Upper San Marcos River Watershed

In 2010, the Upper San Marcos River Watershed was cited on the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ)s 303(d) list of impaired waters, for exceeding total dissolved solids (TDS) water quality standards. The watershed is currently in compliance with the Clean Water Act standards, but several pollutants have been identified as a concern by... stakeholders. The Upper San Marcos River Watershed Protection Plan (Upper SMRWPP) began in 2012 as a multi-year process of research and information gathering. In 2018, the plan became a TCEQ and United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) approved watershed protection plan. The Upper SMRWPP is a collaborative effort between The Meadows Center for Water and the Environment and Upper SMRWPP stakeholders. The plan was developed by collecting relevant data, identifying potential sources of nonpoint source pollution, and determining structural and nonstructural best management practices (BMPs) to preserve water quality and reduce stormwater runoff. The plan also modeled water quality for existing and predicted future land use conditions. Because the Upper San Marcos River (SMR) is spring-fed and previously had exceptional water quality, stakeholders identified target levels that are more stringent than state standards to protect the watershed as growth and development continue to increase. This WPP is unique in that it was developed in coordination with several other significant water quality protection efforts, including a regional Habitat Conservation Plan, city- and university-led water quality protection plan, city-led comprehensive watershed master plan and the city and university municipal separate storm sewer system permitting process. Upper SMRWPP stakeholders worked together to weave these efforts into a holistic management plan to restore and protect water quality in the Upper SMR, complete with long-term technical implementation schedules, and the coordination of educational efforts and funding strategies. These efforts resulted in a comprehensive, ...Read More