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Water Remediation In Texas

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Abstract:

Texas has had periods of drought as far back as 1534 based upon the tree ring evidence. However, water laws in Texas are such that the groundwater is governed by ‘absolute ownership’, and thus the exclusive property of the landowner. For most residents, they rely on municipal water supplies which are drawn from surface water alone. It is equally the quantity and quality of that surface water which is critical to the population of the state. This is especially true for the population of the East Fork watershed (EFW, aka Region C), whose population continues to slowly increase, and where water demand had already exceeded supply by 2010. [1] Based on publications and website data from the USGS, EPA, the Texas Water Development Board …show more content…

These include the terracing of cropland, use of grassed waterways, contour farming, conservation tillage, filter strips/boarder, and others. But by 2006, the USDA reported that only 0.8 percent of the cropland in EFW had implemented such best practices. Further, the 50 percent of cropland which was effectively terraced, was not maintaining those terraces. Although Atkinson et all noted the “most cost effective and least maintenance strategies to provide runoff interception are vegetative filters comprised of deep rooted plant species” [16] there are no plans proposed to implement or seek funding for any of these pollution abatement actions. The Trinity River Authority states that their pollution abatement plan “…recognizes the responsibility of the soil and water conservation districts and the State Soil and Water Conservation Board to provide the master plan for their programs in the basin.” [17]. However, the State Soil and Water Conservation Board 2015 report and plan focuses on bacteria control in the Dallas/Ft. Worth metroplex. There are no other stated plans for the Trinity basin, and nothing regarding pollution or sedimentation remediation efforts in the East Fork watershed. Incredibly, none of the groups and committees responsible for the quality of the EFW water appear to be making any plans to address …show more content…

Ruben S. Solis, Jason J. Kemp, Tony Connell, Holly Holmquist, Tyler McEwen, and Nathan Brock, "Volumetric and Sedimentation Survey of Lavon Lake June – July 2011 Survey," Texas Water Development Board, 2013, https://www.twdb.texas.gov/surfacewater/surveys/completed/files/Lavon/2011-07/Lavon2011_FinalReport.pdf, 18.

14. "ATRAZINE REMEDIATION IN THE LAKE LAVON WATERSHED of GRAYSON COUNTY, TEXAS," Texas State Soil and Water Conservation Board, http://www.tsswcb.texas.gov/files/contentimages/01-07-FR-ATRGRAYSON-00-00-00.pdf.

15. "Modeling Atrazine in Seven Texas Modeling Atrazine in Seven Texas," USDA – Natural Resources Conservation Service, October 24, 2006, http://www.nrcs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_DOCUMENTS/nrcs144p2_003337.pdf, Executive Summary.

16. Samuel F. Atkinson, William T. Waller, Kenneth L. Dickson, Sirichai Sanmanee, and Maria C. Moreno, “Atrazine Monitoring and Modeling in the Lake Lavon Watershed,” Denton, TX. UNT Digital Library, http://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc29479/.

17. "Trinity River Basin Master Plan," Trinity River Authority of Texas, 2010, http://www.trinityra.org/downloads/Master Plan Justified REV.pdf,

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