Upper Cibolo Creek Watershed Protection Plan
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Upper Cibolo Creek Watershed Protection Plan Prepared for the: UPPER CIBOLO CREEK WATERSHED PARTNERSHIP by: Ryan Bass and Don Burger City of Boerne Mel Vargas, Kirk Dean Ph.D. and Marcel Dulay Parsons Water and Infrastructure Lauren Bilbe and Arthur Talley Texas Commission on Environmental Quality September 2013 This Watershed Protection Plan was prepared in cooperation with the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality. The preparation of this report was financed through a federal Clean Water Act §319(h) grant from the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Upper Cibolo Creek Watershed Protection Plan TABLE OF CONTENTS LIST OF FIGURES ....................................................................................................................... vi LIST OF TABLES ......................................................................................................................... ix ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ........................................................................................................... xi EXECUTIVE SUMMARY .......................................................................................................... xii Chapter 1. Introduction and Watershed Characteristics ................................................................. 1 Project History............................................................................................................................. 1 Nine Elements of a Watershed Plan ............................................................................................ 2 The Watershed Approach ............................................................................................................ 2 Benefits of the Watershed Approach .......................................................................................... 3 Stakeholder Designated Goals .................................................................................................... 3 Stakeholder Group Structure ....................................................................................................... 4 Watershed Characteristics ............................................................................................................... 5 Stream Segment Description ....................................................................................................... 5 Watershed Characteristics ........................................................................................................... 5 Ecology........................................................................................................................................ 7 Sensitive Areas ............................................................................................................................ 8 Elevation, Topography and Watershed Delineation ................................................................... 8 Soils ........................................................................................................................................... 10 Land Use ................................................................................................................................... 10 Climate and Precipitation .......................................................................................................... 11 General Hydrology .................................................................................................................... 11 Surface Water Impoundments ................................................................................................... 12 Wastewater Treatment Facility Discharge ................................................................................ 14 Page ii Upper Cibolo Creek Watershed Protection Plan On-Site Sewage Facilities ......................................................................................................... 15 Water Quality Standards ........................................................................................................... 16 Texas Surface Water Quality Standards, Numeric Criteria for Segment 1908 ......................... 17 Texas 303d Listings for Segment 1908 ..................................................................................... 19 Chapter 2. Water Quality Modeling.............................................................................................. 20 Model Selection......................................................................................................................... 20 Subwatershed Delineation ......................................................................................................... 21 Impoundments ........................................................................................................................... 21 Model Review by Stakeholders and Technical Advisory Committee ...................................... 22 Decision Support System .......................................................................................................... 23 Chapter 3. Causes and Sources of Pollution ................................................................................. 24 Wildlife...................................................................................................................................... 24 Feral Hogs ................................................................................................................................. 24 White-tailed Deer ...................................................................................................................... 25 Axis Deer................................................................................................................................... 25 Cliff Swallows ........................................................................................................................... 25 Waterfowl .................................................................................................................................. 26 Livestock ................................................................................................................................... 27 Urban/Residential ...................................................................................................................... 28 Wastewater Treatment Facility Discharges............................................................................... 28 On-Site Sewage Facilities ......................................................................................................... 28 Dogs .......................................................................................................................................... 29 Residential Turfgrass................................................................................................................. 29 Chapter 4. Load Contributions and Sensitivity Analysis .............................................................. 31 Pollutant Source Contributions ................................................................................................. 31 Page iii Upper Cibolo Creek Watershed Protection Plan Sensitivity Analysis ................................................................................................................... 42 Prioritization of Sources through Sensitivity Analysis ............................................................. 46 Chapter 5. Management Strategies and ........................................................................................ 47 Load Reduction Potential .............................................................................................................. 47 Management Strategies ............................................................................................................. 47 Cliff Swallow Nest Deterrents .................................................................................................. 55 Urban Waterfowl Management ................................................................................................. 56 Pet (Dog) Waste Management .................................................................................................. 58 Feral Hog Reduction ................................................................................................................. 60 Deer Management ..................................................................................................................... 62 Conservation Plans .................................................................................................................... 64 On-Site Sewage Facilities Strategies......................................................................................... 66 Wastewater Treatment Facility Strategies................................................................................. 68 Complementary Nutrient Reduction Potential .......................................................................... 70 Riparian Buffers in Urban Areas ............................................................................................... 70 Reduction of Fertilizer Application on Residential/Commercial Lawns .................................. 72 Hazardous Household Waste .................................................................................................... 74 Summary of Pollutant Load Reductions ................................................................................... 76 Chapter 6. Estimate of Technical and Financial