1991 Texas Clean Rivers Program

1. 2011 Lower Basin Stakeholder ForumNueces River AuthorityFeb 16, 2011 – Uvalde Feb 23, 2011 – Corpus Christi

2. 1991 Texas Clean Rivers Program • To monitor and assess the water quality in the 25 basins throughout Texas • TCEQ developed partnerships to manage CRP • 15 Partner Agencies • State agencies • River Authorities • Local Governments

3. NRA’s Area of Responsibility • Nueces River Basin • S.A. Nueces Coastal Basin • Nueces Rio Grande Coastal Basin • Bays and Estuaries • 44 Segments • 30,500 Square Miles

4. Texas Clean Rivers Program • $9 Million Allocated Statewide Amongst CRP Partners Over 2 Years: • NRA: $548,272 Over 2 Years • NRA CRP Budget By Task • 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%

5. Routine Monitoring • pH • DO • Conductivity • Temp • Ammonia • Nitrates • Phosphorus • Chlorophyll-a • Turbidity • Bacteria • Chloride • Sulfate

6. NRA Database http://www.nueces-ra.org/CP/CRP/SWQM/index.php

7. Interactive Maphttp://www.nueces-ra.org/CP/CRP/SWQM/index.php

11. Coordinated Monitoring Schedulehttp://cms.lcra.org

12. NRA Coordinated Monitoring Meeting • Plan sampling for upcoming year • Invite: • TCEQ Regional Offices • TPWD • CBBEP • USGS • Soil Board • Other Interested Parties

13. Assessment (Integrated Report) • Every 2 Years • Based on 7 Years of Data: • 2010 – December 1, 2001 – November 30, 2008 • 2012 – December 1, 2003 – November 30, 2010

14. Classified Water Bodies Are Assigned Designated Uses • Aquatic Life • Exceptional • High • Intermediate • Limited • Oyster Waters • Contact Recreation • Primary Contact • Secondary Contact 1 and 2 (New) • Noncontact • Public Water Supply • Fish Consumption • General Use

15. Water Quality Criteria are Assigned to Designated Uses • Aquatic Life • Dissolved Oxygen • Public Water Supply • Chloride • Sulfate • TDS • Recreation • Bacteria • General Use • Water Temperature • pH • Ammonia • Nitrogen • Phosphorus • Fish Consumption • Fish Tissue

16. Assessment Includes 2 Lists: • 305(B) List Concerns • 303(d) List Impairments

17. Concerns 305(b) List • 20% of samples > criteria • Ammonia-Nitrogen • Nitrate+Nitrite • Orthophosphorus • Total phosphorus • Chlorophyll-a

18. Impairments 303(d) List Water bodies that do not meet the criteria for support of one or more of its beneficial uses

19. Impairments 303(d) List • TDS, Chloride, Sulfate • Average > criteria (Public Water Supply Impairment) • DO: grab samples and 24-Hr average • 10% of samples < criteria (Aquatic Life Impairment) • pH • 10% of samples outside range (General Use Impairment) • E. coli, Enterococcus • Geometric mean > criteria (Recreation use Impairment)

20. Impairments in the Lower BasinBacteria Impairments • 2001 Mission River Tidal • 2003 Aransas River Tidal • 2004A Aransas Creek • 2203 -2204 Petronila Creek (New Listing) • 2201 Arroyo Colorado • 2462 San Antonio Bay/Hynes Bay (New Listing Oyster Waters) • 2472 Copano Bay (Oyster Waters) • 2481 Corpus Christi Bay (Ropes and Cole Parks) • 2483 Redfish Bay (Oyster Waters) • 2485A Oso Creek, Bay (Oyster Waters) • 2491 Laguna Madre • 2492 San Fernando Creek • 2494 Brownsville Ship Channel (New Listing) • 2494A Port Isabel Fishing Harbor (New Listing)

21. 2010 Integrated Report • 2201 Arroyo Colorado Impaired for Low DO Mercury and PCBs in edible tissue DDE in edible tissue (New Listing) • 2202 Arroyo Above Tidal Impaired for Mercury and PCBs in edible tissue DDE in edible tissue (New Listing)

22. 2010 Integrated Report • 2204 Petronila Creek Above Tidal TDS Chloride Sulfate Chlorophyll-a • 2482 Nueces Bay Zinc in edible tissue (New Listing) • 2491 Laguna Madre Low DO

23. CWA Requires State to Take Action to Restore Impaired Waters(Arthur Talley) • Additional Monitoring - is the impairment real? • Use Attainability Analysis (UAA)- Are existing criteria and uses appropriate for water body? • TMDL • WPP • Special Study

24. National Coastal Condition Assessment • EPA National Aquatic Survey • TCEQ and University of Houston • 53 sites from Sabine Lake to Lower Laguna Madre • 7 in Corpus Christi Bay and 2 in Nueces Bay

25. Sample Collection • Water • Sediment • Bacteria • Benthic Community • Fish Tissue

26. 2011 Basin Highlights Report • Assessment Year BHR– a snapshot of every segment and any impairments or concerns • Year Following the Assessment BHR -any updates and ongoing projects • Every 5th year Basin Summary-more in depth and detailed than the Basin Highlights Report Comments to Kati Carberry Email: kcarberry@nueces-ra.org Fax: 361-653-2115 Mail: Nueces River Authority 1201 N. Shoreline Blvd. Corpus Christi, TX 78401

27. Input for FY 2011 Planning • Additional routine monitoring sites? • Special studies? • Additional outreach opportunities? • Additional web-based information?

28. Contact Information http://www.nueces-ra.org Sky Lewey: slewey@nueces-ra.org830-278-6810 Rocky Freund: rfreund@nueces-ra.org361-825-3193 Beth Almaraz: balmaraz@nueces-ra.org 361-825-3193