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Dry Comal Creek and Comal River Watershed Protection Plan DRAFT

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Dry Comal Creek and Comal River Watershed Protection Plan DRAFT Dry Comal Creek and Comal River Watershed Protection Plan DRAFT J U N E 2 0 1 7 Dry Comal Creek and Comal River Watershed Protection Plan DRAFT Dry Comal Creek and Comal River Watershed Protection Plan DRAFT PREPARED FOR THE DRY COMAL CREEK AND COMAL RIVER WATERSHED PARTNERSHIP BY GREG MALATEK AND MARK ENDERS CITY OF NEW BRAUNFELS MIKE URRUTIA, LEE GUDGELL, AND CINDE THOMAS-JIMENEZ GUADALUPE-BLANCO RIVER AUTHORITY AHSLEY EVANS, PE, FRED BLUMBERG, AND DEBBIE MAGIN ARCADIS U.S., INC. BREE CARRICO, PE ALEXA ENGINEERING Funding for the development of this Watershed Protection Plan project was provided through a federal Clean Water Act §319 (h) grant to the City of New Braunfels, administered by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Page i Dry Comal Creek and Comal River Watershed Protection Plan DRAFT Acknowledgements This Dry Comal Creek and Comal River Watershed Protection Plan (WPP) is the result of collaboration and cooperation between many different groups and individuals. First, the Watershed Partnership, a collaboration between the City of New Braunfels (City), the Guadalupe-Blanco River Authority (GBRA), and the Edwards Aquifer Authority (EAA), wishes to express thanks to members of the WPP Stakeholder Group and WPP Work Groups for their investment of time and energy to participate and provide valuable input throughout the process. The stakeholders’ insight, support and information on activities and potential sources of pollution in the watershed have been instrumental. The Dry Comal Creek and Comal River Watershed Partnership also would like to thank the individuals and organizations that provided technical information and support, expertise and/or advice throughout the project including the following: • U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) • Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) • Texas Parks & Wildlife Department • Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service • Texas A&M AgriLife Research • Texas State Soil and Water Conservation Board • USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service • City of Austin Watershed Protection Department • Comal County Office of Engineering • Guadalupe County Environmental Health • Ward Ling, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Program Specialist and Watershed Coordinator for the Geronimo and Alligator Creeks The Watershed Partnership thanks Mike Urrutia, Cinde Thomas-Jimenez and Lee Gudgell with GBRA for their time, and technical and financial support of this effort. GBRA has been a key partner in this project by conducting water quality sampling and analyses, providing guidance on regulations, and supporting the stakeholder process. The Watershed Partnership also thanks the EAA for contribution of assistance, as well as water quality data to support the technical analyses. Additionally, the WPP Partnership thanks Adisa Communications for facilitating the Phase 2 stakeholder and work group meetings. The Watershed Partnership is especially grateful to the TCEQ and the USEPA for funding support. Funding provided through these agencies enabled the development of this WPP and established a solid foundation for watershed stewardship in the Dry Comal Creek and Comal River Watershed. Page ii Dry Comal Creek and Comal River Watershed Protection Plan DRAFT Statement of Purpose Dry Comal Creek and the Comal River are essential natural resources in Comal and Guadalupe Counties, supporting recreation in the City of New Braunfels (the “City”,) as well as agricultural operations and wildlife throughout the area. In 2010, the Dry Comal Creek was listed by the State of Texas as having impaired water quality for E. coli bacteria. Specifically, the geometric mean E. coli concentration within Dry Comal Creek exceeded 126 colony forming units per 100 milliliters (CFU/100 mL), which is the Texas statewide criterion for surface water categorized for primary contact recreation. The City and GBRA responded by conducting additional E. coli sampling at supplementary sites along Dry Comal Creek and the Comal River to aid in identification of potential sources of impairment. The City also sponsored a study (“Dry Comal Creek Outfall Reconnaissance Inventory” dated 2011) to establish an immediate assessment of watershed condition and improvement options. Review of E. coli data suggested that E. coli concentrations in the Comal River were also increasing over time. Thus, the City started the process of applying for grants from the USEPA to secure funding for development of a WPP for the Dry Comal Creek and Comal River Watershed (the “Watershed”). The City secured two separate grants to allow development of a WPP in two phases (collectively, the “WPP”): • Phase 1: Watershed Characterization – Quantification of bacteria loads in the Dry Comal Creek and Comal River and identification of sources of bacteria pollution within the Watershed. • Phase 2: Development of a WPP – Development of best management practices (BMPs) to reduce bacteria loads in the waterbodies and identification and development of Outreach and Education activities required for successful, watershed-wide implementation of the WPP. A primary goal of the Phase 1 and 2 processes was to create a means for stakeholders to develop an understanding of the Watershed and to actively improve the quality and health of water resources through adoption of voluntary management practices. Stakeholders are a critical part of the WPP process and include any individual or group that may be directly or indirectly affected by activities implemented to protect water quality. Stakeholders can include citizens, businesses, municipalities, county governments, river authorities, soil and water conservation districts, agricultural committees, nonprofit organizations, and state and federal agencies. The purpose of this WPP is to document the results of Phase 1 and Phase 2 of the WPP project and present an implementable WPP to reduce bacteria levels in the Dry Comal Creek and Comal River. The focuses of Phase 1 of the WPP project were to 1) Establish a Stakeholder Group and process to drive public participation and input into the WPP process; and 2) Concentrate on the impaired Dry Comal Creek, while including a holistic watershed approach to evaluate increasing bacteria levels in the Comal River. The primary goals of Phase 2 of the WPP project were to 1) Facilitate a stakeholder-driven process to select BMPs to reduce bacteria levels in the Dry Comal Creek and Comal River; 2) Facilitate a stakeholder process to Page iii Dry Comal Creek and Comal River Watershed Protection Plan DRAFT plan outreach and education activities related to the WPP and BMPs that are crucial for the WPP’s success; and 3) Develop an EPA-approved WPP for the Dry Comal Creek and Comal River. The WPP also supports restoration efforts and enables financial and technical assistance to facilitate improvements in the Watershed. Thus, this WPP is also structured to address the nine necessary elements of a WPP as determined by the USEPA (refer to Appendix A). This WPP is intended to be a living document, adjusted to include new data and modified as conditions in the Watershed change over time. It will evolve as needs and circumstances dictate, and will be guided by the City with stakeholder involvement as they undertake active stewardship of the Watershed. Page iv Dry Comal Creek and Comal River Watershed Protection Plan DRAFT Contents EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ............................................................................................................ 1 Watershed Partnership and Stakeholder Engagement ................................................. 2 Watershed Characterization ......................................................................................... 3 Implementation Plan for Improving Water Quality ......................................................... 6 1 WATERSHED MANAGEMENT ......................................................................................... 12 1.1 Watersheds and Water Quality .......................................................................... 12 1.2 Benefits of a Watershed Approach .................................................................... 13 1.3 Watershed Protection Plan Purpose and Funding ............................................. 13 2 OVERVIEW OF THE WATERSHED .................................................................................. 15 2.1 Watershed Boundaries ...................................................................................... 15 2.2 Geography ........................................................................................................ 16 2.2.1 Dry Comal Creek .......................................................................................... 16 2.2.2 Comal River .................................................................................................. 17 2.3 Physical and Natural Features ........................................................................... 18 2.3.1 Ecoregions .................................................................................................... 19 2.3.2 Soils .............................................................................................................. 20 2.3.3 Fish and Invertebrate Communities .............................................................. 20 2.4 Climate .............................................................................................................. 20 2.5 History ..............................................................................................................
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