Coastal Communities: Implementing Watershed Protection Plans
The Texas Water Resources Institute worked with small coastal municipalities to identify their stormwater and septic system education and outreach needs and provided technical assistance to meet those needs.
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Project Area
River Basin: Texas Coastal Waters
Watersheds for Stormwater Focus: Tres Palacios Creek, Lavaca River, Mission River, Aransas River, Arroyo Colorado, Lower Nueces River, Bastrop Bayou, Cedar Bayou, Double Bayou, and San Bernard
Watersheds for Septic Focus: Tres Palacios Creek, Lavaca River, and Carancahua Bay
Background
Every watershed in this project has a U.S. Environmental Protection Agency-accepted watershed protection plan (WPP) that was developed to address water quality issues and concerns such as elevated bacteria or nutrient levels. Each WPP identifies ways to reduce pollution from stormwater runoff and failing septic systems. However, these watersheds are typified by rural communities with small population centers, and commonly lack the resources to implement stormwater management measures although they widely promote proper septic system maintenance practices.
Back to topProject Description
October 2020 – February 2025
The Texas Water Resources Institute (TWRI) implemented this project in two concurrent phases. The first focused on expanding stormwater education and outreach in at least 10 cities throughout the targeted watersheds. TWRI worked with municipalities to identify and prioritize their individualized education and outreach needs, tailored materials to meet those needs, and trained those municipalities on how to use template materials available on the Houston-Galveston Area Council’s Coastal Communities website.
The second phase focused on targeted education to septic system owners within a smaller subset of the project watersheds (Jackson and Matagorda counties only). TWRI produced and distributed educational mailers that provided septic system owners with tips on how to maintain their systems and identify system failures. In addition, TWRI developed educational videos on septic system maintenance that are not currently available in the educational materials.
For More Information
Texas A&M AgriLife Extension On-Site Sewage Facilities Website
To find out more about the NPS Program, call 512-239-6682 or email us at nps@tceq.texas.gov.