Natural Resource Program Rebecca Reeves September 25, 2015
Program Description This program includes projects that are designed to identify concerns and communicate information about water quality, physical processes and riverine communities, including aquatic and riparian habitats, so they may be protected, conserved and/or restored. The information gathered will be used to preserve and protect the aquatic health in the San Antonio River Watershed, estuaries and bays and to influence management decisions. 2
Project Presentation • Projects ending soon • Ongoing projects • New projects • Future projects 3
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Projects Ending Soon • Rangia Clam Investigation • Environmental Flow – Validation • San Antonio River Guadalupe Bass • USGS Leon Creek Sediment Analysis (PCB Study) 5
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Ongoing Projects • Automated Stormwater • Bacteria Source Tracking • Holistic Freshwater Mussel Project • Lower Leon Creek Use-Attainability Analysis • USGS Huisache Brush Management • USGS Oil and Gas Production Constituent Phase II • USGS Westside Creek Sediment Study • Water Quality Analytics 7
Automated Stormwater Project https://stormcentral.waterlog.com/public/SARASCA 8
Bacteria Source Tracking Project 9
Holistic Freshwater Mussel Project • Petition To List 5 Central Texas Mussel Species as Endangered: – Texas Fatmucket – Texas Pimpleback – Golden Orb • Partnership: Texas State University 10
Lower Leon Creek Use – Attainability Analysis 11
USGS Huisache Brush Management Meteorological instrumentation has been installed to measure evapotranspiration and rainfall over several years, to see the impact of Huisache brush on water availability. 12
USGS Oil and Gas Production Constituent Phase II • Monitoring for wide variety of parameters that may be associated with increased oil and gas production in the lower basin. • Change in land cover associated with oil and gas production. 13
USGS Westside Creeks Sediment Study • Monitoring for wide variety of parameters prior to the Westside Creek Restoration Project. 14
Water Quality Data Analytics • Develop internal statistical staff skills • Develop an executable product that provides summary statistics and trend analysis for SARA’s water quality data 15
Courtesy of Agrilife Website: http://wildlife.tamu.edu/wildlifemanagement/feral-hog/ 16
New Projects • Clean Rivers Program 2015 • Feral Hog Management • Mission Reach Avian Study • Urban Reach E. coli Monitoring 17
Feral Hog Management • Partners: – Texas Agrilife – Wildlife Services
Mission Reach Avian Study • Documents avian species within the Mission Reach. This project will be repeated to see how avian species change as the Mission Reach matures. 19
Urban Reach E. coli Monitoring Program Activity • Understand E. coli bacteria in the Upper San Antonio River – Time – River Activity – Sediment 20
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Future Projects? • Cibolo Creek Watershed Protection Plan with Agrilife (319 Grant) • Re-growth of Bacteria in the San Antonio River • USGS Leon Creek PCB Phase II • GSA-BBASC Studies 22
Draft Project Deadlines • SARA’s Strategic Planning: Mid December • Brief the Board on Strategic Plan: January • Last Day for SARA Staff to Submit a Project: March 2 nd • Project Budget Due: March 4 th 23
Proposed Projects • Start Now! • Please provide information to Clarissa by January 2 nd . • It takes time to fully develop a project! 24
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Wrap-up The Natural Resource Program: – (mostly) Monitoring projects – Labor intensive – Deals with changing science and conditions – At the mercy of the weather. 26
Why Monitor the River? 27
Quote No man ever steps in the same river twice, for it’s not the same river and he’s not the same man. ~Heraclitus 535-475 BC 28
Questions Rebecca Reeves Senior Quality Control and Monitoring Scientist rreeves@sara-tx.org 29
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