CRWR Online Report 2001-3

 
 

An Algorithm to Delineate Coastal Watersheds for TMDL Development

By Victoria Ann Samuels and David R. Maidment

ABSTRACT

Urbanization, industry and agriculture affect the water quality of the Texas, specifically the bays adjacent to the coast. Thus, the Texas Natural Resources Conservation Commission (TNRCC) has designated Water Quality Management segments partitioning Texas bays and estuaries into distinct waterbodies with individual water quality issues. Similarly, the TNRCC has designated river segments as water quality management segments with unique water quality concerns. This thesis studies water quality management segments in Basin Group C in Texas, composed of the Trinity-San Jacinto Coastal Basin, the Neches-Trinity Coastal Basin, the San Jacinto-Brazos Coastal Basin, the San Jacinto River Basin and numerous bays and estuaries associated with these basins. An algorithm was developed to determine watersheds for the Water Quality Management segments, consisting of procedures to create a hydrography network, process digital elevation models and produce realistic watershed boundaries. Additionally, this thesis highlights considerations when dealing with coastal regions. Four main issues resulted in approximately 75% of the watershed boundary discrepancies analyzed: contributing area to the Intracoastal Waterway in the Neches-Trinity Coastal Basin, short-circuiting due to cell size scale, unclassified Intracoastal Waterway flow direction in the San Jacinto-Brazos Coastal Basin, and waterbody representation. These inconsistencies were resolved with further editing and enhancement of the surface water drainage network.

CRWR Online Report 2001-3

 

An Algorithm to Delineate Coastal Watersheds for TMDL Development

By Victoria Ann Samuels and David R. Maidment

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