Currently, the State of Texas has no numerical criteria for
nutrients in the Texas Surface Water Quality Standards. Nutrient
controls do exist in the form of narrative criteria, watershed
rules, and antidegradation considerations. The Texas Commission on
Environmental Quality (TCEQ) also screens phosphorus, nitrate
nitrogen, and chlorophyll monitoring data as a preliminary
indication of areas of possible concern for the 303(d) listings of impaired water
bodies.
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has indicated that
states must develop nutrient criteria and begin the process of
incorporating them into their water quality standards. Therefore,
the TCEQ staff are in the process of developing and evaluating
criteria to address nutrients and eutrophication as well as
complementary approaches toward controlling nutrients. The TCEQ
will also develop procedures to implement the application of
criteria to permitting, to stream assessments, and to the total maximum daily
load (TMDL) process.
On November 27, 2006, a revised and expanded version of the
"Nutrient Criteria Development Work Plan for the State of Texas",
dated November 3, 2006, (PDF
/ MS
Word) was sent to EPA. (Help with Downloading Files.) It
replaces the preliminary and subsequent plans submitted to EPA by
the TCEQ. The plan can be updated as nutrient criteria development
progresses.
Workgroups have been a part of the criteria development process,
and information pertaining to them can be found through the Nutrient
Criteria Development Advisory Work Group.
