Programs that Assess and Protect Water Quality
Programs that monitor, assess and report on water quality, and are involved in watershed protection and restoration.
Water Quality Assessment and Protection
Assessment Reports
Each of the CRP Partner Agencies maintains a web site that includes annual Basin Highlights Reports, and Basin Summary Reports that provide a detailed review of historical water quality data. In addition, the data generated by the CRP, TCEQ Region Offices, and other water quality monitors around the state is used for a variety of purposes at the TCEQ, including statewide assessment reports.
The TCEQ's Surface Water Quality Monitoring (SWQM) Program compiles information on the status of water quality for the State of Texas. The SWQM section of the TCEQ’s website includes:
- reports that assess water quality to determine if all designated uses are being attained,
- guidance that details the methods used to assess the state’s water bodies, and
- procedural manuals that describe how field measurements and water samples are collected.
Watershed Protection and Restoration Plans
The Clean Rivers Program coordinates watershed management with two other important state programs for which the TCEQ and the Texas State Soil and Water Conservation Board (TSSWCB) are responsible.
The Nonpoint Source Program fulfills requirements of Section 319 of the federal Clean Water Act to prevent and reduce water pollution from nonpoint sources—pollutants that are not discharged from a single, readily identifiable source, which are often transported by runoff and washoff to streams, lakes, and bays. The TCEQ is the State’s lead agency for preventing and abating nonpoint source pollution from urban and other nonagricultural sources. The Texas State Soil and Water Conservation Board
The Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) Program conducts modeling activities to identify the loads associated with pollutant sources in the watershed, and develops Implementation Plans that outline management strategies to improve water quality in impaired water bodies in Texas. These activities are carried out in accordance with requirements laid out in Section 303(d) of the federal Clean Water Act. Find out more about TMDL projects under way or completed by the TCEQ.