North Bosque River: A Community Project to Protect General Uses

Counties: Bosque, Erath, Hamilton, and McLennan
Parameter: soluble reactive phosphorus
River Basin: Brazos River
Segments: 1226, 1255

• Background and Goal
• Status
• Get Involved
• Adopted TMDLs
• Implementation Plan
• Reports
• For More Information

Background and Goal

The North Bosque River and Waco Lake, formed by an impoundment of the Bosque River, serve as the primary drinking water supplies for more than 200,000 people in the Waco area. Water quality testing found high levels of nutrients in the North Bosque that have contributed to excessive growth of algae and other aquatic plants in the river. This TMDL project addresses the elevated levels of phosphorus (the limiting nutrient in the watershed).

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Status

• Status Report, Implementing TMDLs to Improve Water Quality in the North Bosque River, July 2022, AS-204/21
  A summary of water quality management in the watershed and resulting changes in water quality through state fiscal year 2020.
• Assessment of Water Quality Trends for the North Bosque River through 2021 , AS-216/21
  An update of water quality trends in the North Bosque River watershed prepared by scientists at the Texas Institute for Applied Environmental Research under contract with TCEQ.
• Reducing Phosphorus in the North and Upper North Bosque River 
  A summary of the activities outlined in the Implementation Plan.

Status of TMDL Implementation Reported at Stakeholders Meetings

• Meeting of October 4, 2021
  • Meeting Summary
  • Presentation: Brief Overview of the TMDL and I-Plan 
  • Presentation: Status of Implementation 
  • Presentation: Water Quality Trends Update 
  • Recommendations of the North Bosque River TMDL Work Group 

• Meeting of September 1, 2020
  • Meeting Summary
  • Presentation: Brief Overview of the TMDL and I-Plan 
  • Presentation: Status of Implementation 
  • Presentation: Water Quality Trends Update 
  • Follow-up Documents
    • 2019 Annual North Bosque River Trends Report  
      See Figures 5-10 for pre- and post-TMDL concentrations of soluble reactive phosphorus; associated data in spreadsheet "annual average flows..." below. See Appendix B for storm event flows and concentrations; associated data in spreadsheet "event mean concentrations..." below.
    • Spreadsheet of annual average flows versus soluble reactive phosphorus 
    • Spreadsheet of event mean concentrations for storm events 

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Get Involved

In all our projects, we seek opinions and information from people who represent government, permitted facilities, agriculture, business, environmental, and community and private interests in the watershed. Membership in the North Bosque River TMDL stakeholders group is open and voluntary. Please email tmdl@tceq.texas.gov to be added to TCEQ's stakeholder email group. Find out more about what it means to Participate in TMDL Projects.

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North Bosque River TMDL Work Group

At the suggestion of the general stakeholder group in September 2020,TCEQ formed a small work group to recommend next steps for this watershed. Members of the North Bosque River TMDL Advisory Work Group were volunteers from the general stakeholder group.

• Records of the North Bosque River TMDL Work Group

Original Bosque River Stakeholder Advisory Group

A committee called the Bosque River Stakeholder Advisory Group was established to advise the TCEQ on development of the TMDLs and I-Plan. The last planned meeting of the named Advisory Group was in August 2002.

• Membership of the Original Bosque River Stakeholder Advisory Group, as of August 2002 

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Adopted TMDLs

The commission adopted these TMDLs on February 9, 2001.

• Two TMDLs for Phosphorus in the North Bosque River 
  Segments 1226 and 1255
• Response to Public Comment on the North Bosque TMDLs 

The EPA approved these TMDLs on December 13, 2001, at which time they became part of the state's Water Quality Management Plan.

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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 TMDL are documented in the approved WQMP updates listed below.

• July 2008, pages 7-9
• July 2009, Appendix IV, page 11

WQMP updates may be viewed in-person at the TCEQ Library, Building A, 12100 Park 35 Circle, Austin, Texas. Electronic versions back to the January 2014 Update are available on the Texas State Library and Archives Commission website . Learn more about the Water Quality Management Plan.

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Implementation Plan

The commission approved the implementation plan on December 13, 2002. The Texas State Soil and Water Conservation Board approved it on January 16, 2003.

• Implementation Plan for Soluble Reactive Phosphorus in the North Bosque River Watershed 
• Response to Public Comment on the North Bosque Implementation Plan 

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Reports

• Final Report: Refinement and Application of the TMDL Model
• Composted Manure Incentive Project 
• TSSWCB's Composting Support Project  
• Water Quality Reports, TIAER
• Assessment of Water Quality Trends in the North Bosque River through 2021
• Semiannual Water Quality Report for the Bosque River Watershed  

For older or mid-year reports, go to TIAER's online publications search and search for the subject "Bosque River."

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For More Information

Please e-mail tmdl@tceq.texas.gov and mention the North Bosque River in the subject line. Or call us at 512-239-6682.