Learning on the Edge Fall 2013 Issue Upcoming Dates On Habitats: A habitat acts as an animal’s neighborhood, providing the food, water, shelter, and space they need to September 13- Growing Up WILD Workshop survive. There are many habitat types including forests, (http://nuecesdeltapreserve.org) deserts, wetlands, prairies and even urban habitats. September 21- Bioinspirations from the Ocean When an animal becomes threatened or endangered land managers use the phrase ‘critical habitat’ to define Workshop (http://www.texasstateaquarium. the area that needs to be protected to save the animal. org/index.php/professional-development70) Wetlands are considered critical habitat because more September 24- Rabbit Day than 1/3 of the federally endangered species rely on September 24- Coastal Bend Informal Educa- wetlands for their survival. tors Teacher Extravaganza (http://www.cbinformaleducators.org/) October 7- Habitat Day (http://www.un.org/en/events/habitatday/ Fun Facts background.shtml) October 11- Flying WILD Workshop (http://nuecesdeltapreserve.org) October 16- Dictionary Day Science Dictionaries: October 16 celebrates the October 26- Make a Difference Day birthday of Noah Webster- the writer of the original (http://www.usaweekend.com/arti- Webster dictionary. There are many science dictionaries cle/20130614/MDDAY/130613001/2013- available, some even in student versions. Take the Make-Difference-Day-) month of October to learn a new science vocabulary November 15- Project WILD Aquatic Workshop word with your class. (http://nuecesdeltapreserve.org) Meet the Staff This year the education staff would like to introduce the project staff at the Coastal Bend Bays & Estuaries Program and the work they do. In this issue of the Learning on the Edge newsletter we spotlight Project Manager, Jace Tunnell. Jace focuses on projects that will protect and restore sensitive habitat and living resources along the Texas Coastal Bend. Jace works on water quality projects, ecosystem management and freshwater inflows programs for the Nueces River Delta. He earned a Bachelor’s degree in vertebrate biology and a Master’s degree in marine biology from Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi. CBBEP Project: Freshwater Inflows When asked what aspect of his job the public should be familiar with Jace stressed the importance of freshwater inflows. Freshwa- ter inflow refers to the surface water (river, lake, and stream) that is allowed to bypass human use and flow into the bays and estuaries. The Nueces River is the second driest watershed in the state of Texas. The Upper Basin of the Nueces consists of clear running spring-fed creeks and rivers flowing through the southern portion of the Ed- wards Plateau. Most of this water goes underground when it reaches the Edwards Aquifer recharge zone. In the Brush Country that makes up the central portion of the Nueces Basin the rivers flow slowly, turn silty and often stop flowing altogether during dry spells. In the Coastal Bend region, including the Baffin Bay watershed, the only consistent stream flow is in the Nueces River. Choke Canyon Reser- voir and Lake Corpus Christi dominate river flows and es- tuary inflows. Very limited amounts of freshwater makes its way to Corpus Christi Bay, Oso Bay, Upper Laguna Madre and Baffin Bay. Freshwater flowing into the bays and estuaries is impor- tant for many reasons. Our estuaries act as nursery and spawning areas for many brackish water species. Both fish and crabs use the change in salinity introduced by fresh- water pulses (large freshwater input after a storm event) as a cue to spawn. Many of their larval stages rely on a lower salinity, marshy environment for their development. Storage of this water in reservoirs or removal for agricul- ture, drinking water, and industry reduces the volume and timing of the pulses that naturally flow into the estuary. Freshwater inflows are one of the few components of the brack- ish environment that is manageable by humans. We cannot control tides, wind, sun light or temperature variables in the bay system. In order for water to get to the bays and estuaries it must be allowed to flow through or over the dams (including the salt water barrier at Calallen) and in some cases “pumped”. In order to help get freshwater to the estuary in one of the most productive marsh systems within the Nueces Watershed, water is pumped into the Nueces Delta by the Rincon Bayou Pipeline from the Nueces River. Nueces River in flood condition Some freshwater inflows to the Nueces River Delta are delivered by the Rincon Bayou Pipeline directly from the Calallen Pool behind the saltwater barrier dam adjacent to Interstate 37. The image here shows the outfall of the pipeline to Rincon Bayou. The Rincon Bayou Pipeline and its pumps were constructed by the City of Corpus Christi and completed in 2008. The pipeline is 2 miles long and runs from the Nueces River above the saltwater barrier dam to the headwaters of the Rincon Bayou in the Nueces Delta. Salinity studies by CBBEP began in early 2009 to monitor the enhancements of pumped freshwater to the Nueces Delta. During the first months of study in 2009, salinities in the delta were documented at 120 parts per thousand (ppt). Freshwater is often in the 0-1 ppt range and the Gulf of Mexico salinities are around 34 ppt. In translation, the closer to the river, the lower the salinity. Typically the delta area would be closer to river salinities than the Gulf of Mexico. This means that the delta was saltier than the ocean and not receiving the amount of freshwater that it needs to be a productive nursery grounds for shrimp, crabs, and fish. Since the Rincon Bayou Pipeline has been in operation, salinities have not been recorded much over 70 ppt, and are typically below 30 ppt when water is available for pumping. This is all due to the success of the pipeline and the stakeholders involved in ensuring its operation. The CBBEP has several roles in helping ensure freshwater inflows to the bays and estuaries, including being part of the Nueces Estuary Advisory Council, which is a group of stakeholders that helps make recommendations to the City of Corpus Christi and the Texas Commission for Environmental Quality on how much freshwater to pump through the Rincon Bayou Pipeline and on other environmental factors dealing with inflows in the Nueces Watershed. CBBEP has also been involved in the state’s Senate Bill 3 process for establishing freshwater inflow recommendations for new water rights, based on science and on stakeholder input. A science team and stakeholder’s team was established to develop the recommendations and Jace Tunnell was one of the members of the science team. By ensuring there is adequate water for wildlife and also for humans to drink, shower, and carry out the dozens of other tasks we do daily that involve water, we are creating a balance between ecological health and human security. Remember when you reduce water usage, you are saving water for wildlife. Details of the Senate Bill 3 process can be found at: http://nuecessb3.org/. Information on Corpus Christi water and the city’s conservation plan can be found at: http://www.cctexas.com/Assets/ Departments/Water/Files/WaterConservationPlan.pdf. Earth Day Bay Day Art Contest Recycling Tips for Schools In honor of Make a Difference Day on October 26, we encourage schools to get involved with recycling. Recycling is a useful tool in reducing the amount of material we have to harvest or create to make new products. Students spend a large portion of their time at school and learning to recycle there can make a huge impact on the community. On the next page are 9 School Recycling Guidelines from Keep America Beautiful. School Recycling Guidelines 1. Organize a coordination green team. Involve students, parents, teachers, custodial staff, local solid waste or public works departments and community representatives. 2. Determine which recyclables are in your school waste stream. Perform a waste composition study and categorize the trash to determine which material can be minimized or recycled. Use the results of the audit to help create a specific recycling program. 3. Identify a local market for recyclables. Contact the school’s current waste hauler to see if they also provide recycling services. If your local government solid waste office has a curbside or business-recycling program, see if your school can join. Contact local recycling facilities via www.Earth911.com to see what materials they collect and what services they provide. Be sure to find out how recyclables should be separated and what can be commingled. 4. Select the type of recycling program that would be best for your school. Contract with a private hauler, tap into your community’s curbside program or establish a mini drop-off facility at the school for the entire community. To prevent the accumulation of items that you cannot recycle, be sure to have all aspects of your program in place before collecting any recyclables. 5. Work out a budget for the recycling program. Obtain money from the school budget, PTA fundraising or partnerships with local businesses or civic groups. Recycling should shrink the school’s waste stream, so look into reducing the frequency of trash pick-ups and allocating those savings towards the pick-up of recyclables. Look for inexpensive and creative school recycling bin ideas. Apply for a grant to help fund containers for your program. 6. Establish a system for collecting and storing recyclables at your school. Make bins easily accessible. Focus on areas that generate recyclables, such as classrooms, the cafeteria, athletic fields, teacher lounges and copy rooms. Bins can be old copy paper boxes, plastic storage containers or a local government curbside recycling bin.