TR-500 Tres Palacios Creek Watershed Protection Plan
Authors: M. Schramm, A. Berthold, C. Entwistle
The Tres Palacios Creek Watershed Plan is a guidance document for local stakeholders working to reduce pollutant loads entering Tres Palacios Creek. Tres Palacios Creek is listed on the 303(d) List of Impaired Waterbodies due to elevated indicator bacteria and depressed dissolved oxygen. To improve water quality, local stakeholders identified and prioritized possible sources and contributors of indicator bacteria and nutrient loads to area waterbodies. Stakeholder also prioritized management measures that would effectively and efficiently reduce bacteria and nutrient loads.
The planning process identified that a 3.43×1014 cfu per year reduction in Enterococcus bacteria entering the stream is needed to meet state water quality standards for primary contact recreation. In order to accomplish this goal, stakeholders identified management measures to reduce fecal bacteria and nutrient contributions from livestock, household pets, septic systems, urban stormwater, wildlife, and wastewater treatment plants. Implementation of the broad set of management measure that address the diverse sources of pollutant loads in the watershed will result in direct pollutant load reductions to Tres Palacios Creek.