1. Texas Stream Team …is a joint partnership with Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, U.S. EPA Region VI, Texas State University-San Marcos, and numerous partners. PREPARED IN COOPERATION WITH THE Texas Commission on Environmental Quality and U.S. EPA. The preparation of this presentation was financed through grants from the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality

2. Watershed Education Water Quality Monitoring Stakeholder Engagement and Community Action

3. General Initiatives Watershed education and Targeted curriculum resources –Bacteria and sediment modules –Data analysis, monitoring manual modules Monitoring –pH, D.O., TDS, temperature, flow severity, etc –E. coli Web site resources Materials - Maps, Watershed Models Partner collaboration Intensive bacteria surveys

4. A Watershed… …is the area in which water, sediments, and pollutants drain into a common body of water Everyone lives in a watershed

6. Arroyo Colorado 1. Canadian 2. Red 3. Sulphur 4. Cypress Creek 5. Sabine 6. Neches 7. Neches-Trinity 8. Trinity 9. Trinity-San Jacinto Coastal 10. San Jacinto 11. San Jacinto-Brazos Coastal 12. Brazos 13. Brazos-Colorado Coastal 14. Colorado 15. Colorado-Lavaca Coastal 16. Lavaca 17. Lavaca-Guadalupe Coastal 18. Guadalupe 19. San Antonio 20. San Antonio-Nueces Coastal 21. Nueces 22. Nueces-Rio Grande Coastal 23. Rio Grande 24. Bays and Estuaries 25. Gulf of Mexico 1 2 20 5 6 13 16 18 19 21 14 10 8 4 3 22 23 11 17 12 7 15 24 25 9 Major Surface Water Basins of Texas

7. Land Uses and Pollution in Your Watershed…

8. Arroyo Colorado Watershed

10. Pollution Sources

11. Point and Nonpoint Source Pollution Point Source: factory pipes and wastewater effluent Nonpoint Source: fertilizers; cow manure from a cattle ranch; or a parking lot dotted with oil from cars

13. All data is collected within a TCEQ approved QAPP. Data intended to be used for problem identification, education, research, and local decision making.

15. Integrity of Water Chemical Variables Biotic Factors Energy Source Flow Regime Habitat Structure

16. Integrity of Water

17. Flow Increases in pathogens and other pollutants often positively correlate with increases in the hydrograph.

18. Integrity of Water

20. Algal and aquatic plant growth is stimulated by high levels of nutrients. …often introduced by runoff containing high concentrations of nitrogen and phosphorus.

21. Integrity of Water

22. Photo by Mark Jakubauskas

23. Integrity of Water

24. Temperature Biological, chemical, and physical processes are influenced by temperature. Examples: D.O. as T Conductivity as T Neutral pH as T

25. Dissolved Oxygen …measures amount of oxygen dissolved in the water (in ppm or mg/L) Why is it important? How does O2 get into the water? How does O2 leave the water? Acceptable Ranges Chemical properties

26. Conductivity …measures rate at which electrical current passes through water Why is it important? What impacts conductivity?

27. pH …measures hydrogen ion concentration 0-14 scale Natural buffering capacity Impacted by natural and human factors

28. Integrity of Water

29. Is the water safe to swim in? Is the water safe for fish? Can we eat the fish? Can we drink this water if it is treated first? Can I use this water for irrigation? Can I use this water for my industry? CONTACT RECREATION AQUATIC LIFE USE FISH CONSUMPTION DRINKING WATER FOOD PRODUCTION BUSINESS

30. Is the water safe to swim in?

31. Are Contact Recreation Standards Important to YOU?

33. Bacterial Indicators …like fecal coliform or E.coli …like fecal coliform or E.coli are called indicators because their presence indicates the possibility that disease causing pathogens are present. are called indicators because their presence indicates the possibility that disease causing pathogens are present.

34. Contact Recreation Criteria TCEQ Standards for “single grab” samples: Fecal coliform – less than 400 colonies/100mL E.coli – less than 394 colonies/100mL

35. Dark blue to purple are E.coli

36. How can citizen monitors bring capacity to restoration efforts? 925 water bodies surveyed for the 2008 report

37. Your name here Phone Email Organizational links, etc. http://txstreamteam.rivers.txstate.edu/ http://www.rivers.txstate.edu/