Texas Clean Rivers Program Steering Committee Meetings Nueces River Authority Texas Commission on Environmental Quality Citizens March 3, 2009 – Uvalde March 5, 2009 – Corpus Christi

30,500 square miles 3 Basins 44 SegmentsOverview NRA Area of Responsibility

Overview Funding and Allocation of Resources State fee-funded $9 Million State-Wide for 2 years NRA: $548,272 Project Administration – 21% Quality Assurance – 4% Water Quality Monitoring – 39% Data Management – 13% Data Analysis and Reporting – 9% Stakeholder Participation and Public Outreach – 13% Special Projects: Petronila Creek Continuous Monitoring – 1%

Overview Deliverables Quality Assured Data Data Accessibility via Website 2008 Basin Summary Report (every 5 th yr) 2009 Basin Highlights Report

Coordinated Monitoring Schedule

Overview Clean Rivers Program Water Quality Assessment –2008 – December 1, 1999 – November 30, 2006 –2010 – December 1, 2001 – November 30, 2008 Water Quality Inventory –Concerns – 305(b) list –Impairments – 303(d) list

Use Assessment & Monitoring Parameters Aquatic Life –Dissolved Oxygen Public Water Supply –Chloride –Sulfate –TDS Contact Recreation –Bacteria General Use –Water Temperature –pH –Ammonia –Nitrogen –Phosphorus Fish Consumption –Fish Tissue © Shedd Aquarium/ Aquarium/

Assessment Parameters Concerns 20% of samples > criteria –Ammonia-Nitrogen –Nitrate+Nitrite –Orthophosphorus –Total phosphorus –Chlorophyll-a

Assessment Parameters Impairments TDS, Chloride, Sulfate –Average > criteria DO: grab samples and 24-Hr average –10% of samples < criteria pH –10% of samples outside range E. coli, Enterococcus –Geometric mean > criteria –25% of samples > criteria

Overview Role of the Steering Committee and Stakeholders Objective 4: Inform and Engage Stakeholders 1. Give stakeholders the opportunity to contribute their ideas and concerns through steering committee meetings, public meetings, and/or other forums 2. Participate in public information and education activities to increase stakeholder involvement in the program and interest in water quality issues 3. Communicate information on water quality issues to stakeholders so that priorities may be set considering local, regional, state, and federal needs 4. Support stakeholders, volunteers, and other programs in addressing water quality issues 5. Provide information requested by interested parties and disseminate information via the Internet

FY 2009 Monitoring Sites San Antonio – Nueces Coastal Basin –NRA 11 sites –Copano 12 sites –TCEQ 12 sites

FY 2009 Monitoring Sites Nueces Basin –NRA 18 sites –TCEQ 18 sites

FY 2008 Monitoring Sites Nueces – Rio Grande Coastal Basin –NRA 2 routine sites 6 Arroyo Colorado Special Study CWQM on Petronila Creek –TCEQ 34 sites

Project Updates 2107 Atascosa River TMDL –DO – aquatic life use attainability analysis (UAA) –Bacteria – recreational UAA 2110 Lower Sabinal River TMDL –New WWTF construction during Petronila Creek Above Tidal Continuous Monitoring –Installed December 2006 – cgi-bin/compliance/monops/water_daily_summary.pl?cams=731

Project Updates 2485/2485A Oso Bay/Oso Creek Bacteria –Creek: TSSWCB projects to locate source –Bay: Bacteria UAA for Blind Oso area 2485/2491 Oso Bay/Laguna Madre Low DO –TMDL concluded cause to be natural characteristics –Proposed criteria revision 2001/2003/2471 Mission River Tidal/Aransas River Tidal/Copano Bay TMDL –Bacteria Source Tracking (BST) –TSSWCB/NRA sampling project to support Copano TMDL

Project Updates 2482 Nueces Bay Zinc TMDL –IP approved – documentation of natural attenuation 2201/2202 Arroyo Colorado Watershed Protection Plan – Arroyo Colorado Bacteria Study –Monthly monitoring –Comparison of 3 indicator bacteria 2102 – Nueces River Cleanup

Other Impairments Bacteria –2108 – San Miguel Creek –2109 – Leona River –2117 – Frio River Above Choke Canyon Res. –2481 – Corpus Christi Bay –2492A – San Fernando Creek

Other Impairments TDS –2106 – Nueces River / Lower Frio River Low DO –2116 – Choke Canyon Reservoir

Proposed Changes to Water Quality Standards All classified freshwater segments –E. coli geometric mean: from 126 to Nueces River Lower Frio River –TDS: from 500 to 1080 –Chloride: from 250 to 370 –Sulfate: from 250 to Choke Canyon Reservoir –TDS: from 500 to 830

Proposed Changes to Water Quality Standards 2485 Oso Bay & 2491 Laguna Madre –DO: 24-hr Average from 5 to 4, no minimum, June - October All bays –New designated seagrass propagation use

Outreach Activities Ag Fairs Science Days Festivals Local Fairs Community Meetings Civic Group Meetings Field Trips Workshops

Watershed Models

Groundwater Model

Rainfall Runoff Model

Monarch Madness Festival Aquatic Education Program

Wetland on Wheels

2009 Basin Highlights Report –Draft available for review –Comments by April 30 –Comments to Rocky Freund – –Fax: –Mail: Nueces River Authority 6300 Ocean Drive – Unit 5865 Corpus Christi, TX

Input for FY 2010 Planning Additional routine monitoring sites? Special studies? Additional outreach opportunities? Additional web-based information?

Contact Information Sky Lewey: Rocky Freund: Beth Almaraz: