pamela casebolt, texas state soil and water conservation board · 3/5/2013 · pamela casebolt nps...
TRANSCRIPT
Nueces River Watershed Partnership Stakeholder MeetingMarch 5, 2013
Pamela Casebolt,Texas State Soil and Water Conservation Board
Texas State Soil and Water Conservation Board (TSSWCB)
Nueces River Authority (NRA) Nueces River Watershed Partnership
TSSWCB is the lead agency in Texas responsible for planning, implementing and managing programs and practices for abating agricultural and silvicultural nonpoint source pollution
Project Oversight Management of all project activities Ensure coordination of activities between
project partners Provide funding to conduct project◦ $309,727 Federal Funding
Serve as a technical resource through the development and implementation of the watershed protection plan
The TSSWCB works with the 216 Soil and Water Conservation Districts (SWCDs) in Texas, by using local knowledge to achieve conservation goals that are based on the needs of each specific SWCD
The TSSWCB provides technical assistance and in some cases financial assistance to the SWCDs to help achieve these goals
ProvidingConservation Assistance
to Private Landownersfor 70+ Years
LOCAL = 216 SWCDsSTATE = TSSWCB
FEDERAL = USDA-NRCS
• Texas State Soil and Water Conservation Board (TSSWCB)• Agricultural and Silvicultural Nonpoint Source
• Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ)• Point Source Permitting
• Wastewater Treatment Facilities (WWTF)• Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations (CAFO)• Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System (MS4)
• All other forms of Nonpoint Source
• State’s comprehensive strategy to protect and restore water quality in waterbodies impacted by NPS water pollution
• State must have a federally-approved Management Program in order to continue receiving CWA §319(h) grant monies from USEPA
• Updated/revised May 2012
Geographic focus based on hydrology rather than political boundaries
Water quality objectives based on scientific data
Coordinated priorities and integrated solutions
Diverse, well-integrated partnerships
Watershed Protection Plan
WPPs are mechanisms for voluntarily addressing complex water quality problems that cross multiple jurisdictions
WPPs holistically address all of the sources and causes of impairments and threats to both surface and ground water resources within a watershed
WPPs are coordinated frameworks for implementing prioritized and integrated protection and restoration strategies driven by environmental objectives
WPPs are tools to better leverage the resources of individual landowners and citizens, local governments, state and federal agencies, and non-governmental organizations
WPPs are developed and implemented through diverse, well integrated partnerships with decision-making founded at the local level
WPPs use adaptive management to modify the plan based on an ongoing science-based process involving monitoring and evaluating strategies and incorporating new knowledge into decision-making
a) Identification of the causes and sources of water quality problems
b) Estimate of the load reductions expected to be achievedc) Description of management measures that will need to be
implementedd) Estimate of technical and financial assistance needed to
implement the plane) Information/education component that will be used to
enhance public understanding of the planf) Schedule for implementing management measuresg) Interim, measurable milestones for determining whether
management measures are being implementedh) Set of criteria used to determine whether load reductions are
being achievedi) Water quality monitoring component to evaluate effectiveness
of implementation
TSSWCB = 12TCEQ = 133rd Party = 6
Changes to Wastewater Treatment Facility permits & possible upgrades
Repair & replace failing septic systems Technical assistance & financial incentives to
landowners for voluntary BMPs on agricultural land
Control of invasive species (feral hogs, aquatic plants)
Education on & demonstration of BMPs
Build upon efforts made on the Source Water Protection Plan for the Lower Nueces River
A watershed protection plan is a voluntary, stakeholder driven document that holistically addresses all sources of impairments and concerns to water resources and serves as a roadmap to assure the long-term health of the watershed by developing management strategies and identifying resources for implementation
TSSWCB will serve as a technical resource through the development and implementation of the watershed protection plan
Texas State Soil and Water Conservation Board
http://www.tsswcb.texas.gov/
Thank You!
Pamela CaseboltNPS Grants Coordinator254-773-2250 ext 247
Jana LloydProject Manager
254-773-2250 ext [email protected]