Lower Nueces River Watershed Data Report
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LOWER NUECES RIVER WATERSHED DATA REPORT August 2020 This report was prepared in cooperation with, and financed through, grants from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency through the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality. 1 | Page TABLE OF CONTENTS TABLE OF CONTENTS ....................................................................................................................................... 2 LIST OF TABLES ................................................................................................................................................ 3 LIST OF FIGURES .............................................................................................................................................. 3 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ................................................................................................................................... 4 INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................................................................... 5 Texas Stream Team ..................................................................................................................................... 5 WATERSHED DESCRIPTION ............................................................................................................................. 6 Location and Climate .................................................................................................................................. 6 Physical Description .................................................................................................................................... 6 History ......................................................................................................................................................... 8 Endangered Species and Conservation Needs ............................................................................................ 8 Texas Water Quality Standards ................................................................................................................... 9 Watershed Protection Plans and TMDLs .................................................................................................... 9 Water Quality Impairments ...................................................................................................................... 10 WATER QUALITY PARAMETERS..................................................................................................................... 10 Water Temperature .................................................................................................................................. 10 Specific Conductance and Salinity ............................................................................................................ 10 Dissolved Oxygen (DO) .............................................................................................................................. 11 pH .............................................................................................................................................................. 11 Secchi Disk and Total Depth ...................................................................................................................... 11 E. coli and enterococci Bacteria ................................................................................................................ 12 Orthophosphate ........................................................................................................................................ 12 Nitrate-Nitrogen........................................................................................................................................ 13 DATA COLLECTION, MANAGEMENT AND ANALYSIS ..................................................................................... 13 Data Collection .......................................................................................................................................... 13 Data Management .................................................................................................................................... 14 Data Analysis ............................................................................................................................................. 14 2 | Page DATA RESULTS ............................................................................................................................................... 14 Site Analysis .............................................................................................................................................. 15 Air and water Temperature .................................................................................................................. 15 Specific Conductance (Total Dissolved Solids) ...................................................................................... 17 Dissolved Oxygen .................................................................................................................................. 17 pH .......................................................................................................................................................... 17 WATERSHED SUMMARY ............................................................................................................................... 20 REFERENCES .................................................................................................................................................. 21 Appendix I: Endangered Species and Conservation Needs .......................................................................... 22 LIST OF TABLES Table 1. State and federally listed species in the Nueces River Basin (TPWD, 2020). .................................... 8 Table 2. State water quality criteria in the lower Nueces River watershed (TCEQ, 2018). ............................ 9 Table 3. Lower Nueces River watershed active Texas Stream Team sites. .................................................. 15 Table 4. Texas Stream Team data summary in lower Nueces River watershed (Nov. 2018 to Apr. 2020). 16 LIST OF FIGURES Figure 1. Nueces River Basin and location within the state of Texas. ............................................................ 6 Figure 2. Long-term (1971-2000) monthly average precipitation (cm) and air temperature (°C) from Mathis, Texas (NOAA Climate Data, 2020). .................................................................................................... 7 Figure 3. Air temperature (°C) for sites in the lower Nueces River watershed (November 2018 to May 2020). ............................................................................................................................................................ 16 Figure 4. Water temperature (°C) for sites in the lower Nueces River watershed (November 2018 to May 2020). ............................................................................................................................................................ 17 Figure 5. Conductivity (µS/cm) for sites in the lower Nueces River watershed (November 2018 to May 2020). ............................................................................................................................................................ 18 Figure 6. Total dissolved solids (TDS) (mg/L) for sites in the lower Nueces River watershed (WQS for Lake Corpus Christi = 750 mg/L, WQS for Nueces River below Lake Corpus Christi = 500 mg/L), (November 2018 to May 2020). ....................................................................................................................................... 18 Figure 7. Dissolved oxygen (mg/L) for sites in the lower Nueces River watershed (November 2018 to May 2020). ............................................................................................................................................................ 19 Figure 8. pH (s.u.) for sites in the lower Nueces River watershed (November 2018 to May 2020). ............ 19 3 | Page ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS The Texas Stream Team encourages life-long learning about the environment and people’s relationship to the environment through its multidisciplinary citizen science programs. We also provide hands-on opportunities for Texas State University students and inspire future careers and studies in natural resource related fields. Preparation of this report fulfills a contract deliverable for the granting entity, but it also serves as a valuable educational experience for the students that assisted in preparing the report. The Texas Stream Team staff values the student contributions and recognizes each individual for their role. The following staff and student workers assisted in the preparation of this report and are acknowledged for their contributions: Sandra S. Arismendez, Water Quality Monitoring Coordinator Eryl Austin-Bingamon, Student Research Assistant Aspen Navarro, Program Coordinator Laura M. Parchman, GIS and Data Management Associate Daniel Vasquez, Student Research Assistant 4 | Page INTRODUCTION Texas Stream Team Texas Stream Team is a volunteer-based citizen science water quality monitoring program. Citizen scientist water quality monitoring occurs at predetermined monitoring sites, at approximately the same time of day each month. Information collected by Texas Stream Team citizen scientists is covered by a TCEQ-approved Quality Assurance Project Plan (QAPP) to ensure that a standard set of methods are