Orange County Watersheds: A TMDL Project to Protect Aquatic Life and Recreational Uses
Adams Bayou
Counties: Orange, Jasper, Newton
Parameters: Bacteria, dissolved oxygen, pH
River Basin: Sabine River
Segment: 0508, 0508A, 0508B, 0508C, 0511, 0511A, 0511B, 0511C, 0511E
- Project Overview
- Background and Goals
- Get Involved
- Approved Implementation Plan
- Adopted TMDLs
- Reports and Other Documents
- Contact Us
Background and Goals
Adams Bayou and Cow Bayou are located in southeast Texas. Their combined watersheds cover almost 250 square miles in the coastal area of the Sabine River Basin. The water flow in the bayous is intermittent, and periods of no flow are very common.
Water quality testing found that bacteria levels in the bayous and their tributaries may pose a health risk for swimmers. Low concentrations of dissolved oxygen in some areas of the creek indicate that conditions are not optimal for aquatic life.
The goals of the project are to:
- reduce bacteria levels in the bayous to ensure that recreational use is safe, and
- maintain concentrations of dissolved oxygen and pH in the bayous at levels that will sustain aquatic life.
The Sabine River Authority 
and other stakeholders worked with the TCEQ to develop the plan for improving water quality in the project watersheds.
Return to topGet Involved
The Sabine River Authority , in partnership with the TCEQ, is coordinating the continuing efforts to implement the plan to improve water quality in Adams and Cow Bayous.
Approved Implementation Plan
Community stakeholders worked together to create this implementation plan. On August 5, 2015, the commission approved the stakeholder's plan.
Adopted TMDLs
The commission adopted these TMDLs on June 13, 2007. The EPA approved the TMDLs on August 28, 2007, at which time they became part of the state's Water Quality Management Plan.
- Seventeen Total Maximum Daily Loads for Bacteria, Dissolved Oxygen, and pH in Adams Bayou, Cow Bayou, and Their Tributaries, Segments 0508, 0508A, 0508B, 0508C, 0511, 0511A, 0511B, 0511C, and 0511E.
- Response to Public Comment on the TMDLs for Adams and Cow Bayous and Tributaries
Updates to TMDLs
From time to time, it is necessary to revise TMDLs to account for changing conditions in the watershed, such as new or amended permits, or urban growth, or to correct oversights in the original TMDL report. Revisions to the load allocations in TMDLs are made via the state’s WQMP, which is updated quarterly.
The WQMP provides projected effluent limits for use in planning and permitting activities under the Texas Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (TPDES). The TCEQ reviews all applications for new and amended permits for conformance with applicable portions of the WQMP, including adopted TMDLs.
Revisions to the TMDLs are documented in the approved WQMP updates listed below.
- July 2008 , pages 7-9
Learn more about WQMP updates and about opportunities to comment on revisions to them.
Reports and Other Documents
Contact Us
Please e-mail us at tmdl@tceq.texas.gov, and mention the Orange County project in the subject line. Or call us at 512-239-6682.
