Total Maximum Daily Load Program: Communities Working Together to Improve Water Quality
A TMDL is a scientifically-derived target that tells us the greatest amount of a particular substance that we can add to a waterway and still keep it healthy. These substances are not necessarily harmful in and of themselves. For example, phosphorus is an essential nutrient, but too much phosphorus can lead to an overgrowth of algae, which in turn can make the water taste bad and reduce the amount of oxygen available to fish and other creatures that live in the water.
Another example is bacteria, which occur naturally in both human and animal waste. But too much bacteria can make it more hazardous to swim or wade in a creek, lake, or bay—activities called “contact recreation” in the state’s standards for water quality.
The TMDL gives us an measurable way to target our efforts to protect and improve the quality of our streams, lakes, and bays.
| Projects | Get Involved |
|---|---|
Projects of the TMDL ProgramProtecting people and aquatic species by reducing pollution in impaired or threatened waterways. |
NewsAbout TMDLs, I-Plans, and water quality |
TMDLs and Their ImplementationWhat TMDLs are and how TCEQ and stakeholders make a difference in the quality of our waterways |
CalendarStakeholder Meetings |
Developing TMDL ProjectsGuidelines for organizations that develop or implement TMDLs for Texas waterways |
Participate in TMDL ProjectsHow to get involved in your watershed |
| Impaired Waters & TMDLs | Management Tools |
|---|---|
All Impaired Waters, 2014
|
Preserving and Improving Water QualityAn overview of how the TCEQ defines, measures, evaluates, and manages the quality of surface waters in Texas |
Segments with TMDLsThe TCEQ must consider TMDLs in permits it issues under the Texas Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (TPDES). |
Watershed Action PlanningStrategies and plans for protecting and improving the quality of the state's streams, lakes, and estuaries. |
Summary of Completed TMDLs and Implementation Plans
|
Hydrography Maps and DataThe Atlas of Texas Surface Waters along with GIS data for classified segments and other hydrology layers |
For More Information
Call 512-239-6682, or send us an e-mail at tmdl@tceq.texas.gov.
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