Adams Bayou and Cow Bayou Watersheds: A Community Project to Protect Aquatic Life and Recreational Uses
Counties: Orange, Jasper, Newton
Parameters: Bacteria, dissolved oxygen, pH
River Basin: Sabine River
Segments: 0508, 0508B, 0508C, 0511, 0511A, 0511B, 0511C, 0511E
Assessment Units (AUs): 0508_01, 0508_02, 0508_03, 0508_04, 0508B_01, 0508C_01, 0511_01, 0511_02, 0511_03, 0511_04, 0511A_02, 0511B_01, 0511C_01, 0511E_01
On this page:
- Project Description and Goal
- Get Involved
- Implementation Status
- I-Plan (Approved August 2015)
- Revised TMDLs (Adopted August 2020)
- Original TMDLs (Adopted June 2007)
- Reports and Other Documents
- Contact the TMDL Program
Project Description 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. Water flow in the bayous is intermittent, and periods with no flow are very common.
Between 1992 and 2002, TCEQ 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 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.
- Maintain levels of dissolved oxygen and pH that will sustain aquatic life.
The Sabine River Authority and other stakeholders worked with TCEQ to develop the plan for improving water quality in the project watersheds.
Get Involved
The Sabine River Authority, in partnership with TCEQ, coordinates efforts to implement the I-Plan and improve water quality in Adams and Cow bayous.
Implementation Status
Tracking of implementation progress allows stakeholders to evaluate actions taken, identify actions that may not be working, and make any changes as necessary.
Year 5 Status, June 2021
- Year 4 Status, September 2019
- Year 1 Status, September 2016
I-Plan
Community stakeholders worked together to create the I-Plan. On August 5, 2015, the Commission approved the stakeholders' plan.
Revised TMDLs
The Commission adopted the revised TMDLs on August 26, 2020. EPA approved them on October 9, 2020, at which time they became part of the state's Water Quality Management Plan.
- Twenty-three Total Maximum Daily Loads for Indicator Bacteria, Dissolved Oxygen, and pH in Adams Bayou, Cow Bayou, and Associated Tributaries
AUs 0508_01, 0508_02, 0508_03, 0508_04, 0508B_01, 0508C_01, 0511_01, 0511_02, 0511_03, 0511_04, 0511A_02, 0511B_01, 0511C_01, 0511E_01 - Response to Public Comment on the Revised TMDLs
for Adams and Cow Bayous and Tributaries
Original TMDLs
The Commission adopted these TMDLs on June 13, 2007. EPA approved them on August 28, 2007, at which time they became part of the state's Water Quality Management Plan (WQMP).
- 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. Updates 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). 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 the WQMP and opportunities to comment on updates to it.
Reports and Other Documents
- Technical Support Document - Bacteria TMDL Revisions
, April 2020
- Technical Support Document - Dissolved Oxygen and pH TMDL Revisions
, March 2020
- Technical Support Document – Watershed Model
, January 2006
- Technical Support Document – Water Quality Model
, September 2006
Contact the TMDL Program
Please email tmdl@tceq.texas.gov and mention the Orange County project in the subject line. Or call us at 512-239-6682.
