Project Description
This project consists of two major components: 1) the collection of water samples in conjunction with streamflow measurements, and 2) the utilization of BST on those collected water samples. Building on work being conducted in the Lampasas River watershed (TSSWCB project 07-11) and the Leon River watershed (TSSWCB project 06-12), this project will apply portions of the TCEQ- and TSSWCB- approved Three-Tier Approach for Developing Bacteria TMDLs, as recommended by the joint Bacteria TMDL Task Force. This project will provide critical bacteria loading information as well as source identification information through the utilization of library-dependent BST which will be used to support the development and implementation of WPPs for the Lampasas and Leon Rivers watersheds.
AgriLife-TP will conduct all environmental water sample collection and monitoring. AgriLife-TP will obtain and maintain NELAC accreditation for laboratory methods used in this project. E. coli levels in collected water samples will be enumerated utilizing USEPA method 1603; flow rates and field parameters will be collected in conjunction with water samples. Samples will be collected at 30 sites - 15 in the Lampasas River watershed and 15 in the Leon River watershed - monthly for a period of 12 months. Tentative sampling locations in each watershed are listed in Tables 1 and 2; these will be assessed by sampling personnel and site selection will be finalized in the QAPP. After E. coli enumeration, AgriLife-TP will ship enumerated plates to AgriLife-EP for BST. Lastly, AgriLife-TP will collect 50 known source fecal samples per watershed (total of 100) from sources identified by AgriLife-EP; known source fecal samples will be collected, stored and shipped by AgriLife-TP to AgriLife-EP for processing using USEPA method 1603 to enumerate, culture and isolate E. coli colonies.
Water samples collected, by AgriLife-TP will be enumerated for E. coli and shipped to AgriLife-EP for BST analysis. Library-dependent BST will be conducted on samples from both the Lampasas and Leon Rivers watersheds by analyzing E. coli isolates utilizing the enterobacterial repetitive intergenic consensus polymerase chain reaction (ERIC-PCR) and RiboPrinting (RP) combination method (ERIC-RP). As BST has previously been conducted in the Leon River watershed, this project will assist in assessing the temporal stability of the Texas E. coli BST Library. Known source fecal samples from the study area collected by AgriLife-TP will also be processed for ERIC-RP analysis by AgriLife-EP for inclusion in the Texas E. coli BST Library.
TWRI, AgriLife-EP, and AgriLife-TP will develop Technical Reports (one per watershed) summarizing water quality data collected and results of BST analysis conducted during the project. AgriLife-EP and AgriLife-TP will present results to the existing WPP stakeholder groups established through TSSWCB projects 06-12 and 07-11. AgriLife-EP will address and reconcile discrepancies between BST results from this project and modeling results from TSSWCB projects 06-12 and 07-11.
TWRI will transfer monitoring data (bacteria, field, and flow parameters), appropriately formatted, to TSSWCB for inclusion in the TCEQ Surface Water Quality Monitoring Information System (SWQMIS).
TWRI, AgriLife-TP, and AgriLife-EP will participate in Lampasas River and Leon River WPP meetings (TSSWCB projects 07-11 and 06-12), Clean Rivers Program Steering Committee meetings, and other meetings as appropriate in order to coordinate monitoring efforts and summarize activities and achievements made through this project.
TWRI will develop a Quality Assurance Project Plan (QAPP) for work conducted under Tasks 3 and 4 to ensure data of known and acceptable quality are generated and used in this project. The QAPP will be consistent with EPA Requirements for Quality Assurance Project Plans (QA/R-5), the TSSWCB Environmental Data Quality Management Plan, TSSWCB-approved SOPs for BST methods (ERIC-PCR and RP), and various TCEQ guidelines for monitoring procedures and methods.