This research investigates the hydrologic sustainability of urban development and stormwater management for a watershed on the Texas A&M campus. The main Texas A&M campus has become increasingly urbanized, resulting in areas of imperviousness that generate higher rates of runoff. This growth has proceeded unchecked, and significant growth and development are planned for the future. Both increased rates of runoff from previous development and the impact of anticipated development should be addressed through mitigation efforts. This research provides a means to assess watershed health through biological indicators, water quality indicators, riparian ecosystems, the floodplain footprint, and the long term flow regime. A modeling framework is implemented to couple hydrologic and hydraulics models to simulate a set of watershed management plans that employ alternative best management practices. Development plans will be evaluated based on a set of comprehensive metrics that synthesize ecological, hydrologic, and environmental aspects of watershed health. The selection of management plans based on these metrics will enhance the environmental sustainability of further campus development.
Pathogens are the principal cause of water body impairment for 303(d) listed waters in Texas and across the United States with 10,654 impairments nationally (TCEQ 2012; USEPA 2013). In Texas, 45% of 568 total impairments are caused by elevated bacteria levels (TCEQ 2012). Models such as the Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) and Hydrological Simulation Program-FORTRAN (HSPF) have been used for assessing bacterial sources and loading. Other simplistic microbial models, such as the Potential Nonpoint Pollution Index (PNPI), Spatially Explicit Delivery MODel (SEDMOD), and Spatially Explicit Load Enrichment Calculation Tool (SELECT), have been developed to rank potential pollution impacts from nonpoint sources and identify critical areas primarily using land use and geomorphology.
Citation: Borel K, Karthikeyan R, Berthold TA, Wagner K. 2014. Estimating E. coli and Enterococcus loads in a coastal Texas watershed. Texas Water Journal. 6(1):33-44. Available from: https://doi.org/10.21423/twj.v6i1.7008.
Water conservation behavior among water utility customers can be encouraged by engaging and educating customers about their consumption habits. To be successful, the information used to engage and educate must (1) be comprehensive, including both broad and narrow information, so that individuals understand where they fit into water management and how their actions impact water management and their community, and (2) help them make decisions about their use.
This article is a literature review of elements that can be incorporated into a customer-friendly information feedback interface. Some elements discussed are billing features, information about the water cycle, and local water sources, and local partnerships. The use of data is also addressed, and to that end, benefits of advanced metering infrastructure systems are mentioned. The details of these systems are not addressed. The intent of this research is to provide types and styles of information that can be combined to create an effective and meaningful information feedback system for water utility customers to encourage conservation.
Citation: Hawkins CAJ, Berthold TA. 2016. A literature review: developing an information feedback interface to encourage water conservation behavior among utility customers. Texas Water Journal. 7(1):40-55. Available from: https://doi.org/10.21423/twj.v7i1.7029.
N onpoint source pollution is the leading cause of water quality impairments in the United States, and Texas waters are monitored for and impacted by point and nonpoint source pollution (U.S. EPA 2017). In Texas, the Texas State Soil and Water Conservation Board (TSSWCB) and Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) are responsible for maintaining and improving water quality through many programs including the Clean Rivers Program, the Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) program, and the Texas Nonpoint Source Management Program (TCEQ 2020). The Texas Integrated Report, delivered in compliance with the federal Clean Water Act Sections 305(b) and 303(d), evaluates the state's natural surface waters' quality based on historical records and criteria aligning with the Texas surface water quality standards (TCEQ 2019b). Water bodies not meeting the established water quality standards
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