This agreement provides support to the state of texas to implement its nonpoint source management program, focusing on watersheds with water quality impairments caused by polluted run-off from…

This $6,672,250 formula grant awarded by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) under the Clean Water Act Section 319 Nonpoint Source Implementation Grants program (CFDA 66.460) supports the Texas State Soil & Water Conservation Board's nonpoint source pollution management program. Key activities include:

• Administering and coordinating 13 subprojects that implement the Texas Nonpoint Source Management Plan, focusing on best management practices, watershed planning, water quality monitoring, stakeholder education, and feral swine management in watersheds with agricultural and silvicultural runoff issues.

Subrecipients include Texas A&M AgriLife Research, which will conduct water quality monitoring, watershed characterization, and feral swine mitigation education programs, as well as the Guadalupe Blanco River Authority, which will continue surface water quality monitoring in the Plum Creek and Little Brazos watersheds. The grant runs from September 1, 2023 through August 31, 2028.

This agreement provides support to the state of texas to implement its nonpoint source management program, focusing on watersheds with water quality impairments caused by polluted run-off from nonpoint sources. Nonpoint source implementation projects include best management practice installations for animal wastes, sediment, pesticide and fertilizer control, a variety of other structural and nonstructural practices, watershed planning, monitoring, technology demonstrations, and a variety of education/outreach programs. The intended beneficiaries of the fiscal year 2023 clean water act: section 319(h) funding are the citizens of texas. This grant has 13 subawards listed in a. 23.d. Activities:the proposed work in this agreement includes 13 projects that will support the 2022 texas nonpoint source management plan. Summaries of activities to be performed for each work plan include(s): 23-01 administration of the fiscal year 2023 clean water act section 319(h) agricultural/silvicultural nonpoint source management program: administer and manage the fiscal year 2023 clean water act section 319(h) cooperative agreement between environmental protection agency and texas state soil water conservation board. Coordinate with project cooperators on administrative related issues and manage the financial aspects of each contract. Coordinate administrative issues with the texas state soil water conservation board nonpoint source technical staff through periodic reviews of contractual requirements. Update the current proposal submission procedures and present to individuals interested in future funding in the 319(h) agricultural/silvicultural nonpoint source management program. 23-02 fiscal year 2023 statewide agricultural/silvicultural nonpoint source management program: provide technical assistance for fiscal year 2023 clean water act section 319(h) agricultural/silvicultural projects and to ensure that the projects meet all technical requirements and are successfully completed in a timely fashion. Implement best management practices through the state of texas nonpoint source pollution abatement program. 23-03 little brazos tributaries continued water quality monitoring: provide water quality and quantity data collection that meets the texas commission on environmental quality requirements for data to be included in the surface water quality monitoring information system that is acceptable for use in future waterbody assessments. Reinstate water quality and quantity data collection in the five project watersheds to generate a data set sufficient for the state of texas to assess water quality relative to applicable water quality standards and to begin building a data set for future planning activity if deemed necessary. Describe recent water quality findings and short-term temporal trends in final project report along with an assessment of whether water quality will meet designated standards and what appropriate next steps are for evaluated watersheds. 23-04 pond creek watershed characterization for future watershed protection plan development: to address the concerns and impairments most efficiently, the watershed must be characterized to identify potential causes and sources. IT is a goal of this project to identify existing data and identify data gaps for characterization. To gain public support of the project, the texas water resources institute will facilitate a stakeholder group (if determined to be appropriate) and identify objectives and goals needed for the watershed planning process. This will also include hosting public education events where stakeholders will be educated on water quality and mitigation strategies. Ultimately, IT is the goal of this project to accomplish element a and initiate element b of the environmental protection agencies nine elements for watershed plans found in the handbook for developing watershed plans to restore and protect our waters. 23-05 implementation of best MA