The Armand Bayou Watershed Partnership
The Armand Bayou
Watershed Partnership
History
handled by a subcommittee of the larger Watershed Partnership.
As of this writing, the Armand Bayou TMDL is “inactive pending
The Armand Bayou Watershed Partnership (Watershed
further data.”
Partnership) came together because of a shared interest in
The Watershed Partnership met frequently during 998 and
preserving and enhancing the natural integrity of the watershed
999. The Watershed Partnership held training sessions on water
through the coordinated management of natural resources. Local,
quality, water quantity (supply), flooding, habitat, and urban
state, and federal resource agencies and institutions share this
growth/demographics as part of a “collaborative learning” process
interest explicitly through their responsibilities and activities in
that was instituted with the help of the Bush School of Government
the watershed. The Watershed Partnership believes that all users
at Texas A&M University. A list of priority issues was developed
in the watershed, including residents, industries, business, and
as part of this process. The oversimplified diagram of the complex
development groups, share this interest implicitly.
interactions occurring in the watershed was developed as part of
Two overlapping groups formed the genesis of the Watershed
this process. (See Figure 3.)
Partnership (originally known as the Armand Bayou Watershed
With new funding support, Texas Sea Grant Extension began
Working Group). In early 998 Texas Cooperative Extension
reconstituting the Watershed Partnership in November 00,
and Texas Sea Grant, operating under a USEPA Section 39
resulting in this Phase I of the Armand Bayou Watershed Plan.
Water Quality Grant (Clean Water for Armand Bayou), brought
together a group of interested stakeholders to address watershed
Organization
health concerns. At about the same time, the Houston-Galveston
Area Council was contracted by the Texas Commission on
Subcommittees operating under the aegis of the Watershed
Environmental Quality to conduct stakeholder meetings for a
Partnership carry out most of the detailed work of the Watershed
Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL)5 that was to be conducted
Partnership, drawing from group members and technical advisors.
on Armand Bayou. Because both the stakeholders and much of
Four subcommittees are currently constituted: Habitat, Outreach
the focus for both projects was almost identical, the two groups
and Education, Water Quality, and Flooding and Stormwater
coalesced and began meeting together. The TMDL issues were
Management. Task forces may be formed on specific projects, such
as the Plan Task Force that helped write and assemble this plan
5Total Maximum Daily Load. A procedure under the Clean Water Act for assessing
document.
and al ocating pol utant loads for water bodies not meeting water quality standards.
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PHOTO By STEPHAN MyERS
Technical advisors are drawn from member organizations, other
stakeholders in the watershed, and other agencies with expertise/
interest in the watershed.
The physical boundaries that govern the Watershed Partnership
are those of the watershed. The programmatic boundaries are
those that envelop water issues – quality, flooding/stormwater
management, and habitat – and community involvement issues –
outreach, education, and stewardship. The Watershed Partnership
does not directly consider enforcement issues.
As a collaborative effort, the Watershed Partnership relies
on the insights, expertise, and input of the broad spectrum of the
Armand Bayou watershed community. Anyone sharing the mission
and vision of the Watershed Partnership is welcome and heartily
encouraged to participate.
Mission, Vision, and Goals
Mission
Figure 3. Armand Bayou Dynamic Interactions Diagram developed by the
To protect, preserve and enhance the ecological integrity of the Armand Bayou Watershed Partnership captures a portion of the complexity of
Armand Bayou watershed while improving the quality of life in the interactions of the watershed.
our communities.
Vision
. The ecological function of Armand Bayou is restored.
. The watershed’s valuable natural resources – its physical and
biological integrity – are maintained.
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3. All who live and/or work in the watershed are aware of the
The Watershed Approach
values of the Bayou to the community and its relationship to
the ecology of Clear Lake and Galveston Bay, and understand
Groups from across the nation have formed—sometimes
their role in maintaining its health.
prodded by governmental legislation, sometimes spontaneously—
to protect and improve their watersheds. Their goals and methods
4. Residents and business interests make choices, individually and
vary widely, but all recognize people’s impact upon their
collectively, that enhance the watershed’s health and minimize
watersheds and that coordinated efforts are needed to better utilize
negative impacts.
the limited resources, both human and monetary. Hence, the
Goals
“watershed approach” developed.
The watershed approach is “a coordinating framework for
. Improve awareness and understanding of Armand Bayou and
environmental management that focuses public and private
its values to the community.
sector ef orts to address the highest priority problems within
. Increase stewardship of Armand Bayou and its tributaries.
hydrological y-defined geographic areas, taking into consideration
3. Enhance water quality to minimize fish kills and maintain aquatic
both ground and surface water flow.” 6 Its guiding principles are
diversity in Armand Bayou and its tributaries.
that () the people who are most af ected be involved in the
4. Reduce erosion and runoff pollution through measures both in
process, () the ef ort be geographical y based, i.e., within the
the watershed and along stream banks.
watershed, and (3) sound management, based on strong science
5. Avoid harmful changes in the salinity regime of Armand Bayou.
and data, in an iterative decision making process to improve the
6. Reduce the impact of flooding on homes and businesses, using
watershed.
the watershed’s natural ability to absorb floodwaters wherever
Following this process, the Watershed Partnership has opted
possible.
to create a Watershed Action Plan in multiple phases. The first
7. Protect and restore valuable habitat areas through the
phase establishes the baseline conditions and an initial vision for
watershed.
the watershed. While extensive information on the Armand Bayou
watershed prior to major settlement does not exist, substantial data
8. Protect the riparian and adjacent habitats along the lower
on the watershed’s current conditions and recent history have been
reaches of Armand Bayou.
collected. This plan also lists the mission, vision, and goals of the
9. Support coordinated decision-making for protection,
Watershed Partnership. From this first phase plan, the Watershed
restoration, and enhancement of Armand Bayou and its
Partnership will work to establish priorities, create a detailed plan
watershed.
of management options, and implement improvement projects.
0. Develop and implement a monitoring strategy to evaluate the
Group members will evaluate the progress and repeat various
effectiveness of watershed protection and restoration methods.
stages as necessary—again, this is an iterative process.
6 EPA Watershed Approach brochure (http://www.epa.gov/owow/watershed/
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PHOTO By STEPHAN MyERS
