Bastrop & Caldwell County Water Resources February 1, 2016 LPMN Training Class Jason Morris Rangeland Management Specialist USDA-Natural Resources Conservation Service Bastrop County
Overview Intro to Water Cycles Groundwater Resources of Bastrop & Caldwell Counties Rainfall Simulator Surface Water Resources of Bastrop & Caldwell Counties Conservation Planning & Water Conservation
Central Texas has a Bimodal Annual Precipitation Cycle
http://www2.twdb.texas.gov/reportserverext/pages/reportviewer.aspx?%2fprojections%2f4-demand_county_search&rs:command=render
Conservation Planning and How It Relates to Water Resources
What do I do when my land washes away?
Erosion Problems usually start small
And tend to increase exponentially over time. And tend to increase exponentially over time.
Why does erosion occur? Factors that contribute to soil erosion include: High percentage of bare ground Lack of herbaceous vegetation Loss of soil structure due to tillage or high traffic Steep slopes Low soil fertility Low soil moisture Low soil organic matter
Resource Concern: Soil Erosion Terraces/ Contour Farming Grassed Waterway Residue Management Reduced Tillage
Resource Concern: Soil Erosion Introduced Grass Planting Native Grass Planting Critical Area Planting Grazing Management
What do I do when my land washes away?
Resource Concern: Water Quantity
Ponds Soils Space Watershed
Resource Concern: Water Quantity Water Well Pipeline Storage Facility Water Trough
Resource Concern: Water Quantity Irrigation Water Management Micro Irrigation Low Impact Sprinklers
Resource Concern: Water Quality
Resource Concern: Water Quality Nutrient Management Integrated Pest Mgmt Filter Strip Ground Cover
Resource Concern: Hydrologic Function Brush Management
Resource Concern: Hydrologic Function
Resource Concern: Hydrologic Function Riparian Forest Buffers
Watershed Structures
Watershed Structures
Backyard Conservation Xeriscaping Micro irrigation Raised Bed Gardens
Rainwater Harvesting
Hilary Bravenec District Conservationist Hilary.Bravenec@tx.usda.gov Jason Morris Rangeland Management Specialist Jason.Morris@tx.usda.gov Contact USDA-Natural Resources Conservation Service 507 Old Austin Hwy Bastrop, TX 78602 512-321-2489, ext 3 In accordance with Federal civil rights law and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) civil rights regulations and policies, the USDA, its Agencies, offices, and employees, and institutions participating in or administering USDA programs are prohibited from discriminating based on race, color, national origin, religion, sex, gender identity (including gender expression), sexual orientation, disability, age, marital status, family/parental status, income derived from a public assistance program, political beliefs, or reprisal or retaliation for prior civil rights activity, in any program or activity conducted or funded by USDA (not all bases apply to all programs). Remedies and complaint filing deadlines vary by program or incident. Persons with disabilities who require alternative means of communication for program information (e.g., Braille, large print, audiotape, American Sign Language, etc.) should contact the responsible Agency or USDA s TARGET Center at (202) 720-2600 (voice and TTY) or contact USDA through the Federal Relay Service at (800) 877-8339. Additionally, program information may be made available in languages other than English.