Numerous waterbodies throughout the state have been placed on the 2022 Texas Integrated Report. While forests produce the cleanest water of any land use, improperly conducted management operations can contribute to water quality declines, making it critical to implement silvicultural best management practices (BMPs). The TSSWCB is the lead agency for planning, implementing, and managing programs for preventing agricultural and silvicultural nonpoint source pollution, and collaborates with TFS to target NPS pollution resulting from forest operations. TFS coordinates with numerous organizations to implement the agency’s water resources program.
Through a successful partnership with TSSWCB, TFS has developed expertise in addressing water issues in East Texas, which, with slight modification, have been applied throughout the state to mitigate nonpoint source pollution. The same principles and concepts that are effective in the commercial forestlands of the Pineywoods can also be implemented in the woodlands of the Hill Country or mountains of west Texas. Sound land stewardship, conservation planning, and riparian management are potential solutions to water quality concerns across Texas. Urban forests can reduce stormwater runoff and improve water quality in streams and bayous in metropolitan areas. Non-traditional partnerships are necessary to develop innovative solutions to address complex water resource issues across the state.
This project will minimize impacts to water quality from silvicultural and NPS pollution by providing technical assistance, education, outreach, and training on BMPs. Project activities will be coordinated with numerous cooperators to help ensure project success. It will also aim to address water resource issues throughout the state, drawing largely on the principles, concepts, and experience gained through almost three decades of mitigating NPS pollution in East Texas.
Results from BMP implementation monitoring provide a clear assessment of project effectiveness, as well as identify where future efforts should be targeted. Based on previously conducted monitoring, focused BMP workshops have been developed. As a result, BMP implementation in these areas has improved. This project will monitor voluntary BMP implementation by conducting 150 assessments of randomly selected silvicultural operations. Results will be shared through a final report.
Project Location: Statewide
Project Costs: Federal: ($398,937) Non-Federal: ($271,288) Total: ($671,225)
Project Partners: Texas A&M Forest Service (TFS), Texas Forestry Association (TFA), Texas Logging Council (TLC)
Project Workplan: 25-04