South Llano River: One of
2011’sTop Ten
• National Fish Habitat Action Plan named
SLR as “water to watch”
• WHY??
– Conserve freshwater, estuarine, and marine
habitat
For more information go to
www.fishhabitat.org
Guadalupe Bass Initiative
• Central Texas endemic (streams of the
Edwards Plateau region)
• State Fish of Texas
• Declining numbers
– Decreased stream flow
– Habitat degradation
– Hybridization with smallmouth bass
A Watershed
• An area that drains to a common waterway,
such as a stream, lake, estuary, wetland,
aquifer, or even the ocean.
Source:
http://water.epa.gov/type/watershed
s/index.cfm
What Does a Watershed Look
Like?
• There are watersheds of all types
– They can include farmland, rangeland, small
towns or large cities
– They can be only a few acres to millions of
square miles
– Watershed have four major features: uplands,
floodplains, riparian zones, and water-bodies
Source: Texas
Watershed
Stewardship Program
Workshop April
2010
WE ALL LIVE IN ONE!!
Uplands
• Area of land above a water-body
– Typically forms watershed boundaries
– Provides habitat for wildlife, minimizes soil
erosion and acts a filter
Source: Texas
Watershed
Stewardship Program
Workshop April
2010
Floodplains
• Flat land that surrounds a water-body that is
prone to flood events
– Traps excess water
– Filters sediment
– Provides habitat for wildlife
Source: Texas
Watershed
Stewardship Program
Workshop April
2010
Riparian Zone
• “River Bank”
• Interface between land and water-body
– Filters sediment and surface runoff
– Minimizes soil erosion
– Provides habitat for wildlife
Source:
www.wikipedia.org
Water-Body
• Stream, river, pond, lake, reservoir, estuary,
bay, or ocean
• Flowing (lotic) or non-flowing (lentic)
• Influence and affected by soil, slope,
vegetation and topography
Source: Texas
Watershed
Stewardship Program
Workshop April
2010
Watershed hydrology
• Hydrology is the study of water
• 70% of the Earth’s surface is water
• Water continually cycles through a process
known as the water cycle
The Water Cycle
Where Does the Rain Go?
• Runoff
• Absorb by plants and used for
photosynthesis
• Infiltrate soil and percolate down into
groundwater aquifers
• Evaporation
• Trapped in ice caps, glaciers, lakes, and
reservoirs
Source: Texas
Watershed
Stewardship Program
Workshop April
2010
Land Use/Land Cover
• Land use is how WE use the land
– Agriculture, industry, urban, recreation
• Land Cover is the physical and biological
features
– Forests, grassland, rivers, buildings
• Changes can effect watershed function
Watershed Functions
• Hydrological
– Water capture: captured from rainfall and
infiltrates into soil
– Water storage: stored in areas between soil
particles and soil profile
– Water release: released underground, through
soil, or across land
Source: Texas
Watershed
Stewardship Program
Workshop April
2010
Watershed Functions
• Ecological
– Provides areas for nutrient transformation
found in air, water, and soil
– Provides habitat for plants and wildlife
Source: Texas
Watershed
Stewardship Program
Workshop April
2010
Benefits of a Watershed
Approach
• Hydrologically and geographically defined
– Considers many stressers (air, water, land)
• Includes all stakeholders
– Agencies (federal, state,& local)
– Community-based
• Identifies and prioritizes water resource
issues (e.g. water quality, water quantity,
invasive species)
Source:
http://water.epa.gov/typ
e/watersheds/approach.c
fm
What is a Watershed
Conservation Plan?
• Helps identify and prioritize issues facing
the watershed
• Framework for community participation in
land and water management with regard to
issues
• Guide restoration efforts with regard to
important species (e.g. Guadalupe Bass)
So, Why the Upper Llano River
Watershed?
• EPA’s Healthy Watersheds Initiative
– Collaborative systems-approach to protecting
healthy watersheds
• Why do it?
– Provides clean water for healthy ecosystems
– Habitat for fish and wildlife
– Drinking water
– Recreational opportunities
– Reduces vulnerability from negative impacts (e.g.
land use changes, exotic & invasive species)