Cedar Bayou Watershed Protection Plan
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Cedar Bayou Watershed Protection Plan Prepared for the Cedar Bayou Watershed Partnership by the Houston-Galveston Area Council 7/16/2015 The Development of a Watershed Protection for Cedar Bayou project is partially funded by the Texas State Soil and Water Conservation Board through a Clean Water Act §319(h) grant from the U.S. Environmental Protection. Additional funding was provided by the Galveston Bay Estuary Program. Acknowledgements The Cedar Bayou Watershed Protection Plan is the culmination of the efforts of a diverse and committed group of stakeholders and local partners. This collaborative, community-based approach to protecting the public healthy, economy, and ecology of the Cedar Bayou area would not have been possible without their dedication and persistence. The Cedar Bayou Watershed Partnership wishes to sincerely thank the members of the project’s Steering Committee, past and present. These leaders from different backgrounds share a common commitment to their community. Steering Committee Members Mr. Andrew Allemand Mr. Ryan Granata Mr. Lindy Murff Ms. Charlene Bohanon Mr. Jonathon Holley Commissioner Gary Nelson Mr. Royal D. Burnside Ms. Diane Jones Mr. Guido Persiani Mr. Lewis Odell Casey Mr. and Mrs. Jerry Jones Mr. Joe Presnall Mr. Gil Chambers Ms. Sharon Kamas Mr. Ladd Puskus Ms. Daniele Cioce Ms. Wilyne Laughlin Mr. Glenn Sabadosa Mr. Bill Cobabe Mr. Jim Lard Commissioner Rusty Senac Ms. Cindy Coker Ms. Alisa Max Mr. John Schrader Mr. Joshua Donaldson Councilman David McCartney Ms. Adele Warren Mr. David Fowler Ms. Jean McCloud The support of an engaged group of local organizations is the backbone of this watershed effort. These partners have been integral to the development and guidance of this watershed protection plan. Local Partners Bayer Cedar Bayou Friends Liberty County Bayou Preservation Association Galveston Bay Estuary Program Lower Trinity Soil and Water Baytown Area CAP Galveston Bay Foundation Conservation District Cedar Bayou Navigation District Harris County Murff Turf Farms Chambers County Harris County Flood Control NRG Cedar Bayou generating City of Baytown District facility City of Mont Belvieu Harris County Soil and Water Trinity Bay Soil and Water City of Beach City Conservation District Conservation District Crosby ISD Houston-Galveston Area Council Environmental Health Specialties Huffman ISD Front Page photo credits, clockwise from top left: Justin Bower, Jerry Jones, Justin Bower, Jeff Murray, Justin Bower Members of regional, state and national agencies committed to local watershed initiatives have provided invaluable technical assistance and insight as a Technical Advisory Committee for the project. Technical Advisory Committee Texas Commission on Environmental Quality United States Geologic Survey United States Army Corps of Engineers, Galveston District Texas Farm Bureau Texas Parks and Wildlife Department Galveston Bay Estuary Program USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service Texas Forest Service Texas A&M University AgriLife Extension and AgriLife Texas Department of State Health Services Research The Partnership would like to extend special thanks to Linda and Jerry Jones, Commissioners Rusty Senac and Gary Nelson, Kim Laird, Cynthia Clevenger, Lisa Marshall, Sarah Bernhardt, Gerald Hayes, Brian Koch, Ashley Wendt, the Eddie V. Gray Wetlands Center, Mark Fleming and the Baytown Sun, and KSHN radio. This project exists because of the investment of funding and time from the Texas State Soil and Water Conservation Board (TSSWCB), the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and the Galveston Bay Estuary Program (GBEP) of the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ). Lastly, our gratitude goes out for every stakeholder who takes the time to attend a meeting, share their knowledge or help spread the word. Partnership watershed tour group, 2012 STATEMENT OF PURPOSE Cedar Bayou has long been the lifeblood of the communities that sprang up along its banks. Its northern headwaters fuel a historic agricultural community, while its navigable southern reaches support thriving industrial, commercial and recreational economies. The prairie, wetlands, and forests through which it flows contain critical habitat and resources for the ecosystems of Galveston Bay and the Upper Texas Gulf Coast. Over the last several years, however, the ability of the waterway to support the human and aquatic communities that rely on it has degraded. In 2008, Cedar Bayou was designated by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality as having levels of fecal bacteria that posed a risk for contact recreation, and for being unable to fully support aquatic life. At the same time, fish consumption advisories in the Galveston Bay system raised public health concerns about elevated levels of PCBs and dioxins. In response to these and other concerns, a diverse group of local stakeholders formed the Cedar Bayou Watershed Partnership under the guidance of the Texas State Soil and Water Conservation Board and the Houston-Galveston Area Council. The primary goal of the Partnership was to develop a Watershed Protection Plan to restore and maintain water quality in Cedar Bayou and its tributaries. The purpose of the Cedar Bayou Watershed Protection Plan is to identify priority water quality issues, investigate their causes and sources, and recommend a comprehensive set of voluntary measures for addressing them based on sound science and local decision-making. The Plan originates from the local community and is designed to serve as a roadmap to achieving their goals of protecting the public health, economies, and ecosystems that depend on the health of Cedar Bayou. To ensure that it remains responsive and relevant to the changing needs of the Bayou and its local stakeholders, the Cedar Bayou Watershed Protection Plan is intended to be a living document. The Plan will be regularly evaluated to monitor its success and make revisions as needed. Its future implementation and evolution will be guided by an active and empowered local stakeholder group. TABLE OF CONTENTS Statement of Purpose ..................................................................................... 4 Executive Summary of the Cedar Bayou Watershed Protection Plan .............. 1 1 – Introduction ............................................................................................... 4 Watersheds .............................................................................................................................................................................. 4 Watersheds and Water Quality ............................................................................................................................................... 4 The Case for Clean Water ........................................................................................................................................................ 6 The Watershed Approach ........................................................................................................................................................ 7 Watershed Protection Planning ............................................................................................................................................... 8 A Watershed Protection Plan for Cedar Bayou ........................................................................................................................ 9 2 – The Cedar Bayou Watershed ................................................................... 11 Physical and Natural Features ....................................................................... 11 Stream Segments of the Watershed ...................................................................................................................................... 11 Cedar Bayou Above Tidal (0902) ........................................................................................................................................ 12 Cedar Bayou Tidal (0901) ................................................................................................................................................... 14 Watershed Boundary ............................................................................................................................................................. 16 Subwatersheds ...................................................................................................................................................................... 19 Topography ............................................................................................................................................................................ 21 Soils ........................................................................................................................................................................................ 22 Climate ................................................................................................................................................................................... 24 Ecoregions .............................................................................................................................................................................. 24 Wildlife and Habitat ............................................................................................................................................................... 25 Watershed History .......................................................................................