards allocates pollutant loads between point sources & nonpoint sources requires adoption by TCEQ & must be approved by USEPA June 7,

18 What is a TMDL? Implementation Plan (I-Plan) based on environmental target of TMDL, an I-Plan is developed prescribes measures necessary to mitigate humancaused sources of that pollutant in that waterbody specifies limits for point source dischargers & recommends best management practices for nonpoint sources Only requires State approval together, the TMDL & the I-Plan serve as the regulatory mechanism to reduce the pollutant, restore the full use of the waterbody & remove it from the 303(d) List June 7,

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20 TMDLs are Limited to single waterbody-pollutant combinations strict guidance from USEPA requires TCEQ/USEPA adoption/approval only addresses impairments, no concerns, no protective aspect regulatory-framed, federally-driven June 7,

21 What is a WPP? Watershed Protection Plan WPPs are mechanisms for voluntarily addressing complex water quality problems that cross multiple jurisdictions WPPs holistically address all of the sources and causes of impairments and threats to both surface and ground water resources within a watershed WPPs are coordinated frameworks for implementing prioritized and integrated protection and restoration strategies driven by environmental objectives June 7,

22 What is a WPP? WPPs are tools to better leverage the resources of individual landowners and citizens, local governments, state and federal agencies, and non-governmental organizations WPPs are developed and implemented through diverse, well integrated partnerships with decision-making founded at the local level WPPs use adaptive management to modify the plan based on an ongoing science-based process involving monitoring and evaluating strategies and incorporating new knowledge into decision-making June 7,

23 Why is it important to write a WPP? Watersheds serve as logical landscape units for environmental management Approaching nonpoint source pollution problems in a watershed framework helps communities evaluate and prioritize problems affecting ground and surface waters Watershed planning connects the community s decisionmaking to sensible data collection and defensible analysis Recording those decisions in a watershed protection plan increases the probability that the problems will be addressed Demonstrates to state/federal agencies that local stakeholders are taking action to restore water quality June 7,

24 WPPs Across Texas TSSWCB = 12 TCEQ = 13 3 rd Party = 6 June 7,

25 6 Steps of Watershed Planning June 7,

26 9 Elements of a WPP a) Identification of the causes and sources of water quality problems b) Estimate of the load reductions expected to be achieved c) Description of management measures that will need to be implemented d) Estimate of technical and financial assistance needed to implement the plan e) Information/education component that will be used to enhance public understanding of the plan f) Schedule for implementing management measures g) Interim, measurable milestones for determining whether management measures are being implemented h) Set of criteria used to determine whether load reductions are being achieved i) Water quality monitoring component to evaluate effectiveness of implementation June 7,

27 Attoyac Bayou WPP TSSWCB provided a CWA 319(h) Grant to facilitate watershed planning process in this watershed by providing technical assistance to local stakeholders conducting the science stakeholders need to make decisions SWQM, BST, UAA, modeling Goal/Objective to address bacteria impairment and nutrient/do concerns June 7,

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29 Aaron Wendt Statewide Watershed Planning Coordinator Texas State Soil and Water Conservation Board PO Box 658 Temple, TX (254) ext 232 v (254) f awendt@tsswcb.state.tx.us Authorization for use or reproduction of any original material contained in this presentation is freely granted. TSSWCB would appreciate acknowledgement. June 7,