TR-507 Lavaca River Watershed Protection Plan
Authors: M. Schramm, A. Berthold, C. Entwistle, K. Peddicord
The Lavaca River Watershed Protection Plan is a guidance document developed with local stakeholder working to reduce bacteria loads entering the Lavaca River and its tributaries. The Lavaca River and Rock Creek (a major Lavaca River tributary) are on the 303(d) List of Impaired Waterbodies due to elevated indicator bacteria that exceeds Texas water quality standards for recreation. Texas Water Resources Institute facilitated meetings and workgroup sessions with local stakeholders to identify potential bacteria load sources and prioritize locally feasible management measures.
A 9.29 × 1014 cfu per year reduction in bacteria loads is required in the Lavaca River to meet water quality standards. Rocky Creek requires a 1.39 × 1014 cfu per year reduction in bacteria loads. In order to achieve these reductions, stakeholders identified a diverse set of management measures and schedule for implementation. This document provides stakeholder guidance for implementing, tracking progress, and measuring success towards achieving improved water quality in the Lavaca River Watershed.