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Texas Stream Team Texas Stream Team Mission Expand understanding - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation
Texas Stream Team Texas Stream Team Mission Expand understanding - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation
Texas Stream Team Texas Stream Team Mission Expand understanding and awareness of water quality and nonpoint source pollution issues across Texas Texas Stream Team Strategy Education, data collection, and community action Facilitation
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Texas Stream Team Mission
Expand understanding and awareness of water quality and nonpoint source pollution issues across Texas
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Texas Stream Team Strategy
Education, data collection, and
community action
Facilitation of environmental stewardship Empowering a statewide network of concerned
volunteers and partners
Foster a collaborative effort to promote a healthy and
safe environment
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Primary Focus
Nonpoint Source Pollution Generate information that supports and
enhances decision making
Encourage behavioral change
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Overview
Background Program overview Relevance to TMDL and WPPs
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Volunteer Monitoring Background
1969
Save Our Streams
Izaak Walton League- 1922
1980’s Clear, Clean Colorado LCRA Colorado River Watch Pecos River Fish Kills TWC Task Force 1990 Clean Lakes Grant- Texas Watch Begins
I
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Background
1991-1998
TWC/TNRCC Program Program: Data Collection, Water Quality Education, Community Action
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Intergovernmental Task Force On Monitoring Water Quality
1992-1995 USEPA and USGS Create an integrated, nationwide monitoring
strategy
Integrate VEM in existing and planned
monitoring programs
1997 National Water Quality Monitoring
Council
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Volunteer Monitoring Nationwide
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Volunteer Monitoring Nationwide
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ITFM Volunteer Monitoring Recommendations
Establish links between volunteers and planning agencies
Develop consistent quality assurance guidance Develop standardized field methods Implement a national training program Document volunteer data in water quality data
systems
Encourage volunteer participation on water-
monitoring teams
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Transition
1998-1999
Prioritization of Agency Resources State Legislature-Imposed Staffing Cap
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Background
1999-Present
Collaborative Partnership EPA, TCEQ, Texas State, RSI
Funding:
319
Program:
NPS/Watershed Education, Data Collection Partners: CRP, Municipalities, Schools, NGO’s
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The River Systems Institute is Dedicated to:
Interdisciplinary
Research, Service, Policy, and Education
The Sustainability of
Freshwater Resources
The Natural Systems
- f Rivers
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Aquarena Center- Scientific Diving Program
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Glass Bottom Boat Tours
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Environmental Education Tours
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Texas Stream Team Rebrand
Other Texas Watch organizations Name is barrier to building trust Texas Stream Team captures mission and
strategy
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Program Overview
Volunteer Monitoring Watershed Education Special Projects Facilitation of Public Input
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Why Volunteer Monitoring?
More Locations More Frequently Where stakeholders are concerned Teaches “conventional” approach to assessing
water resource issues
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Three-Phase Training
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Data Collection
Core Program
DO pH Conductivity Temperature Secchi Depth
- E. coli
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- E. coli Method
Coliscan Easygel- Micrology Laboratories Purpose:
to determine baseline conditions to identify potential sources of contamination
Repeated high counts reported to local and state
authorities
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Quality Assurance
TCEQ and EPA approved Quality Assurance
Project Plan
Data submitted to Texas Stream Team database
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Data Use
Education Local decision-making Research Screening Problem identification
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Website and Data Viewer
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Watershed Education Workshops
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2007 Activity- Stream Team
36 Volunteer Monitor Training Sessions
771 Certified Monitors 500 General Science Students
Lab Instructor Certification
35 NPS/Watershed Education Sessions
1425 Participants
17 Presentations at Aquarena Center
638 Participants
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2007 Activity- Aquarena Center
20 Staff trained in Stream Team Program 77 Park Tours 3rd Quarter
4646 Participants
63, 781 park visitors- January 1-November 30 30,000 students
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Regional and Statewide Meetings
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Companion Programs
Texas Stream Team Monitoring Curriculum Conducting a Watershed Survey and Curriculum Data Interpretation Guide and Curriculum
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Teacher Training
Teaching Environmental Sciences Master Science Teacher Certification Learning Urban Watersheds
Environmental Literacy Metric
Nominal-terminology Functional- systems Operational- response behaviors
Project Aquatic Wild, Amphibian Watch
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Facilitating Public Participation
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Public Participation Process
Clean Rivers Program
Steering Committee Public Input Process Coordinated Monitoring Meetings
305b/303d Public Comment Period TMDL /WPP Stakeholder Meetings
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http://www.worldwatermonitoringday.org
September 18- December 18, 2008
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The North American Secchi Dip-In June 28 - July 20, 2008
http://dipin.kent.edu/
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Geographic Focus
Statewide TMDL/ WPP/ Special Project Areas
Arroyo Colorado, Oso/Petronila Creeks, Orange County, Gilliland Creek, Guadalupe Basin- Plum Creek, Cypress Creek
Laredo and Nuevo Laredo Texas State University
San Marcos River
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Arroyo Colorado WPP
Focus on DO and Bacteria monitoring 31 Monitors Certified 5 sites sending data
~ 12 sites identified
1 Regional Meeting
September 22, 2007 24 participants Opportunity to showcase details of
plan/implementation
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Arroyo Colorado Partners
Arroyo Colorado Partnership Master Naturalists Texas State Technical College University of Texas at Brownsville Idea Preparatory Academy Los Caminos Del Rio International Museum of Arts and Sciences
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Oso and Petronila Creeks
Focus on Bacteria exposure and solid waste Bays Roundtable on Bacteria and Solid Waste,
November 10, 2007
12 Participants
Education Outreach at 2 schools
300 students
Teacher Extravaganza- Corpus Christi Museum
- f Science and History
200 teachers and educators
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Oso and Petronila Partners
Coastal Bend Council of Governments Harte Institute Texas A&M Corpus Christi South Texas Colonia Initiative Coastal Bend Bays and Estuaries Program Coastal Bend Bays Foundation
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Orange County
Focus on Bacteria sampling 20 individuals certified
Emphasis on teachers
1 Regional Meeting- West Orange
12 Participants In-depth program on TMDL
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Orange County Partners
Sabine River Authority Shangri-La Botanical Gardens and Nature
Center, Orange, Texas
Stark Foundation Hurricane Rita- 30,000 trees lost LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental
Design) certified education center
Stream Team Certified in August 2008
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Relevance to TMDL and WPP Programs
Forum for teaching science, NPS, watershed concepts,
TMDLs and WPPs
On-going effort- schools, NGO’s Draws in local partners Hands-on work can begin now Leadership training through Trainer and QAO
Certification
Can connect volunteers and partners to state and
national efforts
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Stakeholder Involvement- the Next Generation
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- St. Stephen’s Middle School
Cypress Creek
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Mark Your Calendar
July 19 Volunteer and Partner Recognition
Event
Spring 2009 Statewide Meeting
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