Water quality in North Central Texas reservoirs is a growing concern. Six of the major reservoirs in the Trinity River Basin managed by Tarrant Regional Water District now provides water supplies for 1.6 million people across 11 counties and are expected to serve 2.66 million by 2050.

A team of Texas Agricultural Experiment Station researchers, Texas Cooperative Extension specialists and agents, and selected private consultants team too assist local water management authorities in assessing impacts of urban and agricultural best management practices (BMPs) on water quality in selected reservoirs in North Central Texas.  The team is developing and conducting targeted educational programs to inform stakeholders of water quality issues and BMPs needed to improve water quality of selected reservoirs so that communities can be ensured a clean and adequate water supply.

A modeling framework is being developed to identify nutrient loads from point and nonpoint sources to determine the sensitivity of reservoirs to various pollutants.  The goal is to develop and implement a watershed protection plan that will provide the most protection with the least cost to implement, to develop a model community-action program that will ensure adequate and high-quality water supplies across North Central Texas.

• Tarrant Regional Water District
• Texas Water Resources Institute
• Texas Agricultural Experiment Station
• Texas Cooperative Extension
• Spatial Sciences Laboratory – Texas A&M University
• Alan Plummer Associates, Inc.
• Espey Consultants, Inc.
• U.S. Department of Agriculture - Natural Resources Conservation Service
• U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

In the first year of this multi-year effort, the following was accomplished:

• Completed Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) modeling for Cedar Creek watershed.  Conducted in-stream modeling for Cedar Creek watershed using QUAL2E and reservoir modeling using the Water Quality Analysis Simulation Program to determine sediment loads within the reservoir and project likely sources.
• Assembled a regional database containing information related to operational capacity and use, effluent discharge rates, system efficiency, pollution potentials and quality for wastewater treatment plants in Cedar Creek and Eagle Mountain watersheds.
• Constructed two demonstration trailers that are being used by Texas Cooperative Extension personnel to demonstrate the effects of soil erosion and sediment transport in the region. 
• Developed educational bulletins on watershed management and stormwater management that are being used by Texas Cooperative Extension agents and natural resource agency personnel to inform communities about best management practices that can be adopted to decrease run-off and water quality impairment.
• Educated over 2,500 children and 500 adults, to date, regarding water quality issues in the area.