According to the Texas Integrated Report, segments of the Mission and Aransas rivers, the two primary freshwater contributors to Copano Bay, have been identified as not suitable for contact recreation because of elevated fecal bacteria. These fecal bacteria come from various sources, including feral hogs, failing septic systems, avian and non-avian wildlife, and livestock just to name a few. To reduce bacteria to levels safe for contact recreation, TWRI has worked with local stakeholders to develop a Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) and TMDL Implementation Plan (I-Plan) and is now working with stakeholders to implement these developed plans.
For more information about efforts to reduce fecal bacteria in the Mission and Aransas rivers Watersheds, please visit the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality's Mission and Aransas Rivers: A Community Project to Protect Recreational Uses
Visit completed Copano Bay Watershed projects.
Allen Berthold
allen.berthold@ag.tamu.edu
Allen Berthold, Ph.D., is the interim director at TWRI, where he has served in leadership roles for water-related projects in both agricultural and urban settings across Texas.
Stephanie deVilleneuve
stephanie.devilleneuve@ag.tamu.edu
As a research specialist for TWRI, Stephanie deVilleneuve worked on various watershed protection, management and research projects with university faculty, state, local and federal governments and stakeholders to address statewide water-related issues.
Do you own a septic system?
The Texas Water Resources Institute has published a new educational material titled Septic System Maintenance & Inspection Pocket Guide to help homeowners with problem solving and best management practices for their septic systems.
The Texas Water Resources Institute’s Texas Riparian and Stream Ecosystem Education Program will host a free workshop from 8 a.m.-4 p.m. April 25 in Goliad for area residents interested in land and water stewardship in the Mission, Aransas and Lower San Antonio watersheds.
There are no upcoming events
Mission and Aransas Rivers Watershed Protection Plan
The Mission and Aransas Rivers TMDL I-Plan Implementation project is funded in part by a Texas Coastal Management Program grant pursuant to National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Award No. NOS4190139.
