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Buffalo Bayou Watershed: Implementing a Total Maximum Daily Load

Houston Advanced Research Center will construct green infrastructure features and conduct water quality monitoring to assess their effectiveness at reducing nonpoint source pollution.

Map of the Buffalo Bayou watershed showing stream segments

Project Area

River Basin: San Jacinto

Water Body: Buffalo Bayou Tidal (1013)

Location: City of Houston 

Background

Buffalo Bayou Tidal—in Houston—has a highly urbanized watershed. It did not meet state water quality standards for primary contact recreation due to high bacteria levels in the 2020 Texas Integrated Report of Surface Water Quality.

In 2009 TCEQ adopted a Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) for the watershed. That TMDL is now part of the larger one that the Bacteria Implementation Group developed for the Houston-Galveston Region.

To improve water quality in this area the TMDL Implementation Plan recommends utilizing green infrastructure which uses or mimics natural processes like infiltration to manage and treat stormwater and the pollutants it carries.

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Project Description

November 2020 – February 2025

The Houston Advanced Research Center will implement the bacteria TMDL for Buffalo Bayou through the following actions:

  • Construct green infrastructure elements at a site in the Sawyer Yards community in Houston. These elements may include pervious pavement, tree boxes with underdrains, and rain gardens which will all slow down and naturally filter stormwater before it enters a storm drain.
  • Conduct water quality monitoring at two Sawyer Yards locations to assess the effectiveness of these elements at reducing nonpoint source pollution.

To promote future green infrastructure projects, they will also create:

  • Factsheets and an online education portal including an ArcGIS story map to share information, successes, and lessons learned from this project.
  • A map viewer of similar Houston area projects.

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For More Information

Buffalo and Whiteoak Bayous TMDL

Houston Advanced Research Center

To find out more about the NPS Program, call 512-239-6682 or email us at nps@tceq.texas.gov.

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