Project Goals/Objectives: The main objectives of this proposal are to identify, characterize, and quantify E. coli loads resulting from various sources in an impaired watershed, monitor survival, growth, re-growth, and die-off of E. coli under different environmental conditions, monitor re-suspension of E. coli in streams, and educate stakeholders by disseminating qualitative and quantitative information acquired in this monitoring and demonstration project. Information gleaned from this project will provide much needed knowledge relevant to modeling bacterial life cycles, their ability to survive and regenerate and their impacts on water quality. A secondary objective of this proposal is to strengthen spatially explicit load allocation tools and validate and improve process-based pathogen transport models used in TMDL development and implementation by providing scientific data collected in this project.
Project Costs: Federal ($300,000); Non-Federal Match ($200,142); Total Project ($500,142)
Project Location: Robertson County in the Brazos River watershed and Comanche and Erath Counties in the Leon River watershed
Project Participants: TSSWCB, Texas Water Resources Institute, Texas AgriLife Extension Service, Texas AgriLife Research, USDA Agricultural Research Service, Brazos River Authority, and Harris County Public Infrastructure Department
Project Website: http://bft.tamu.edu/
Project Workplan: 07-06
Project QAPP: 07-06