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Watershed Protection Plan Program

What is coordinated watershed protection planning?
What is a Watershed Protection Plan?
Handbook for Developing Watershed Plans
Evaluating how well WPPs meet the Nine Elements
WPPs in lieu of Total Maximum Daily Loads
TSSWCB Sponsored WPPs
TCEQ Sponsored WPPs
Third-Party WPPs
For More Information

What is coordinated watershed protection planning?

These locally-driven projects serve as a mechanism for addressing complex water quality problems that cross multiple jurisdictions. The goal is to protect unimpaired waterbodies from pollution threats and restore impaired, polluted waterbodies. The Texas Water Quality Inventory and 303(d) List provide an assessment of water quality in Texas. Watershed protection planning serves as a tool to better leverage the resources of local governments, state and federal agencies, and non-governmental organizations. The planning process integrates activities and prioritizes implementation projects based upon technical merit and benefits to the community, promotes a unified approach to seeking funding for implementation, and creates a coordinated public communication and education program.
WPPs in Texas

What is a Watershed Protection Plan?

A Watershed Protection Plan (WPP) is a coordinated framework for implementing prioritized and integrated water quality protection and restoration strategies driven by environmental objectives. Through the WPP process, the State of Texas encourages stakeholders to holistically address all of the sources and causes of impairments and threats to both surface and ground water resources within a watershed. Developed and implemented through diverse, well integrated partnerships, a WPP assures the long-term health of the watershed with strategies for protecting unimpaired waters and restoring impaired waters.

Watershed Protection Plans have a variety of ingredients and can take many forms. TSSWCB-sponsored WPPs are consistent with guidelines promulgated by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in 2003. These guidelines describe nine elements fundamental to a potentially successful WPP:

  1. Identification of the causes that will need to be controlled to achieve the load reductions described in (b)
  2. Estimate of the load reductions expected for the management measures described in (c)
  3. Description of management measures that will need to be implemented to achieve the load reductions described in (b)
  4. Estimate of technical and financial assistance needed to implement this plan
  5. Information/education component that will be used to enhance public understanding of this plan
  6. Schedule for implementing management measures described in (c)
  7. Description of interim, measurable milestones for determining whether management measures described in (c) are being implemented
  8. Set of criteria that can be used to determine whether load reductions described in (b) are being achieved
  9. Water quality monitoring component to evaluate effectiveness of implementation measured against the established criteria described in (h)

The TSSWCB and the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) provide technical and financial assistance to stakeholder groups to develop and implement WPPs. On September 27, 2006, at a joint work session, the TSSWCB and the TCEQ approved a revised Memorandum of Agreement on Total Maximum Daily Loads, Implementation Plans, and Watershed Protection Plans (PDF, 431 kB). This framework for collaboration between the two agencies describes the programmatic mechanisms the agencies employ to develop and implement WPPs.

Handbook for Developing Watershed Plans

EPA has released a document to help communities, watershed organizations, and local, state, tribal, and federal environmental agencies develop and implement watershed plans to meet water quality standards and protect water resources. The Handbook for Developing Watershed Plans to Restore and Protect Our Waters is designed to help anyone undertaking a watershed planning effort. It contains in-depth guidance on quantifying existing pollutant loads, developing estimates of the load reductions required to meet water quality standards, developing effective management measures, and tracking progress once the plan is implemented.

The document is structured so that it can be followed step by step though the watershed planning process or so that readers can go to individual sections that highlight specific technical tools for use in the watershed planning effort. Worksheets and checklists are provided throughout the handbook to help work through the watershed planning process. Each chapter includes information that addresses the key issues for each step, along with examples to illustrate how to apply these concepts to your own situation.

Evaluating how well WPPs meet the Nine Elements

EPA has released an evaluation of watershed-based plans (PDF, 345 kB) from across the nation. EPA reviewed completed WPPs to assess national progress toward tackling the challenge of developing high-quality WPPs that meet EPAs expectations, that is, the nine essential elements. The evaluation also identifies common areas of weakness in developed WPPs and uncovers innovative techinques and approaches to share with stakeholders who may be facing similar challenges in developing WPPs. Additionally, EPA draws some conclusions regarding the overall quality of watershed-based plans produced to date and the highest-priority technical assistance needs.

The evaluation identifies several good examples of WPPs that demonstrate the level of detail necessary to achieve success in mitigation efforts. These plans have addressed all nine elements to some degree, and in some cases, they fulfill certain elements with innovative techniques. While most of these examples benefit from hearty financial resources, impressive community support, or less complex water quality challenges, they are all examples of how diligent watershed protection planning can help guide effective pllution control strategies. The excellent quality of these plans shows that it is possible to develop plans that address all nine elements, and that by doing so a more effective watershed management strategy will be the result.

WPPs in lieu of Total Maximum Daily Loads

The federal Clean Water Act (CWA) requires the State of Texas to establish a Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) for certain waterbodies identified on the 303(d) List. A TMDL defines the maximum amount of a pollutant that a waterbody can assimilate on a daily basis and still meet water quality standards.

In some watersheds, the development and implementation of a WPP may be a more viable approach to achieving restoration of water quality than through the establishment of a TMDL. EPA Region 6 has outlined a process by which the State may submit a WPP in lieu of a TMDL (PDF, 1.04 MB). This document discusses the national guidance and regulatory mechanisms governing the process of utilizing WPPs in lieu of TMDLs, as well as, discusses how this "4b option" relates to the nine essential elements of WPPs.

Essentially, this "4b option" recognizes that certain alternative pollution control measures, such as a WPP, may obviate the need for a TMDL and that the most effective method for achieving water quality standards for some waterbodies may be through management measures developed and implemented without TMDLs. The significance and complexity of whether a WPP may serve in lieu of a TMDL will necessitate close coordination between watershed stakeholders, the State and EPA.

Where are current watershed planning efforts underway?

WPP development projects currently sponsored by TSSWCB are all funded through CWA §319(h) NPS Grants to various entities. Active watershed planning projects include:

WPPs Sponsored by TSSWCB

Additionally, TSSWCB is funding two projects which support the watershed planning process:

While WPP development projects sponsored by TCEQ have significant water quality issues related to urban NPS pollution or wastewater treatment, most, to varying degrees, have agricultural or silvicultural nonpoint source pollution components:

WPPs Sponsored by TCEQ

Additionally, TCEQ is funding a project which supports the watershed planning process:

There are several other watershed planning projects across the state which are funded and sponsored by entities and agencies other than TSSWCB or TCEQ. These third-party WPPs may or may not adequately satisfy EPA's nine elements:

WPPs Sponsored by Third Parties

For More Information, contact:

For additional information or questions, contact Aaron Wendt at 254-773-2250, ext. 232, or by e-mail at awendt [at] tsswcb [dot] state [dot] tx [dot] us.

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