Water Quality in Shoal Creek Andrew Clamann March 22, 2016 City of Austin Watershed Protection Department Environmental Resource Management Andrew Clamann March 22, 2016 City of Austin Watershed Protection Department Environmental Resource Management

2 “EII” Environmental Integrity Index The City’s monitoring program which aims to protect the chemical, physical, and biological integrity of Austin’s surface water resources

3EII (Environmental Integrity Index)

Quarterly Sampling 4 Annual Sampling SedimentSediment metals, PAHs, pesticides, herbicides Aquatic lifeAquatic life diatoms, benthic macroinvertebrates Non-contact recreationNon-contact recreation aesthetics, trash, odor, algae cover, clarity aesthetics, trash, odor, algae cover, clarity Physical habitatPhysical habitat erosion, bank stability, instream cover, riparian quality pHpH Dissolved OxygenDissolved Oxygen ConductivityConductivity TemperatureTemperature TurbidityTurbidity Total Suspended SolidsTotal Suspended Solids E. coli (Bacteria)E. coli (Bacteria) Nitrate as NNitrate as N Ammonia as NAmmonia as N OrthophosphorusOrthophosphorus Total Kjeldahl NTotal Kjeldahl N

5 EII overall total scores

Quarterly Sampling 6 Shoal Creek at Cross Creek Drive (site 118) pHpH Dissolved OxygenDissolved Oxygen ConductivityConductivity TemperatureTemperature Nitrate as NNitrate as N Ammonia as NAmmonia as N OrthophosphorusOrthophosphorus Total Kjeldahl NTotal Kjeldahl N TurbidityTurbidity Total Suspended SolidsTotal Suspended Solids E. coli (Bacteria)E. coli (Bacteria) Annual Sampling SedimentSediment metals, PAHs, pesticides, herbicides Aquatic lifeAquatic life diatoms, benthic macroinvertebrates Non-contact recreationNon-contact recreation aesthetics, trash, odor, algae cover, clarity aesthetics, trash, odor, algae cover, clarity Physical habitatPhysical habitat erosion, bank stability, instream cover, riparian quality

7 Nutrients in Streams What are they? Naturally occurringNaturally occurring Primarily N and PPrimarily N and P Essential for plant growthEssential for plant growth NO 3 NO 2 NH 4 PO 4 nutrients growth decay Puts oxygen in the water Takes oxygen out of the water

8 upstream downstream Nutrient inputs (municipal wastewater) The natural balance can be upset “Eutrophication” is the process by which a water body acquires high concentration of nutrients (N and P mostly) San Gabriel River

9 Nutrients Where do they come from? FertilizersFertilizers Animal wasteAnimal waste Organic decayOrganic decay

10 What’s a person to do? Don’t use fertilizers, go native! if not that, then minimize use if not that, then minimize use if not that, then use them appropriately if not that, then use them appropriately Scoop the poop (even in your backyard) Keep lawn clippings and leaves on your property (not in the road)

11 E. coli Hundreds of strains; some are harmless, some can cause illness Commonly used as an indicator for other pathogenic microorganisms (such as viruses, protozoans and other bacteria) Water quality issue: usually associated with increased nutrients and sewage which can increase algae and reduce dissolved oxygen Escherichia coli is a fecal coliform bacteria commonly found in warm blooded animals

The threshold criterion used for E.coli to determine the possibility of a health threat for primary contact use is: single sample of 399 colonies per 100ml, 20 sample geometric mean is 126 colonies per 100ml Bear Creek Sources?

Cottonmouth Creek Sources?

Who’s got two opposable thumbs and shares the blame? Shoal Creek

15 What’s a person to do? Free Scoop the Poop Yard Sign! Bring it! Scoop it! Toss it!

16 Shoal Creek at Shoal Edge Court Shoal Creek downstream of 24th These two sites are only 3 miles apart Why such a drastic change in habitat quality? Physical habitat erosion bank stability instream cover riparian quality

17 Typical urban Watershed High impervious cover Roads Buildings Flatwork Parking Compacted soil !!!!! OVER 50% impervious cover !!!!!

18 Date (one year of average daily flow) Urban Natural Bear Creek at 1826 Shoal at 12th

19 Changes in the physical habitat lead to… …changes in the biological community

20 Impervious Cover Aquatic Life Use Score Impervious cover on land affects life in the stream

21 Slow it down Reduced runoff rates reduce scour and erosion Give nature time to clean it up Plants and soil bacteria can process many pollutants Infiltrate it in Groundwater supports springs and baseflow

22 Allandale Bioswales

23 (a good goal is to keep a 1.8” rain on your site) Help surface water become ground water Capture and Release! Detain and Infiltrate! Berms, swales, trenches, rain barrels, rain gardens and lots of deep-rooted vegetation! What’s a person to do? Retain your rain!

24 Plant deep-rooted vegetation, and lots of it! (turf grass has shallow roots)

25 Scoop the Poop Reduce the use of fertilizers Enhance rain infiltration Support political leaders that support the environment Call 24hr Pollution Hotline How can you help Shoal? Manage the watershed Keep lawn clippings out of the creek Slow down rain runoff Report Polluters Deep rooted native plants

26 Questions?