Upcoming Meetings—Background—Past Meetings—Additional Information
Upcoming Meetings
The focus of the Buffalo and Whiteoak Bayous TMDL project is now on developing an implementation plan. The Bacteria Implementation Group, or BIG, is the committee responsible for developing the plan. Please visit the BIG webpage for more information and to learn how to be involved.
Background
The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) has determined that Buffalo Bayou, Whiteoak Bayou, and several tributaries sometimes have bacteria levels that are higher than state standards for contact recreation. The State of Texas requires that water quality in Buffalo and Whiteoak Bayous be suitable for swimming, wading, fishing, and aquatic life. |  |
Swimming and wading are considered contact recreation in the State’s standards for water quality, referring to all recreation in which people come in direct contact with the water. People who swim or wade in the bayous may be at risk because of high level of bacteria. Bacteria from human and animal waste often indicate the presence of disease-causing microorganisms, which pose a threat to public health.
 | In response to the elevated bacteria levels in the bayous, the TCEQ initiated a total maximum daily load (TMDL) project to determine the measures necessary to support recreational uses in these water bodies. The goal of a TMDL is to determine the amount (or load) of a pollutant that a body of water can receive and still support its designated uses. |
The load is then allocated among all the potential sources of pollution within the watershed, and measures to reduce pollutant loads are developed as necessary.
The TMDL project is nearly complete and the TMDL document is currently in the process of adoption by the TCEQ. The TMDL document and details on the comment process are available on the TCEQ’s project website: www.tceq.state.tx.us/implementation/water/tmdl/22-buffalobayou_group.html
Past Meetings
2008 June 9: Draft TMDL (PDF) 3.3M | Request for Comments (PDF) 15K
2007 December 12: Agenda (PDF) 16K | Summary (PDF) 18K
2007 October 24: Agenda (PDF) 18K | Summary (PDF) 12K
2007 August 30: Agenda (PDF) 5K | Summary (PDF) 28K
2007 August 30: Presentation (PPT) 250K
2007 June 25: Agenda (PDF) 10K | Summary (PDF) 30K
2007 June 25: Presentation (PPT) 4.6M
2007 February 8: Agenda (PDF) 16K | Summary (PDF) 17K | PPT1 502K | PPT2 442K | PPT3 54K
2006 September 7: Agenda (PDF) 5K | Summary (PDF) 18K | Presentation (PPT) 717K
2006 February 7: Agenda (PDF) 6K | Summary (PDF) 254K
2005 November 1: Agenda (PDF) 6K | Summary (PDF) 21K
2005 August 18: Agenda (PDF) 6K | Summary (PDF) 26K
2005 July 19: Agenda (PDF) 1K | Summary (PDF) 1K
2005 April 6: Agenda (PDF) 6K | Summary (PDF) 25K | Presentation (PPT) 444K
2005 February 10: Agenda (PDF) 5K
2004 November 16: Agenda (PDF) 6K | Summary (PDF) 25K
2004 May 18: Agenda (PDF) 6K | Summary (PDF) 25K
2004 January 28: Agenda (PDF) 5K | Summary (PDF) 19K
2003 October 15: Agenda (PDF) 5K | Summary (PDF) 21K
2003 May 14: Presentation (PPT) 39K
2003 April 16: Agenda (PDF) 10K
2003 February 19: Agenda (PDF) 5K
2003 February 19: Agenda (PDF) 5K
2002 July 3: Summary (PDF) 32K | Presentation 1 (PPT) 2.9M | Presentation 2 (PPT) 3.5M
2001 January 25: Agenda (PDF) 17K
Links and Additional Information
The TCEQ maintains a webpage for the Buffalo and Whiteoak project:
www.tceq.state.tx.us/implementation/water/tmdl/22-buffalobayou.html
The Bacteria Implementation Group is developing an Implementation Plan for this and three other bacteria TMDL projects.
For more information, contact Rachel Powers:
Rachel.Powers@h-gac.com
(713) 993-4559