Currently, the State of Texas has no numerical criteria for nutrients in the Texas Surface Water Quality Standards. Nutrient controls do exist in the form of narrative criteria, watershed rules, and antidegradation considerations. The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) also screens phosphorus, nitrate nitrogen, and chlorophyll monitoring data as a preliminary indication of areas of possible concern for the 303(d) listings of impaired water bodies.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has indicated that states must develop nutrient criteria and begin the process of incorporating them into their water quality standards. Therefore, the TCEQ staff are in the process of developing and evaluating criteria to address nutrients and eutrophication as well as complementary approaches toward controlling nutrients. The TCEQ will also develop procedures to implement the application of criteria to permitting, to stream assessments, and to the total maximum daily load (TMDL) process.

On November 27, 2006, a revised and expanded version of the "Nutrient Criteria Development Work Plan for the State of Texas", dated November 3, 2006, (PDF / MS Word) was sent to EPA. (Help with Downloading Files.) It replaces the preliminary and subsequent plans submitted to EPA by the TCEQ. The plan can be updated as nutrient criteria development progresses.

Workgroups have been a part of the criteria development process, and information pertaining to them can be found through the Nutrient Criteria Development Advisory Work Group.