SP-318 8/07 LINKING WATER CONSERVATION & NATURAL RESOURCE STEWARDSHIP IN THE TRINITY RIVER BASIN Linking Water Conservation and Natural Resource Stewardship in the Trinity River Basin James C. Cathey, Ph.D., CWB, Texas Cooperative Extension, Department of Wildlife and Fisheries Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas, USA Shawn L. Locke, Ph.D., Texas Cooperative Extension, Department of Wildlife and Fisheries Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas, USA Andrea M. Feldpausch, Department of Wildlife and Fisheries Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas, USA Israel D. Parker, Department of Wildlife and Fisheries Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas, USA Carl Frentress, Advanced Ecology Ltd., Athens, Texas, USA Jay Whiteside, Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, Austin, Texas, USA Corey Mason, CWB, Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, Austin, Texas, USA Matthew W. Wagner, Ph.D., CWB, Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, Austin, Texas, USA ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS This document represents the fi rst in a series of publications involving a partnership between Texas A&M University, Texas Cooperative Extension, Department of Wildlife and Fisheries Sci- ences, Institute of Renewable Natural Resources, and Texas Parks and Wildlife Department. We thank the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department for funding for this work. Additional funding was provided from the Renewable Resources Extension. We thank John Cooper (Texas Cooperative Extension, Denton County), the Elm Fork Chapter of the Texas Master Naturalist Program, and Gary and Sue Price (77 Ranch) for providing examples of rural and urban land stewardship. The Trinity Basin Conservation Foundation was a catalyst for this work, and we appreciate the col- laboration with their members concerning this publication. Photos were provided by James C. Cathey. We appreciate the efforts of Anna Munoz, Clark Adams and Stephen Davis for providing editorial review of this manuscript. 1 INTRODUCTION (e.g., pavement, rooftops or other surfaces) As we head into the 21st century, water related to urban and suburban development conservation has quickly become a core issue and other land-use changes has not only facing citizens of Texas. Texans commonly decreased potential groundwater recharge as- hear that demand for water by the human sociated with rainfall events, but also has led population has already outgrown the supply to problems for municipalities that must deal in Texas. Currently, plans for new reservoir with increased rates of stormwater fl ow into construction or inter-basin transfers of water stream corridors. Nutrient loading associ- are increasingly controversial. Many believe ated with stream pulses can also negatively that the confrontations are because society impact water quality and ecosystem health may be reluctant to pay for ecological and during times of intense rainfall. Considering monetary costs associated with these water these trends of increased water demand and supply proposals. Also, rural interests are a the subsequent decreases in water quality and growing force demanding more balance in quantity associated with urbanization and water issues. Fortunately, this factionalized other land-use practices, a need clearly exists forum brings opportunities for innovations to re-examine how we develop and manage and non-traditional approaches to enhance- existing as well as new sources of water. ments for water supplies. The purpose of this publication is to stimulate further creative Although many methods for capturing water thinking about opportunities through land are available for human and agricultural stewardship that benefi t water and wildlife. uses, responsible land stewardship is a key process. In this publication, we describe the Slowing human population growth is an Trinity River watershed, defi ne land steward- unlikely fi x to water shortage issues. To put ship and explore its relationship to ecosystem this into perspective, the human population health. Further, we describe how responsible in Texas is projected to be 34-41 million by land stewardship can be applied in urban and 2030, which is nearly twice the population rural settings, explore connections between of the year 2000. The Bureau of Reclamation ecosystem function and land stewardship, predicts that by 2025, a signifi cant num- and answer important questions about the ber of areas, including Dallas-Fort Worth, Trinity River Basin. will fail to meet water demands for people, farms and the environment (http://www. THE TRINITY RIVER BASIN doi.gov/water2025/supply.html). Water and The Trinity River begins near the Texas- wildlife habitat conservation efforts aimed at Oklahoma border in Clay, Archer and Mon- the Trinity River Basin will likely become a tague counties. Lost, Hurricane, Grayson, conservation focal point in the state since the White Rock, Denton and Clear Creeks river connects the huge population centers eventually merge with the West, Elm and of Dallas-Fort Worth and Houston. To meet East forks to form the Trinity River. It ex- these ever-increasing water needs, Texans, tends southeast about 512 miles, traversing now more than ever, are required to criti- fi ve of the state’s ten ecoregions (Figure 1) cally think of the interconnected relationship before emptying into the Gulf of Mexico via between population growth and ecosystem the Trinity Bay near Houston, Texas (Fig- health. ure 2). The entire Trinity River Watershed encompasses over 18,000 square miles (7% The dramatic increase of impervious surfaces of the total land area of Texas) and travels 2 through 38 Texas counties (Figure 3). Aver- age annual precipitation within the Trinity River Basin ranges from 52 inches near the Gulf of Mexico to less than 36 inches at the Denton headwaters, with extensive water-related Fort Worth Dallas human alterations throughout its length (e.g., construction of reservoirs and energy produc- Corsicana tion facilities, development of urban areas Palestine and livestock operations, and cultivation of Fairfield large areas of land). Crockett Trinity Liberty 10 9 Houston 5 4 1 8 3 Figure 2. The head waters of the Trinity River begin 7 northwest of Dallas-Fort Worth and empty into the Gulf of Mexico via the Trinity Bay near Houston. 2 Cities (gray circles) are scaled to their relative popu- lation size. 6 M O NTAG UE COOKE G RAYSO N CL AY ARCHER FANNIN YO UNG JACK HUNT WI SE DENTO N CO L L I N Figure 1. Because of differences in climate, soil RO CKWAL L types, and communities of plants and animals, 10 nat- PARKER TARRANT DAL L AS KAUFMAN HOOD VAN ZANDT ural regions are commonly recognized in Texas: 1) JO HNSO N ELLIS Piney Woods, 2) Gulf Coastal Prairies and Marshes, HENDERSO N 3) Post Oak Savannah, 4) Blackland Prairie, 5) Cross HI L L NAVARRO ANDERSO N Timbers, 6) South Texas Brush Country, 7) Edwards LI MESTO NE FREESTO NE Plateau, 8) Trans-Pecos ,9) Rolling Plains, and 10) LEON High Plains. The Trinity River Basin (red polygon) HO USTO N TRINITY and Trinity River (blue line) traverses several ecore- MADISON WALKER gions within Texas. GRIMES PO LK SAN J ACI NTO As the Trinity River fl ows southward from HARDI N the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex to the Trin- LIBERTY CHAM BERS ity Bay, it is directly affected by many human activities occurring on the landscape. In ad- dition, 22 major reservoirs within the Trinity River Basin provide drinking water to urban Figure 3. Thirty-eight counties comprise the Trinity and rural communities. The river is affected River Basin in Texas. in many ways by the variety of land uses tion. All of these major land uses have direct practiced in the watershed. Some of the more effects on the water quality and quantity as it important activities on basin lands include moves through the basin. Importantly, re- urbanization, commercial/industrial develop- sponsible land stewardship is among the es- ment, row-crop farming, livestock produc- sential tools to safeguard and improve water tion, outdoor recreation and timber produc- resources for present and future generations. 3 Human Demographics and Water Use Within the Trinity River Basin More than 5.5 million people are depen- dent on the Trinity River as a main source of water. These people are unevenly spread throughout the basin and beyond, with large numbers congregating in urban areas such as Dallas-Fort Worth (Dallas and Tarrant Counties) and Houston (Harris County). Intervening counties along the water course have lower population densities (Table 1). Figure 4. Water use (acre-feet) by county within the The number of people per household (pph) Trinity River Basin in 2004. in counties located in the Trinity River Basin are remarkably similar (average = 2.6 pph). Demographics of the Trinity River Basin play an important role in the management and use of water resources. Water use gen- erally falls into three dominant categories: municipal (city), industrial (manufacturing, steam electricity, and mining), and agri- cultural (irrigation and livestock [Table 1, Figure 4]). Municipal use, though already substantial (Figure 5), is expected to dramati- Figure 5. Percent water use (2004) within the Trinity cally increase (Figure 6). River Basin. Patterns of water use are changing. Statewide irrigation use will likely shrink from 57% to 43% of total water consumption, while municipal use is expected to grow from 25% to 35% by 2050. However, the rural aspect of the Trinity River remains important because total cropland and improved pasture are greater than 10,000 square miles (55% of the total land area of the Trinity River Basin). The Trinity River Knowledge Gap Figure 6. Water use projections (acre-feet) for the A recent survey conducted by the University Trinity River Basin. of North Texas demonstrated an apparent information gap for residents in the Trin- water, yet 66% reported extreme concern for ity River Basin. For instance, 92% of 1,000 the adequacy of water supplies. The vast ma- respondents in the upper Trinity River Basin jority of respondents had little understanding were unaware that they lived in a watershed.