2025 Urban Riparian Symposium Agenda

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Agenda - Wednesday, February 19, 2025

Agenda - Thursday, February 20, 2025

Friday, February 21, 2025

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Presentation Abstracts by Session

Session A: Thursday, 12:50 - 2:55 PM

Greening Detention Ponds for Multifunctional
Landscapes

Dr. Fouad Jaber, Texas A&M AgriLife

Detention ponds were some of the earliest best management
practices to manage stormwater. Dry detention ponds are basically excavated
areas with a pipe (orifice) at the bottom that slowed down overflow and reduced
peak flows in the receiving channel or stream. Minimal treatment occurs in such
systems. Wet detention ponds hold water for longer periods allowing only
overflow when new runoff flows into the pond. They reduce total suspended
solids from the effluent in addition to peak flow reduction. In this presentation
two improved designs that increase volume reduction and pollutants would be
presented as alternative more sustainable detention ponds. The first consists
of design ponds as parks that integrate bioswales, native plants and recreation
trails with a meandering river pattern. The other integrates a constructed
wetland in the detention pond that retains and treats small storm events while
still performing as a standard detention pond for larger events. Both the
designs provide opportunities for greening and recreation that could be an
asset in new developments

 

Urban Waters Looking for Native Roots

Ryan O’Hanlon, Stonefly Aquatic Nursery

Wetland and riparian restoration designs often include many
wonderful species, but don’t always align with the availability and regular
production of species from growers or suppliers. Here, we’ll discuss what this
looks like from the growers side of the stream. Including considerations for
time frame, location, pot size, quantities to fill the project and what we’ve
learned along the way!

 

Assessing Expanded Shale for Urban Runoff
Treatment: Integrating Physical Experiments, Flow Visualization, and Numerical
Modeling

Dr. Habib Ahmari, The University of Texas at Arlington

Urbanization and expanding impervious surfaces have
increased stormwater runoff, altering its timing and degrading water quality.
Urban runoff carries pollutants such as nitrogen, phosphorus, sediments, and
heavy metals, affecting the physical properties of receiving waters. Stormwater
management programs use Best Management Practices (BMPs) to mitigate these
impacts by retaining and treating runoff. However, in dense urban areas, space
and cost limitations often hinder traditional BMPs. This project evaluates a
small-scale engineered filtration media made of expanded shale in a controlled
lab environment at the University of Texas at Arlington. The setup allowed for
rapid, precise testing of different configurations, including inflow-outflow
dynamics, bypass mechanisms, filter media dimensions, and pollutant loading
rates. Thirty scenarios were tested in a 15-ft plexiglass flume using expanded
shale mixed with sandy clay soil, assessing its effectiveness in removing total
suspended solids (TSS) and turbidity. Results showed removal efficiencies of
20-82% for TSS and -4% to 61% for turbidity, with expanded shale outperforming
traditional materials such as sand and gravel and requiring less channel
length. Even at a small scale, expanded shale met the 80% sediment removal
standard, highlighting its potential as a highly effective alternative for
urban stormwater management. Flow dynamics over the filtration media were
analyzed using a Particle Image Velocimetry (PIV) system to capture flow
patterns along the flume. Additionally, the Flow-3D model simulated sediment
transport under eight scenarios, replicating the lab geometry. Simulation
results complemented physical observations, reinforcing the effectiveness of
expanded shale as a viable filtration material for managing urban stormwater
runoff.

 

Riparian FRODO: Is Controlling Invasive Species
Just a Resource Suck?

Staryn Wagner, City of Austin, Watershed Protection
Department

The intention of this discussion is to make possible the
presentation of a wide range of thoughts, opinions, and reasoning related to
the control of invasive plant species in and along our stream and river
corridors.  At present there is a long
and strong held belief that there is a need for control of invasive plant
species in the riparian areas of our waterways. 
This effort is lengthy, expensive, and everlasting.  With great and coordinated efforts headway is
made against the onslaught of invasives but is there an end in sight and is
there a point where the effort is for naught?

Potential focal points for this conversation:

        What are the realistic goals for removing specific invasive species?

        Are there some locations to put in the effort and others to let go?

        Postage stamp impact.  Little spots in a large terrain.

        Never fully taken care of.The forever problem.

        Would the environmental benefit be greater if the resources were used elsewhere?

        Do you lose the support of those focused on the proliferation of native species?

        How do we justify either decision?

        The long-term outcome of invasive plant dominance is not fully known.

Updates from the Solar Field

Katie Myers, Tarrant Regional Water District

At the 2022 Urban Riparian Symposium, we gathered information, concerns, and (mostly) questions from the water world regarding the expansion of utility-scale solar facilities in Texas. Two years later, we’re back to examine how the landscape has shifted. What new information do we know about how various development and management practices affect hydrology and water quality? What research is progress? Where might the industry be headed in Texas? How are we preparing landowners and natural resource professionals for this ongoing land use change?

 

“Hi, N-EWN” in Texas: Collaborating on nature-based solutions from local to international

Matthew Berg, Rachel Roberts, Abel Porras

The Network for Engineering with Nature (N-EWN) is a community of researchers, practitioners and educators who are addressing the major infrastructure challenges facing our society while creating opportunities that align ecological, social and engineering processes to achieve multiple benefits. This team presentation will feature Network partners San Antonio River Authority, City of Austin Watershed Protection Department, and Simfero sharing an overview of N-EWN initiatives across the United States and in our very own Texas riparian systems. Presenters will highlight opportunities to connect urban nature with broader regional and national initiatives, outline innovative watershed modeling approaches, and share lessons learned on implementing nature-based solutions. This energetic session will aim to bring some fun in envisioning more resilient communities and ecosystems.

 

Gaining Ground: Advancing the Use of Erosion Management Structures for Habitat Restoration

Ryan McGillicuddy, Texas Parks and Wildlife Department

In recent decades, land managers in the Southwest have increasingly embraced the use of low-profile wood and rock structures as treatments for both upland and in-stream erosional features such as gullies, rills, and headcuts. These structures (commonly referred to as “Zeedyk” or “low-tech” structures) slow the flow of water across the landscape, promoting infiltration, soil moisture, and soil capture. The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) has worked with a private landowner to develop a conservation demonstration site where several of these structures have been installed, and is collaborating with state and federal partners and NGOs to further advance their use and make them eligible for reimbursement through incentive programs.

 

Conservation Easements: A Tool for Protecting Urban Riparian Areas

Blake Alldredge, Upper Trinity Regional Water District / Upper Trinity Conservation Trust

Decision Support for Nature-Based Solutions: The Trinity Floodplain Prioritization Tool

Dr. Justin Kozak, The Nature Conservancy

The Trinity River Basin, with nearly 11 million acres of land and over 715 river miles is the most populous basin in the state and serves as the water source to more than half of all Texans. Water from the Trinity Basin drains into the Galveston Bay and estuary system, considered one of the most productive ecosystems and commercial fisheries in the nation. The basin includes five major Texas ecoregions – Cross-Timbers, Blackland Prairie, Post Oak Savannah, Piney Woods, and Coastal Prairies and Marshes. Floodplain protection and restoration is an important Nature-Based Solution for supporting the health and resilience of communities and ecosystems in this important basin and the Gulf of Mexico. Freely available, the Trinity Floodplain Prioritization Tool is a decision support tool designed to help identify key opportunities for floodplain protection and restoration in the Trinity River Basin. Users are able to specify criteria related to water quality, wildlife habitat, carbon storage, current and future flood risk, and current and projected land use characteristics. The map interface changes in response to the user selections to identify sites that meet the selected criteria and help identify the geographies where floodplain conservation is likely to have the greatest positive impact for the conservation and community priorities selected.

 

Implementing Effective Strategies to Preserve Denton County Riparian Areas

Blake Alldredge, Upper Trinity Regional Water District / Upper Trinity Conservation Trust

As working agricultural lands transform into urbanized communities, it’s important to protect the quality of water in local streams and lakes – – the sources of our drinking water. A coordinated approach to protecting our natural assets (such as riparian areas, wetlands, and other native habitats) is needed to ensure the continued health and sustainability of North Texas waterways for years to come. As part of its regional Watershed Protection Program, the Upper Trinity Regional Water District collaborates with multiple partners (i.e. cities, counties, utilities and other agencies and organizations) on various programs to advance watershed management in North Texas. In addition, UTRWD established the Upper Trinity Conservation Trust in 2010. The Trust protects land and preserves water resources by receiving and overseeing conservation easements. The Trust’s mission is to protect water quality and does this by focusing on riparian corridors in rural and urban watersheds of our local water supply lakes. In 2017, the Trust, along with UTRWD and Denton County, jointly sponsored the development of the Denton County Greenbelt Plan. The Plan identifies and prioritizes areas where preservation efforts should be encouraged, and to create a common vision for voluntary implementation by municipalities and developers. Recommended strategies were included in the Plan to encourage implementation, such as public outreach tools, funding mechanisms, trail designs and other protection measures. Since 2017, 12 entities have adopted the Plan to date. This presentation will discuss the development of the Plan, the recommended strategies that were included to encourage implementation of the Plan by municipalities and developers, and how the Plan has spurred interest from others in riparian protection that have led to additional projects. This presentation will also highlight cities who are currently preserving riparian areas and protecting water quality by various means.

 

Building More Livable Communities – The Riparian Way!

Aleksander (AJ) Prebensen, City of Fort Worth

The City of Fort Worth has looked at a planned service area of the city and has collaborated with a developer to do a model site plan of a development that preserves the riparian areas and creates more livable neighborhoods that conserve canopy, utilize natural topography, are nature facing, trail oriented, and also address some middle housing issues through granting density in exchange for the preservation of ecosystem services. The city is considering design and development regulations and where we can find flexibility in order to promote more walkable bikable neighborhoods that still deliver a good or better return on investment for the development community, the city, and its residents.

 

Just Stop Mowing! The Trials and Tribulations of Establishing Stream Buffers in Urban Parks

Michelle Villafranca, City of Fort Worth Park & Recreation Department

In 2021, the City of Fort Worth’s Park & Recreation Department embarked upon a stream buffer program. Ten parks with were selected to return vegetated buffers along streams through reduced mowing. Initially, it seemed an easy-to-implement program; however looks can be deceiving. This presentation will cover the process of selecting the parks, developing a Natural Areas program, developing policy and maintenance procedures, working with mow contractors, developing a stream health monitoring program, and educating the public on the benefits of vegetated buffers.

 

Waller Creek Project and Downtown Revitalization of Urban Water Way and Trail System

Melissa Carugati,

River Road Park Bank Stabilization Project –

City of Boerne

Tami Norton, Ecosystem Planning and Restoration

The River Road Park Bank Stabilization project is located
along the north bank of the Cibolo Creek in Boerne, Texas and was completed in
April 2024. This presentation will detail the design approach for stabilizing
1,550-LF of riverbank using natural techniques such as boulder toe protection,
a native plant and vegetation buffer, and limiting pedestrian access. The
design analysis, criteria, and permitting requirements will be discussed. In
addition to the bank stabilization, the City of Boerne removed sediment that
had accumulated behind the dam located at the downstream end of River Road Park
and, working with Texas Parks and Wildlife and the local high school welding
program, installed fish habitat feature to improve water quality within the
Cibolo Creek. The goal of this presentation is to demonstrate the benefits of
natural approaches and challenges of implementation.

 

Integration of Transportation and Stormwater
Infrastructure (TSI): A Proactive Approach to North Central Texas Growth and
Development

Aaron Hoff, Tarrant Regional Water District

This initiative utilizes proactive planning to address
increasingly flooded roadways, neighborhoods, and critical infrastructure in
the rapidly-developing areas of North Central Texas contending with intense
rainfall and escalating stormwater impacts. The study integrates stormwater,
transportation, and environmental planning in a unique effort to reduce risk in
a region growing by 150,000 people per year. Focusing on these ‘exurban’ areas,
the study seeks to provide enhanced technical models and emergency management
solutions to guide more informed development decisions. This will be
accompanied by a planning menu for sustainable transportation design and
stormwater detention that blend traditional stormwater features with
nature-based solutions. Tools that quantify the financial benefits of adopting
these higher building standards will also be integrated into the study. The
multi-year study is funded with more than $10 million from state and federal
agencies. Study partners include the North Central Texas Council of
Governments, US Army Corps of Engineers, academia, and impacted communities and
organizations. Study goals include: 1. Reduced infrastructure flooding within
and downstream of rapid development areas 2. Tools identifying the financial
benefit of adopting higher standards 3. Enhanced technical models and emergency
management capabilities 4. Planning menu for transportation design, stormwater
detention, and environmental features

 

Integration of Community Forest Management in
Watershed Protection Strategies

Julia Schmidt, Texas A&M Forest Service

This presentation will focus on the integration of
community forest management in watershed protection strategies, discussing the
benefits of trees in urban settings, various methods to manage stormwater
runoff, and why this is important. The goal of the presentation is to give both
corporate and individual’s ways to contribute to our water systems health and
share background to the importance of trees in society. By reviewing green
infrastructure, low impact development practices, and how an individual’s landscaping
can enhance stormwater quality, we can give power to the public in a tangible
and obtainable way. This presentation will demonstrate how anyone can take
matters into their own hands and begin to make a difference even in their own
backyard.

 

Connecting Community to Urban Streams and
Forests through Restoration, Conservation Corps, and Stewardship Events

Emily Finley, Jordan Forbis, Beaver Watershed Alliance

The Watershed Conservation Resource Center (WCRC), a
nonprofit watershed restoration group, has been awarded $2.67 million through
the Inflation Reduction Act and the USDA Forest Service’s Urban and Community
Forestry Program to undertake an extensive riparian restoration project within
an urban park in Fayetteville, Arkansas. The project is in year one, this
presentation will share initial steps taken to form partnerships, develop
process-based conservation methods, build a framework for conservation workforce
development and deliver strategies to engage the local community. The project,
“Connecting Community to Urban Streams and Forests in a Low-Income Neighborhood
at Walker Park, Fayetteville, AR,” focuses on the comprehensive restoration of
3,300 feet of Spout Spring and its associated riparian zone, along with 22
acres of adjacent forest. Situated in a historically Black community, this
riparian restoration effort aims to revitalize the stream, thereby improving
ecological health and community access. Key components of the riparian
restoration include the design and implementation of natural stream channel
design techniques for restoration and riparian habitat enhancement. Collaboration
is central to the project’s success. Beaver Watershed Alliance, a nonprofit
watershed group, is assisting the WCRC in developing a conservation workforce
in coordination with the Arkansas Conservation Corps, coordinating volunteer
stewardship and community engagement events. The Alliance will share their
experience with these outreach and education efforts, interfacing with a
municipality to coordinate project work and next steps for the project. Through
these riparian restoration efforts, the project aims to increase public access
to nature, enhance wildlife habitats, and protect water quality in the Beaver
Lake watershed, as well as reconnect residents of this historically
disadvantaged community with their natural environment. Project Partners
include Watershed Conservation Resource Center, Beaver Watershed Alliance, City
of Fayetteville, Beaver Water District, Northwest Arkansas Black Heritage,
American YouthWorks, and the USDA Forest Service.

 

Cooling Our Cities: Urban Reforestation and
Citizen Science Unite to Combat Heat

Kirsten Vernin, HARC

The health of our communities and green spaces are
intertwined. ForUsTree is about collectively tending to green spaces and
reinvigorating communities’ access to natural areas and urban forests in an
equitable manner. The Initiative will help combat high temperatures and prepare
communities for a changing climate, while also bringing training and workforce
development, access to paid employment, and established pathways for green
careers. This project will grow the urban tree canopy by 54,310 trees, cultivate
the workforce by hiring and training 83 Community Engagement and Environmental
Education Interns and Youth Work Crew Members, and reap climate resilience and
community benefits by improving forest health and removing 2,040 hazardous
trees. Urban and extreme heat are among the most significant health and climate
issues facing Houston and Harris County. In August of 2024, 157 community
volunteer scientists took to the streets to find the areas in Houston and
Harris County most susceptible to the “urban heat island effect.” Using thermal
sensors mounted on their cars, these volunteers traveled along pre-determined
routes to record ambient temperatures and humidity at three specific times.
Together, they drove a total of 3,446 miles within disadvantaged communities in
Houston and Harris County, making it the largest single-day heat mapping
campaign in the United States. An outcome is the direct involvement of the
community in producing street-by-street heat data to identify where, on a
granular level, heat is most severe. This presentation will cover the
pre-campaign planning, campaign day, and share key findings based on the heat
mapping results. All data will be publicly available, allowing local
communities to use this data and access strategic planning reforestation
resources to help find solutions for their own neighborhoods. By collaborating
across sectors, this project is committed to increasing tree canopy equity in
Houston and Harris County.

Grow Zone Hot Topics: Key issues after 15 years of riparian restoration

Staryn Wagner, City of Austin, Watershed Protection Department

 

Retrospective of 7,071 E.coli samples from Bull Creek District Park and Barton Springs, Austin TX

Andrew Clamann, City of Austin, Watershed Protection Department

 

FRODO: Urban Ag Technical and Financial Assistance

Wilma Tichelaer, USDA NRCS


Common urban agricultural best management practices in relation to resource concerns that are commonly found in urban settings. This will be geared towards Urban Riparian areas and the opportunities for NRCS technical and financial assistance.

Water Education: Audiences and Messaging

Melissa Walker, City of Arlington Stormwater Educator/Texas Master Naturalist/Texas Riparian Association Board Member

Understanding different audience questions and their related messages are an important component of a quality water education program. Students, teachers, residents, business owners, rural landowners, developers and government employees all have a different perspective on their role in water quality. Learning how to provide appropriate education messages in a clear and concise way to these various listeners can improve your education goals.

 

ACCESS Water: K-12 Watershed Education Programs

Dr. Kelly Albus, Texas Water Resources Institute

The ACCESS Water Teacher Education program (TWRI) delivers watershed-based educational programming for teachers across the state focused on non-point source pollution. With place-based, hands-on learning through citizen science, the ACCESS Water program uses research-based techniques to increase the quality of watershed-related content for middle and high school students and increase student engagement through local action. This presentation will focus on sharing successes, tips, tricks and lessons learned from the ACCESS Water team related to water quality programming for K-12 audiences, and include a facilitated discussion about the future of water education in Texas.

 

Project WET (Water Education Today) in Texas

Melissa Mullins – Baylor University Center for Reservoir and Aquatic Systems Research

Project WET (Water Education Today) is dedicated to solving critical environmental challenges by teaching the world about water. Project WET provides hands-on, science-based water education resources to formal and non-formal educators around the world. These resources encourage environmental stewardship and promote meaningful action. Social justice and sustainability are at the heart of every water lesson and activity. Come learn about how Project WET works globally, at the national level, and in Texas from a Project WET Coordinator and an educator who has long used PWET activities. We might even have time to look at a Project WET activity or two!

 

Engagement and Partnership to Beautify the Brazos

Mark Keeley – City of Waco

Beautify the Brazos was started in 2022 to engage students at McLennan County College and Baylor University, Ironman Waco competitors and volunteers, and the public through Keep Waco Beautiful in a hands-on experience in water quality monitoring. Since then, it has grown to include more partners and expanded to include Spring and Fall anchor events. This multi-faceted collaboration between public, private and non-profit entities and institutions helped to visualize current water quality concerns and drought impacts, engage citizens, and reconnect people to our water source allowing them to see the true beauty of the Brazos and its surrounding tributaries. In this presentation we will discuss previous planning, on-going partnerships, opportunities and successes, and future goals.

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Poster Abstracts

Riparian Zone of Bell Bottom Creek and surrounding watershed, Pattison, TX

Debleena Banerji, Prana Foundation, University of Houston

Bell Bottom Creek in Pattison Texas drains to Bessie’s Creek watershed and eventually contributes to the Brazos River system to the south. The riparian zone around Bell Bottom Creek is an integral part of the local drainage system and contributes not only to the local groundwater filtration and recharge but also to a healthy ecosystem comprised of a multitude of flora and fauna. Hence, any anthropogenic development upstream will lead to enhanced runoff along the creek resulting in bank-erosion, falling of trees and flooding downstream in the greater Katy and Houston-Galveston area. Absence of continuous riparian zone also results in lack of travel corridors for the wild animals and disruption in the food chain. The Bell Bottom Creek riparian zone project at Pattison is centered around several hundred acres of riparian zone in and around Bell Pattison, TX. Ongoing active urbanization in the greater Katy-Brookshire area has led to significant deforestation in the Brazos flood plain and associated riparian zones such as Bell Bottom creek. Anthropogenic damage inflicted on the local riparian ecosystem has not only resulted in reduction of wild habitat and migration corridor to the local deer, bob-cat, snake and box-turtle population, but also erosion along the banks of the creek system. Conservation and management of the sensitive ecosystem of the riparian zone around the creek is required along with educating all about the importance of preserving such pristine corridors of land surrounding bayous and creeks. The project includes maintaining the health of the riparian zone, preservation of the local flora and fauna, maintaining a wildlife corridor, erosion prevention along the banks, seeding with forbs and grasses specific for riparian recovery and planting trees and wildflowers to increase biodiversity and water infiltration. Satellite imagery studies addressing the impact of active deforestation leading to drastic change in land use in the surrounding area and consequent increase in stormwater runoff leading to erosion and flooding in the surrounding areas and downstream will be conducted.

Micah Bowman, Baylor University

Larval fish are a key component of biomonitoring to assess the health of aquatic systems but are notoriously difficult to identify. Recent advances in optical imaging and artificial intelligence (AI) have led to testing these technologies for identifying organisms; however, most applications for fish have been used for adults, not juveniles. Here, we assess the capabilities of AI to automatically identify and enumerate larval fish for applications in aquaculture monitoring or taxonomic identification following field studies. Our specific objectives were to test the ability of automated optical imaging and machine learning (ML) to accurately identify and enumerate early developmental stages of three freshwater fish species. Through several experiments, we tested how performance varied according to the choice of ML algorithm, specifically support vector machine (SVM) versus convolutional neural networks (CNN), the diversity of color spectra (grayscale vs color images), and the number of classes (fish species and life stage). We conducted the experiments using the Small Aquatic Organism (SAO) optical imaging system, a high-throughput optical imaging device that incorporates computer vision, optics, and software to identify organisms. We constructed an image training library of early developmental stages of three fish species, channel catfish (CCF), Florida largemouth bass (FLLMB), and koi that included eggs and at least two stages of larval development. The full training library and validation data included all three species and all 10 stages of development, where experiments were conducted on various subsets of these data. When considering all species and life stages, accuracies ranged from 0.34 to 0.65 for SVM and CNNs, respectively; however, when non-target items (i.e., bubbles and debris) were included, accuracies dramatically increased to 0.92 to 0.94 (SVM and CNN). Experiments were also conducted to differentiate life stages for each species individually, where accuracies ranged from 0.53 to 0.72, depending on species and ML algorithm. Inclusion of non-target items again boosted accuracies, ranging from 0.88 to 0.97. Generally, CNNs outperformed SVMs and the number of predicted classes reduced accuracy. Our results suggest that while the system can successfully differentiate larval fish from non-target items, the ability of the system to differentiate amongst larval fish species and life stages is limited and improvement to optics and ML algorithms is required. This work also suggests tradeoffs exist between taxonomic accuracy and sample volume processing between small-volume, desktop systems and high-throughput, field-scale systems, like the SAO.

Juan Camacho, University of Texas at Arlington

Persistent droughts, extreme precipitation events, and increasing water demands are reshaping urban environments in Texas. Urban streams are influenced by complex networks of natural and engineered flow paths where groundwater, stormwater, irrigation, and wastewater effluents interact. A significant load of nutrients and sediments are transported in streams during storm events. Therefore, understanding the hydrological processes that drive solute transport to urban stream ecosystems is crucial for effective urban water management. Our study integrates a) Bayesian endmember mixing analysis, b) concentration-water level relationships, and c) hysteresis loop analysis to understand water transit times and water source mixing in Rush Creek, Arlington, Texas. We sampled 6 peak flow events and multiple baseflow periods for water chemistry (nitrate, phosphate, iron, TOC, turbidity, and tannins & lignin) and 17 events for water stable isotopes. Endmember (precipitation, baseflow, irrigation, and soil water) mixing analysis showed that stormwater contributions to Rush Creek ranged from nearly 100% during peak flows to 17.7% during the baseflow recession, with an average of 55.9±22.1%. The latter shows the influence of relatively fast travel times and the persistence of subsurface interflow after peak flows. We identified three mobilization mechanisms in the stream water chemistry during storm events. Phosphate, TOC, turbidity, and tannins & lignin increased with rising water levels (mobilization), while nitrate concentrations showed minimal variation (chemostasis). In contrast, iron concentrations decreased during peak flows (dilution). These patterns are linked to storm intensity, catchment wetness, season, and event-water contributions of solute inputs. Future research will focus on tracer-aided modeling and assimilation of high-resolution stream imagery intro Machine Learning models to predict water quality.

Angela England, Texas Parks & Wildlife Dept.

Giant Reed (Arundo donax) is a 20-foot-tall, invasive grass that commonly forms monocultures in riparian areas of the southern United States. These canebreak thickets grow densely, crowding out native vegetation, with negative effects to biodiversity, water quality and quantity, channel morphology, and flooding and wildfire risk. In Texas, management of Arundo is distributed among a variety of agencies with differing scopes and goals. A new working group is proposed, with the intention to build community and act as a resource for information sharing and collaboration among professionals.

Jordan Jatko, Baylor University

Urban encroachment on rural streams is becoming increasingly common, yet many rural streams remain relatively under-monitored. The need for modeling approaches for biomonitoring in observation-scarce systems is becoming more relevant due to rural streams being increasingly influenced by urban areas to meet population demands. In 2013, Waco Metropolitan Area Regional Sewerage System (WMARSS) finished construction of a wastewater treatment plant next to a rural stream in Lorena, TX. This study utilizes a nearby reference stream, Cow Bayou, to determine impacts of a wastewater treatment plant on benthic macroinvertebrate communities in Bullhide Creek using a novel modeling approach. Benthic macroinvertebrates were sampled monthly for 13-months using Hester-Dendys and seasonally using Hess samplers. Community structure was assessed using Hilsenhoff Biotic Index, which is commonly used to assess water quality. We determined background influences on benthic macroinvertebrate communities in Cow Bayou using generalized linear mixed models with in-stream and land cover variables, such as discharge, nutrient concentrations, land-use/land-cover, and geological composition of the stream bed. These models are then used to predict community structures for Bullhide Creek in the absence of the wastewater treatment plant. We then compared the modeled results with the sampled results to quantify the impact of wastewater on benthic macroinvertebrate communities.

Ian Massey, A Rocha USA

 

The Bull Creek watershed, located in Northwest Austin, has been called by locals “The Galapagos of Texas” due to its ecological diversity and geological features. It is home to the endangered Golden-cheeked warbler, Jollyville Plateau salamander, and more than 600 native plant species. One of the factors affecting Bull Creek is the widespread presence of invasive plant species. A Rocha USA and the Bull Creek Foundation have mobilized the community to map and remove invasive plant species since 2022. With the help of more than 100 volunteers and the long-term involvement of Texas Master Naturalists, we have identified and mapped the distribution of invasive plant species in 45 acres of public land using EDDMapS. We are removing and treating the most abundant and problematic invasives, Ligustrum lucidum, Nandina domestica, and Bothriochloa ischaemum from 25 acres of Water Quality Protection Land. For Ligustrum lucidum, we uproot saplings manually or with a weed wrench. We girdle mature trees following a methodology perfected by Cliff Tillick, a local volunteer (personal communication). For Nandina domestica, we cut and bag the berries. Then, we uproot plants up to 2 feet tall and cut and leave plants higher than 2 feet. We pull Bothriochloa ischaemum manually when plant coverage is less than 50%. When coverage is above 50%, we use solarization followed by native seed planting. Our volunteers have been particularly successful in removing Ligustrum lucidum. They have girdled 465 trees and uprooted 2,736 saplings. The death rate for girdled trees is 90% with trees dying between 6 to 12 months after girdling. Our work involves rigorous training for volunteers, support and supervision from staff, and continued monitoring to prevent new invasive colonization in the treated areas. This model of community work could be replicated in other urban watersheds to manage invasive plant species.

Perpetua Okoye, Baylor University

Increasing water scarcity, along with widespread declines in water quality, necessitates the exploration of alternative water infrastructure futures to address potential resource conflicts from growing populations. Multisector and integrated assessment modeling approaches can evaluate these alternative Water Supply Infrastructure (WSI) futures and their inherent uncertainties. To align with other regional modeling efforts, these approaches require constructing scenarios that integrate mitigation and adaptation strategies as localized extensions of the Shared Socioeconomic Pathways (SSPs). In this study, we develop a set of interrelated storyline elements for integrated WSI scenarios as subnational-sectoral extensions of the global SSP storylines. These extensions explicitly quantify future socioeconomic challenges and tradeoffs. We formalize the extension of subnational SSP narratives to local scales and address socioeconomic trade-offs among the narratives by developing an indicator framework. This framework evaluates and quantifies alternative WSI futures within the storyline elements. Our indicators aim to quantify key components of the storylines, facilitating a deeper understanding of the synergies and potential tradeoffs in future scenarios concerning water availability, water quality and treatment, infrastructure, and capital and operating costs. Our findings provide significant insights for water resource sustainability, guiding future research and policy for WSI planning under changing global conditions.

Emeka Orji, Baylor University

Solar energy is a fast-growing source of renewable energy, and installations of large utility-scale solar panels, i.e., solar farms, are quickly springing up. The rapid growth of solar farms, however, can negatively impact land and water management because they cover significant acreage and alter the land surface. Therefore, there is a need to ensure environmental sustainability practices to preserve natural ecology in renewable energy installation, expansion, and operation. The study assesses the impact of three solar farm developments of varying size in McLennan and Falls County, Texas on the water quality and hydrological process in watersheds across Blackland Prairie and Cross Timbers Ecoregions. The research objectives were to understand how land management and land cover is impacted and how these changes are influencing runoff and turbidity in streams. A solar panel land cover classification was developed to understand the nature and land alteration of solar farm development, including natural or agricultural vegetation impacts, Event-based turbidity data, water level, and rainfall data were collected to determine the relationship between precipitation characteristics, hydrology, and water quality. Findings from the study provide valuable information for sustainable land management, especially for natural land resource and vegetation management, as well as sustaining water quality in regions impacted by rapid solar farm development.

Shelley Palmer, Wells Branch Mud/Director

Wells Branch – Education and Outreach of Creek Restoration Ten years ago, on the heels of several years of steady tree planting, a move to plant mostly natives in our public gardens and many volunteer invasive pulls, it was obvious to the Wells Branch board that our biggest gain for improving our little Urban Forest would be to restore our riparian zone. Our creek is the Wells Branch of Walnut Creek and had been mowed to the creek edge in places and not maintained in a natural way. We stopped mowing and let it grow. We have gained hundreds of trees with such little effort. We borrowed ideas from Austin, the A&M Urban Foresters and others for this project. We had the great luxury of being able to spend money on eradicating invasives so you won’t see the big china berries, ligustrums and giant reeds that are choking nearby waterways. Perhaps those that gained the most from our restoration efforts are those downstream of us. Our visual is part of the education to our residents about our grow zones. Not a lot of outreach was done before we started this effort but we caught up with that at our next step which was to create an Urban Forest Management Plan. Wells Branch does have big groups of birders, gardeners, environmentalist, and hikers that are vocal on their appreciation of the direction the Wells Branch board has taken with our creek and other green spaces. Something that has probably assisted the positive reaction to the grow zones is that although all our creekside trails our decidedly wilder than they used to be, we left many areas like Katherine Fleischer Park with all of the human play zones that it has always had.

Stuart Reichler, The University of Texas at Austin

At many universities faculty research and teaching are at odds. The Freshman Research Initiative (FRI) unifies these two central missions. Starting in their first year at university, FRI students are placed in research labs where they learn critical skills performing research while receiving credit towards their degrees. The Urban Ecosystems research group starts with 80 first-year students each Spring training the students about research, urban ecology, and lab techniques. In the following Summer and Fall they focus on specific projects collecting environmental data in and around Austin. With three faculty members with a wide variety of expertise, senior students to mentor the freshmen, and so many student researchers, we can collect large amounts of diverse data. We have collected thousands of data points about stream microbiology, macrobiology, molecular biology, chemistry, species diversity, and carbon capture. By teaching through research, we can collect valuable data while teaching students about ecology, chemistry, and biology along with valuable career skills benefiting students and faculty.

Levi Sweet-Breu, Baylor University Center for Reservoir and Aquatic Systems Research

Despite covering a relatively small portion of the Earth’s surface, freshwater ecosystems offer habitat for a diverse range of species. However, they are also uniquely threatened from human stressors and climate change. To safeguard biodiversity, the 2022 Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF) set international goals for conservation by 2030 and 2050. Target 3 of the GBF, in particular, sets an objective to protect 30% of terrestrial and inland water areas, specifically those of significant importance for biodiversity. Here, we measure progress against Target 3 for streams within the conterminous U.S., in terms of quantity, representation, and effectiveness of protection for biodiversity under different protection strategies, either via land ownership and management or corridor protection via the National Wild and Scenic River System (NWSRS). We evaluated the geophysical and biogeographical diversity of streams falling under these protection measures. Additionally, we assessed the extent of protected systems that simultaneously suffer from human disturbances. Approximately 25% of streams are protected explicitly for land-based biodiversity conservation, whereas 35% are protected by any land-based protection scheme. Less than 1 % of streams have corridor protection via the NWSRS. Despite rates of land protection approaching GBF targets, only 5% of the most prevalent forms of stream physical diversity are protected. Furthermore, anywhere from 8% to 19% of streams designated as protected under land management also exceed thresholds of potential habitat impairment.  More effective conservation strategies, particularly targeted and intentional protection for unrepresented stream types, are necessary to achieve the GBF 30×30 target for U.S. lotic ecosystems.

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