South Central Texas Streams: Evaluating Water Quality for Aquatic Life and Recreation

Counties:	Atascosa, Bandera, Bexar, Blanco, Comal, De Witt, Duval, Frio, Hays, Gonzales, Guadalupe, Karnes, Kendall, Kerr, La Salle, Live Oak, McMullen, Medina, Real, Travis, Uvalde, Webb, Wilson
Parameters:	Bacteria, dissolved oxygen
Basins:	Colorado River, Guadalupe River, Nueces River, San Antonio River
Segments:	1427, 1803A, 1803B, 1806A, 1815, 1906, 1908, 1913, 2104, 2107, 2113

Sampling in the Atascosa River

• Project Goals and Background
• Phase I—Overview, Documents, and Public Meetings
• Phase II—TMDL Development
• For More Information

Project Goals and Background

In 11 streams in south central Texas, water quality testing found elevated levels of fecal coliform bacteria and low concentrations of dissolved oxygen. In Phase I of this project, the TCEQ’s TMDL Program evaluated the impairments in those streams to determine whether it was necessary to develop TMDLs for any or all of the streams. In Phase II, TMDLs will be developed and implemented for five of the streams assessed.

Disease-causing bacteria from human and animal waste may threaten public health. People who swim or wade in the creek may be at risk. Oxygen, which dissolves in water, is essential for the survival of aquatic life. While the amount of dissolved oxygen in water fluctuates naturally, various human activities can cause unusually or chronically low levels of dissolved oxygen, which may harm fish and other aquatic organisms. The TCEQ is working with four river authorities and other regional stakeholders to develop a plan to restore the quality of the affected streams.

Phase 1 of the project involved targeted monitoring to collect more data and information on the extent and severity of the impacts on water quality in the project streams. The data has been anyalyzed, and the results are summarized below in the overview of Phase I.

In Phase II, the TCEQ will develop TMDLs for four of the project water bodies—Elm Creek, Sandies Creek, the Atascosa River, and Mid Cibolo Creek. Data for the remaining six segments indicate that they are meeting their associated dissolved oxygen and bacteria criteria; they will be reassessed for the 2006 Water Quality Inventory and List.

Return to top

Phase I—Overview, Documents, and Public Meetings

Phase I consisted of targeted monitoring and assessment to determine the extent and severity of the impairments, and to further characterize water quality, in order to determine if TMDLs were needed for the the project segments.

Project Reports on Impairment Verification Monitoring

The documents provided below are PDF files. (Help with PDF.)

• Overview of Phase I
• Atascosa River, Segment 2107
• • Final Report, Volume 1: Physical and Chemical Components
  • Final Report, Volume 2: Biological and Habitat Components
• Camp Meeting Creek, Segment 1806A
• • Final Report, Volume 1: Physical and Chemical Components
  • Final Report, Volume 2: Biological and Habitat Components
• Cypress Creek, Segment 1815
• • Final Report, Volume 1: Physical and Chemical Components
  • Final Report, Volume 2: Biological and Habitat Components
• Elm Creek and Sandies Creek, Segments 1803A and 1803B
• • Final Report, Volume 1: Physical and Chemical Components
  • Final Report, Volume 2: Biological and Habitat Components
• Lower Leon Creek, Segment 1906
• • Final Report, Volume 1: Physical and Chemical Components
  • Final Report, Volume 2: Biological and Habitat Components
• Middle Cibolo Creek, Segment 1913
• • Final Report, Volume 1: Physical and Chemical Components
  • Final Report, Volume 2: Biological and Habitat Components
• Nueces River Above Frio River, Segment 2104
• • Final Report, Volume 1: Physical and Chemical Components
  • Final Report, Volume 2: Biological and Habitat Components
• Onion Creek, Segment 1427
• • Assessing the Aquatic Life Use in Onion Creek
  • Final Report, Volume 1: Physical and Chemical Components
  • Final Report, Volume 2: Biological and Habitat Components
• Upper Cibolo Creek, Segment 1908
• • Final Report, Volume 1: Physical and Chemical Components
  • Final Report, Volume 2: Biological and Habitat Components
• Upper Frio River, Segment 2113
• • Final Report, Volume 1: Physical and Chemical Components
  • Final Report, Volume 2: Biological and Habitat Components

Return to top

Phase I—Public Meeting Summaries

The TCEQ held public meetings in late 2003 and early 2004 to acquaint regional stakeholders with Phase I of the project. The documents from that meeting are provided below as PDF files. (Help with PDF.)

• January 2004, Leon River Watershed
• November 2003, Atascosa River Watershed
• December 2003, Elm Creek and Sandies Creek Watersheds

Return to top

Phase II—TMDL Development

The TCEQ began development of three of the five necessary TMDLs in fiscal 2005. TMDL development for Mid Cibolo Creek and Camp Meeting Creek is scheduled to begin in fiscal 2006. State fiscal years begin on September 1 and end on August 31.

• Atascosa River TMDL
• Elm and Sandies Creeks TMDLs
• Mid Cibolo Creek TMDL

Return to top

For More Information

For additional information regarding this project, please call Andrew Sullivan at 512/239-4587. Or e-mail us at tmdl@tceq.state.tx.us, and reference the South Central Texas project in the subject line.

Return to top