Living Shoreline Texas Chapter ASBPA 2018 Annual Symposium David - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Texas Chapter ASBPA 2018 Annual Symposium

David Buzan, Cris Weber, Tam Tran, Aaron Petty and Nic Kirk April 24, 2018

Synonyms? Rock Breakwater and Living Shoreline

Schicke Point

2016

1958

Constructed April 14-May 18, 2017

70 days post-construction (July 27, 2017)

70 days post-construction (July 27, 2017)

6.5 months post-construction (Nov. 29, 2017)

8 months post-construction (Jan. 12, 2018)

6.5 months post-construction (Nov. 29, 2017)

6.5 months post-construction (Nov. 29, 2017)

8 months post- construction (Jan. 12, 2018)

8 months post- construction (Jan. 12, 2018)

Diamondback Terrapin

6.5 months post-construction (Nov. 29, 2017)

8 months post-construction (Jan. 12, 2018)

“… animistic cultures …comprehend stones as persons.”

“Grey rocks are not dull They are underestimated by those who look with their eyes”

• A. Voicy Baggs

Questions David Buzan, david.Buzan@freese.com, 512.617.3164

LA 2010 Water Use TX 2020 Water Use

Water Planning Regions

By Jim Yardley, July 21, 2002 , New York Times

Environmental Flows

Advisory Group Stakeholders Science Team Texas Commission on Environmental Quality Science Committee Other Groups

Sound Ecological Environment

• Native species
• Habitat
• Natural flow variability
• Ecosystem processes and services

Environmental Flow Regime

“…schedule of flow…that reflects seasonal and yearly fluctuations that…vary geographically, by specific location…,…support a sound ecological environment.” “… without regard to the need for the water for other uses,….”

Red River - Subsistence

Red River – Large flood

Hydrologic Analysis

1000 2000 3000 4000 5000 6000 7000

Day

Base Large flood

Subsistence

Pulses

Flow (cfs)

From: Baustian et al. 2018. Modeling current and future freshwater inflow needs of a subtropical estuary to manage and maintain forested wetland ecological condition. Ecological Indicators, 85: 791-807

Flow Regime: Description not Prescription

Not –creating a new ecosystem Flow standards ≠ flow regime Not –values that should never be changed

Successes and Lessons

Successes

• Flow standards: Selected streams and estuaries for 11

basins

• Learned a lot: $6 million budgeted for environmental

flows study since 2013

Lessons

• Whiskey is for drinking, water is for fighting – Uncertainty

and distrust high at beginning

• No play, no pay
• 1-year deadline – work done quickly
• Ecological data related to flow very limited

“The state is facing a future in which water … will be a scare resource that will demand a well-thought-out and integrated approach to stewardship.”

Davis, M. and J. Wilkins. 2011. A Defining Resource: Louisiana’s Place in the Emerging Water Economy. Loyola Law Review.

Subsistence Flows (cfs) Dec Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Overbank Flows Q: 24,600 cfs with Frequency 1 per 2 years Volume is 626,471 Duration is 26 High Flow Pulses Q: 15,000 cfs with Frequency 2 per year Volume is 326,119 Duration is 18 Q: 11,200 cfs with Frequency 1 per season Volume is 257,289 Duration is 14 Q: 15,700 cfs with Frequency 1 per season Volume is 362,910 Duration is 19 Q: 2,930 cfs with Frequency 1 per season Volume is 26,246 Duration is 5 Q: 3,050 cfs with Frequency 1 per season Volume is 39,239 Duration is 5 Q: 3,200 cfs with Frequency 2 per season Volume is 18,931 Duration is 5 Q: 7,840 cfs with Frequency 2 per season Volume is 141,705 Duration is 11 Q: 1,180 cfs with Frequency 2 per season Volume is 4,866 Duration is 2 819 623 820 411 439 Base Flows (cfs) 1110 1398 682 340 458 257 265 196 280 70 101

Dry Q = Peak Flows (cfs) Subsistence V = Volume (ac-ft)

Winter Spring Summer Fall Hydrologic Conditions

Wet

High Flow Pulse Characteristics

F = Frequency (per season) Average D = Duration (days)

Red River - Base

Red River – High Base or Low Pulse

Texas

Environmental Flow Analyses

“…develop … environmental flow regime for the river basin and bay system…. Consider all reasonably available science,

Recommendation

Challenges

• Is the SB3 objective understood in the same way by everyone?
• Do participants understand and accept the process?
• Previous BBESTS relied heavily on hydrologic analysis and

struggled with limited overlay information.

• Implementation and interpretation of flow recommendations
• ccurs after the flow regime is described.

Overlays

Sound Ecological Environment (TIFP, 2008)

“A resilient, functioning ecosystem characterized by intact, natural processes, and a balanced, integrated, and adaptive community of

• rganisms comparable to that of the natural habitat of a region.”

Indicator Selection

Indicator Species/Type Taxonomic Classification Salinity Range Seasonality

Habitat Indicator Wild celery Vallisneria americana <5 psu for establishment; Spring – Summer - Fall High Flow-Low Salinity Indicators Atlantic Rangia Rangia cuneata, 2-10 psu for larval survival Spring – Fall (spawning) Gulf Menhaden Brevoortia patronus 5-15 psu for common

• ccurrence

Winter – Spring (Confirmed in TPWD trawl data. Bag seine occurrence is spring.) Blue Catfish Ictalurus furcatus <10 psu in single freshet during seasons Winter - Spring Low Flow-High Salinity Indicators Mantis shrimp Squilla empusa >25 psu Summer – Fall Pinfish Lagodon rhomboids >25 psu Summer – Fall Oyster Indicators American Oyster Crassostrea virginica 10-20 Summer - Fall

1995 - Bottom-up water planning 2000 - Environmental water rights application 2007 - Bottom-up environmental flow planning 2021 - Environmental flow standards adaptive management?

Environmental flow analysis

“…process for predicting … response of an ecosystem to changes in … flows or freshwater inflows.”

Species Area Maps

Bay and Estuary – Freshwater Inflow

1.

Indicator Selection

• salinity range
• geographic area

2.

Salinity Model

3.

Flows to meet desired conditions

4.

Interpretation

Description not Prescription

Does not create a new ecosystem Not values that should never be changed