2008 Basin Summary Report Guadalupe River Basin Watersheds
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Guadalupe-Blanco River Authority 2008 Basin Summary Report Guadalupe River Basin Watersheds Johnson\Creek BLANCO INGRAM North Fork Blanco River KERRVILLE Camp\Meeting\Creek Cypress\Creek KYLE Plum\Creek South Fork Canyon\Lake Flat Rock\Lake COMFORT LOCKHART SAN MARCOS San\Marcos\River NEW BRAUNFELS Comal\River Peach\Creek Geronimo\Creek LULING Legend SEGUIN Lake\H-4 GONZALES Lake\Placid Guadalupe\River Lake\Wood Rivers/Streams Lakes/Bays NIXON Sandies\Creek Basin boundary Elm\Creek Cities CUERO Upper Guadalupe above Comfort Guadalupe\River Upper Guadalupe below Comfort YORKTOWN Blanco VICTORIA Middle Guadalupe Coleto\Creek\Reservoir San Marcos Coleto\Creek BLOOMINGTON Plum Peach Sandies SEADRIFT Coleto Lower Guadalupe Lavaca Guadalupe TABLE OF CONTENTS Introduction Introduction ...................................................................................................................................1 Executive Summary ......................................................................................................................2 The Basin Summary Report is designed to provide a Objectives and Goals ....................................................................................................................3 comprehensive review of water quality data and related information Coordination and Cooperation .....................................................................................................3 Summary of the Plum Creek Watershed Protection Plan...........................................................4 for the Guadalupe River and Lavaca Coastal Basin. The report Overview of the Guadalupe River Basin ......................................................................................5 serves to develop a greater understanding of water quality conditions Summary of Water Quality Characteristics..................................................................................8 in the river basin. It also serves to enhance the ability to make Technical Summary-Overview of the Technical Summary........................................................10 Water Quality Monitoring ............................................................................................................11 decisions regarding water quality issues. The report is compiled every Description of Water Quality Parameters ..................................................................................12 ÀYH\HDUV,QDGGLWLRQWRWKHZDWHUTXDOLW\GDWDUHYLHZWKHUHSRUW Description of Water Quality Assessment Process ...................................................................13 Categorizing Water Bodies .........................................................................................................14 contains highlights on activities in the Guadalupe River Basin and Data Review Methodology ..........................................................................................................14 Lavaca Coastal Basin under the Clean Rivers Program (CRP) and Index of Biotic Integrity ...............................................................................................................16 opportunities for the public to have input into the program. The CRP Metals in Water ...........................................................................................................................18 Public Partnerships.....................................................................................................................22 is managed by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality and Watershed Summaries funded entirely by fees assessed to wastewater and water rights Upper Guadalupe River above Comfort.....................................................................................25 permit holders. The Guadalupe-Blanco River Authority (GBRA), Johnson Creek (1816) ............................................................................................................27 North Fork Guadalupe River (1817) ......................................................................................28 together with the Upper Guadalupe River Authority (UGRA) carry out South Fork Guadalupe River (1818)......................................................................................28 the water quality management efforts in these basins under contract Guadalupe River above Canyon Lake (above Comfort) (1806) ...........................................29 Camp Meeting Creek (1806A) ...............................................................................................30 with the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ.) Guadalupe River above Canyon Lake (below Comfort) (1806)................................................32 Canyon Reservoir: Upper Lake, Middle Lake, Lower Lake, Coves (1805)...............................35 Middle Guadalupe River Part A..................................................................................................40 Middle Guadalupe River Part B..................................................................................................41 Guadalupe River Below Canyon Dam (1812)........................................................................42 Comal River and Dry Comal (1811 and 1811A) .................................................................. 44 Guadalupe River below the Comal River: Hydroelectric Lakes and River (1804)...............48 Geronimo Creek (1804A) .......................................................................................................54 Blanco River ................................................................................................................................57 Upper Blanco River (1813).....................................................................................................58 Lower Blanco River (1809).....................................................................................................62 Cypress Creek (1815)............................................................................................................64 San Marcos River ........................................................................................................................66 Upper San Marcos River (1814).............................................................................................67 Lower San Marcos River (1808) ............................................................................................69 Plum Creek (1810)......................................................................................................................72 Peach Creek (1803C) .................................................................................................................77 Sandies Creek (including Elm Creek) (1803B and 1803A) .....................................................81 Coleto Creek and Reservoir (1807) ...........................................................................................85 Lower Guadalupe River Watershed (1801, 1802, 1803) ........................................................90 Victoria Barge Canal (1701) .......................................................................................................96 Guadalupe-Lavaca Coastal Basin (2453)..................................................................................97 - 1 - 2008 Basin Summary Report Executive Summary The 2008 Basin Summary Report for the Guadalupe Gonzales, Cuero, Victoria, and Port Lavaca. The impervious cover reduces groundwater recharge and in River Basin and Lavaca-Guadalupe Coastal Basin highest population growth is occurring along the major WXUQUHGXFHVEDVHÁRZRIWKHVWUHDPV summarizes the monitoring and watershed protection thoroughfares, US 281, IH 35 and SH 130, located in activities, and water quality conditions of the watersheds the central portion of the basin. Most of the industrial In the Kerrville area, the stakeholders are also in the respective basins. Historical data was reviewed facilities are located in the lower basin, near the Victoria concerned about ash juniper and its ability to capture for possible trends in the data, looking for degrading or Barge Canal and ports along the coast. Recreation is an rainwater, reducing the amount of recharge which is improving conditions. The Guadalupe River Basin varies important “industry” in the upper basin and reservoirs, FULWLFDOWRWKHEDVHÁRZRIWKHULYHULQ.HUU&RXQW\,Q from the steep, limestone hill country that is prone to XWLOL]LQJWKHFOHDUZDWHUDQGÁRZVIRUVZLPPLQJWXELQJ Goliad County, the stakeholders are concerned about ÁDVKÁRRGLQJWRWKHÁDWUROOLQJWHUUDLQRIWKHORZHUEDVLQ FDQRHLQJDQGÀVKLQJ8WLOL]DWLRQRIWKHVXUIDFHZDWHU impacts from oil and gas production, and most recently, $VDUHVXOWRIWKHWXUEXOHQWÁRZVRIWKHXSSHUZDWHUVKHG for cooling occurs at power plants in Victoria and Goliad the in-situ mining for uranium. streams, their substrates are made up of bedrock and counties. large gravel. The streams there are shallow and swift. Most sampling locations have been in place for quite The lower basin substrates are silty, and the streams The watershed segment summaries include a number of years. Monitoring entities include the Texas carry logs and debris from upstream, to collect in log jams discussions on stakeholders concerns. Those concerns Commission on Environmental Quality, the Guadalupe at the lower end of the river. The middle portion of the may vary somewhat from watershed to watershed, Blanco River Authority, the Upper Guadalupe River river basin is made up of waterbodies that are referred but most have