TCEQ’s History of the CWQMN Continuous Water Quality „ Network started by TCEQ in 2001 with 4 sites in the Bosque and Leon River watersheds Monitoring Network (CWQMN) „ Network continues to progressively grow

Jill Csekitz „ Currently over 50 sites in the network Commission On Environmental Quality

Locations in Texas Benefits of Continuous Data - - Lake Palestine - „ Water quality is measured in greater temporal - Lake Possum Kingdom - Lake Granbury detail and resolution than is possible with - Lake Whitney - and Tribs. discrete samples or short-term deployment of - Leon River Tribs. - Upper monitoring equipment - - - - Arroyo Colorado - Petronilla Creek - Houston Bayous - Groundwater Sites

1 Projects in the Brazos

„ Harmful Alga Research „ Partnership with TPWD to collect water quality data in reservoirs affected by Golden Alga Lake Whitney „ Environmental Monitoring and Response System (EMRS) „ Provide timely surface water quality data to TCEQ Field Ops for boat launch, screening and targeting field responses and investigations in the Upper North Bosque watershed. February 9, 2005

„ General Water Quality „ Monitor long-term water quality trends at downstream locations in the Bosque and Leon watersheds.

*Photo and slide by Dave Buzan

Vertical Profiler

2 Golden Alga Data Deployed Station TCEQ/TPWD/ BRA Partnerships 30 Degrees C Fluorescence P. parvum/ml/10,000 20

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0 10/4/2005 12/3/2005 2/1/2006 4/2/2006

*Data by Dave Buzan

Environmental Monitoring and Response System

3 How it Works Parameters Measured

„ Landowner permission to „ Ammonia - Nitrogen „ Temperature establish site „ Nitrate -Nitrogen „ Specific Conductance „ Develop site specific “trigger Nitrate -Nitrogen Specific Conductance levels” based on nutrient „ Total Reactive „ Dissolved Oxygen concentrations Phosphorus „ pH „ Deploy monitoring equipment „ Total Phosphorus „ Turbidity „ Receive notifications when ambient conditions exceed trigger levels „ TCEQ regional staff decide how/if to respond

Nutrient Monitoring Quality Control Data Quality

„ Each data point is verified and validated by TCEQ Data Management Staff or by contracted data validators.

Instrument blanks

4 Future Expansion in the Brazos Opportunities

„ Leon River at Gatesville „ Water Resource Management „ Field Parameters only (not nutrients) „ Water Resource Management Projects „ Replace the station lost in the 2007 Flood „ EV Spence „ Rio Grande at Andzalduas „ No other sites planned „ Pecos River „ Easy Parameters (ex. conductivity) „ Real-time data available to local decision-makers

For more information on TCEQ’s Questions? Continuous Water Quality Monitoring Network Jill Csekitz please visit: [email protected]

512.239.3136

Texas Commission on Environmental Quality www.texaswaterdata.org MC – 165 PO Box 13087 Austin, TX 78711 – 3087

www.tceq.state.tx.us

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