Watershed
Protection Planning and Management
Watershed Protection Planning
and Management
David Waidler
Research Assistant – Watershed Coordinator
Texas AgriLife Research
Urban Solutions Center
Watershed
Protection Planning and Management
What is a Watershed?
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Land Area that Drains into a Common Water Body
Surface Water
Groundwater
Soils
Vegetation
Wildlife
Livestock
People
Urban Solutions Center
Watershed
Protection Planning and Management
Watershed Functions
• Hydrological
– Water Capture
– Water Storage
– Water Release
• Ecological
– Providing diverse sites for biogeochemical reactions
to take place
– Providing habitat for plants and animals of various
kinds
Urban Solutions Center
Watershed
Protection Planning and Management
Human Impacts on the Hydrologic Cycle
Watershed
Protection Planning and Management
Water Use Categories
• Aquatic Life
– Designated to protect aquatic species
– Dissolved Oxygen, toxic chemicals
• Contact Recreation
– Estimates the relative risk of swimming and other water sports
• Public Water Supply
– Indicator of whether water is available as a source for a public water system
– Metals, pesticides, other toxic chemicals
• Fish Consumption
– Protect public from consuming fish that may be contaminated
Urban Solutions Center
Watershed
Protection Planning and Management
Water Quality Parameters
Chemical
– Dissolved Oxygen (DO)
– Electrical Conductivity
– pH
– Fecal Coliform
– Nitrogen
– Total Phosphorus
Urban Solutions Center
Watershed
Protection Planning and Management
Water Quality Parameters
Physical
– Temperature
– Turbidity
– Total Suspended Solids
– Stream Flow (Discharge)
Urban Solutions Center
Watershed
Protection Planning and Management
Pollutant
Any substance that, when present in a hydrologic system
at sufficient concentration, degrades water quality in
ways that are or could become harmful to human and/or
ecological health or that impair the use of water for
recreation, agriculture, industry, commerce, or domestic
purposes.
Urban Solutions Center
Watershed
Water
Quality
Projectand Management
Protection
Planning
Pollutants: Types and Impacts
Watershed
Protection Planning and Management
Point Source Pollution
Pollution resulting from collection and discharge at a
defined point
• Waste Water Treatment Plant Discharges
• Industrial Waste Discharge
• Confined Animal Feeding Operations
Urban Solutions Center
Watershed
Protection Planning and Management
Non-Point Source Pollution
Pollutant sources that are spread over a landscape
• Fertilizers, herbicides, and insecticides
• Oil, grease, and toxic chemicals
• Sediment
• Salt (irrigation)
• Acid (abandoned mines)
• Bacteria (livestock/ pet waste, septic systems)
• Atmospheric deposition
• Hydromodification (channel modification and dams)
Watershed
Protection Planning and Management
Watershed Protection
Plan Development
Urban Solutions Center
Watershed
Protection Planning and Management
Nine Elements of Watershed Protection
Plans
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Identify the sources and causes of pollution
Estimate the necessary load reductions
Describe Point Source and Non-Point source
management measures
Assess the technical and financial assistance needed
Design an informational/ educational component
Develop a schedule of implementation
Set interim measurable milestones for progress
Establish criteria to determine load reductions
Create a monitoring component
Urban Solutions Center
Watershed
Protection Planning and Management
Current Watershed Projects
• North Central Texas Water Quality Project
– Cedar Creek Reservoir
– Eagle Mountain Lake
– Richland Chambers Reservoir
• Lake Granbury Watershed Protection Plan
Urban Solutions Center
Watershed
Protection Planning and Management
Cedar Creek Reservoir
• Kaufman, Van Zandt, Rockwall
and Henderson Counties
• Nutrient (P and N) and
Sediment
• Educational Programs
– Controlling Agricultural
Non-Point Source
Pollution
– Urban Nutrient
Management
– Urbanization
– Water Literacy
Watershed
Protection Planning and Management
Eagle Mountain Lake
• Wise, Parker, Montague, Jack, Clay,
and Tarrant Counties
• Nutrient (P and N) and Sediment
• Educational Programs
– Controlling Non-Point
Source Pollution
– Urban Nutrient Management
– Recreational use concerns
– Water Literacy
Watershed
Protection Planning and Management
Richland Chambers Reservoir
• Ellis, Navarro, Johnson, Freestone,
Limestone, and Henderson
Counties
• Nutrient (P and N) and Sediment
• Educational Programs
– Controlling Non-Point Source
Pollution
– Urban Nutrient Management
– Wetland function and
preservation
– Construction practices for
lakeside development
– Water Literacy
Urban Solutions Center
Watershed
Protection Planning and Management
Lake Granbury
• Hood County
• Bacterial Impairment
• Educational Programs
– On site Wastewater
Treatment
– Potential Sources of Bacteria
– Water Literacy
– Pet Waste Management
– Agricultural Non-Point
Source Pollution
– Urban Nutrient Management