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NONPOINT SOURCE SUCCESS STORY
7em5
Best Management Practices, Infrastructure Improvements, and
Outreach Improve the Guadalupe River Above Canyon Lake
Waterbodies Improved
High levels of bacteria prompted the Texas Commission on
Environmental Quality (TCEQ) to add the Guadalupe River
Above Canyon Lake to the state's 2002 Clean Water Act (CWA) section 303(d) list of impaired
waters. Local and state watershed partners addressed the bacteria impairment by implementing
best management practices (BMPs), improving municipal wastewater collection infrastructure, and
conducting education and outreach in the watershed. Thanks to the collaborative efforts, water
quality in assessment units (AUs) 1806_04 and 1806_06 has improved. As a result, TCEQ removed
AU 1806_04 and 1806_06 from the state's impaired waters list in 2012 and 2014, respectively.
Problem
The Guadalupe River Above Canyon Lake is in south-
central Texas, beginning in western Kerr County and
ending at Canyon Lake Reservoir. The 3.5-mile reach
of Segment 1806 that includes the impaired AUs,
1806_04 and 1806_06, is defined as the Guadalupe
River from Ranch Road 394 to 1 mile upstream of Flat
Rock Dam (Figure 1). These AUs run through the city of
Kerrvilie; land use immediately surrounding the river is
predominately urban.
The designated beneficial use for Segment 1806 is pri-
mary contact recreation (PCR). To meet the PCR Texas
water quality standard, Escherichia COI levels cannot
exceed a geometric mean of 126 colony forming units
per 100 milliliters (cfu/100 mL) of water. In 2002,
Segment 1806 was found to have geometric means
that exceeded the standard for PCR. As a result, TCEQ
added Segment 1806 to the 2002 CWA list of Impaired
waters.
Project Highlights
In 2004 the TCEQ initiated a total maximum daily load
(TMDL) project to conduct public outreach, identify
sources and establish loads. The TCEQ adopted the
TMDL in 2007 and approved the TMDL implementation
plan (l-Plan) in 2011. The TCEQ provided the Upper
Guadalupe River Authority (UGRA) with CWA section
319(h) funding to implement the l-Plan in partnership
with the city of Kerrvi lie, Kerr County, and the Texas
Department of Transportation (TXDOT). To address the
bacteria impairment, the l-Plan included implementing
Figure 1. BMPs were implemented along Segment
1806 (includes impaired AUs 1806_04 and 1806_06).
BMPs to control bacteria from animai waste, Improving
Infrastructure, and conducting education and outreach
In the watershed.
The TMDL and l-Plari were the result of a successful,
locally driven process to address the watershed's bac-
teria impairments. Bacteria sources referenced in the
TMDL included urban storm water runoff, malfunction-
ing septic systems, nesting birds at bridge crossings,
livestock, direct human deposition, pet and wildlife
waste, and failing municipal wastewater infrastructure.
Town Creek•
Guadalupe River \
bove Canyon Lake
Camp Meeting
f ^T.Creejkjjj '
I Miles
Above Canyon
Guadalupe River Above Canyon Lake BMPs
O Bird Detterrent Netting at the SH16 Bridge
O Pet Waste Stations
O Don't Feed the Ducks and Geese signage
O Routine Low Water Crossing Clean-Up
	Previously Impaired
+ AU Endpoints
A Station 12615

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Annual E. coli Geometric Means
AU 1806_04
400
Bacteria Geomean
(cfu/100ml)
9 350
	Water Quality Standard
(126cfu/100ml)
§ 300
c 250
Linear (Bacteria Geomean
(cfu/100ml))
200
150
o 100
50
0
2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014
Figure 2. E. coli data collected at SWQM Station 12615
on AU 1806_04. The geometric mean of these data
show that the AU is meeting water quality standards.
In 2011TCEQ provided the UGRA with CWA section
319(h) funding to implement several BMPs included in
the TMDL l-Plan on the impaired reaches of Segment
1806. BMPs installed included 23 pet waste stations
at parks around Kerrville. UGRA staff monitored the
effectiveness of seven of these stations in Flat Rock
Park for 4 years. During that time frame, an average
of 18 pounds of waste per month was collected from
each station. To exclude birds from roosting directly
over the waterway bird deterrent structures were
installed on three sections of the SH16 Bridge over
the Guadalupe River in Kerrville through a partner-
ship with TXDOT. The UGRA also partnered with the
city of Kerrville to design and install "Don't Feed the
Ducks and Geese" signs at five locations in Kerrville
parks in an effort to reduce direct deposition of waste
from waterfowl. Limited removals of waterfowl from
riverside parks were also conducted.
From 2011 to 2015, the city of Kerrville improved
wastewater collection infrastructure by repairing or
replacing 42,675 feet of collection line, 16 lift stations,
337 sewer system access points, and 100 manholes. In
addition, 150,926 feet of collection line was inspected
by video camera and 804,836 feet of gravity main was
cleaned. To prevent future damage to underground
infrastructure, the city removed 2,058 feet of tree
roots in the vicinity of wastewater collection lines.
To keep local stakeholders involved in the TMDL
implementation and informed about water quality, the
UGRA disseminated information about septic systems,
broadcasted radio public service announcements
and gave an average of 25 presentations per year
throughout the watershed highlighting nonpoint source
pollution issues and watershed stewardship. An annual
river cleanup sponsored by UGRA raises public aware-
ness of the impact of litter on water quality. In 2015,
403 participants collected 6,315 pounds of trash from
the Guadalupe River and its bank. UGRA also contracts
with a local company to pick up trash at a number of
low-water crossings in Kerr County. A total of 754 visits
to 15 different river crossings resulted in the removal
of 25,503 pounds of trash in 2015. In addition, UGRA
and the city of Kerrville routinely support citizen-
initiated cleanup groups by providing supplies and free
trash disposal.
Results
Water quality monitoring data now show that both
impaired AUs meet the state's PCR standard (Figure 2).
For AU 1806_04, the 2012 Integrated Report showed
an E. coli geometric mean of 87.25 cfu/lOOmL. For AU
1806_06, the 2014 Integrated Report showed an E. coli
geometric mean of 97.3 cfu/lOOmL. These data led to
the removal of AU 1806_04from the impaired waters
list in 2012 and AU 1806_06 in 2014. These waterbod-
ies currently support water quality standards for all
their designated uses.
The success can be attributed to the local stakehold-
ers for developing the TMDL and the TMDL l-Plan, and
to the BMPs implemented by the UGRA in conjunc-
tion with the TCEQ, the city of Kerrville, Kerr County,
and TXDOT. Implementing BMPs to address bacteria,
improving infrastructure, and conducting education
and outreach programs have decreased the bacteria
load; the trash cleanups and education and outreach
programs have kept the community involved and
informed. BMP implementation is ongoing, and water
quality monitoring is continuing to track E. coli levels to
ensure this restoration process remains a success.
Partners and Funding
Over $329,000 in CWA section 319(h) funds and over
$219,000 of local match from the UGRA, the city
of Kerrville, Kerr County, and TXDOT combine for a
total of $548,851; these funds were used to establish
BMPs and education and outreach programs in the
watershed. In addition, from 2011 to 2015 the city of
Kerrville spent over $22 million on improvements to
the city's wastewater collection infrastructure.
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U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Office of Water
Washington, DC
EPA 841-F-16-001BB
October 2016
For additional information contact:
Nicole Pearsall
Texas Commission on Environmental Quality
512-239-6609 • Nicole.Pearsall@tceq.texas.gov
Brian Koch
Texas State Soil & Water Conservation Board
979-532-9496 • bkoch@tsswcb.texas.gov

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