Recent Additions | Contact Us Search: All EPA This Area

• You are here: EPA Home
• Water
• WATERS
• Water Quality Assessment and TMDL Information
• Texas Water Quality Assessment Report

---

Texas Assessment Summary for Reporting Year 2008

Description of this table

	Size of Water
	Rivers and Streams (Miles)	Lakes, Reservoirs, and Ponds (Acres)	Bays and Estuaries (Square Miles)	Coastal Shoreline (Miles)	Ocean and Near Coastal (Square Miles)
Good Waters	12,135.5	987,418.1	1,437.5
Previously impaired waters       now attaining all uses
Threatened Waters
TMDL completed
TMDL alternative
Non-pollutant impairment
TMDL needed
Impaired Waters	7,916.2	581,330.9	640.5	1.3	3,879.0
TMDL completed
TMDL alternative	1.0
Non-pollutant impairment	181.0	303.0	.2
TMDL needed	7,734.2	581,027.9	640.3	1.3	3,879.0
New TMDLs completed	338.0	.0	.0	.0	.0
Remaining TMDLs needed	7,396.3	581,027.9	640.3	1.3	3,879.0
Total Assessed Waters	20,051.7	1,568,749.0	2,078.0	1.3	3,879.0
Total Waters	191,228.0	1,994,600.0	2,393.0	Unavailable	Unavailable
Percent of Waters Assessed	10.5	78.6	86.8	Unavailable	Unavailable

Top of page

---

Summary of Water Quality Assessments for Each Waterbody Type
for Reporting Year 2008

Texas Assessed Waters
Summary of Water Quality Attainment for Rivers and Streams
Reporting Year 2008

Description of this table Assessed Status Miles Assessed 20,051.7 Unassessed 171,176.3 Total Miles 191,228.0

Description of this table Attainment Status Miles Good 12,135.5 Threatened .0 Impaired 7,916.2 Total Miles Assessed 20,051.7

Description of this table TMDL Development Status Miles All TMDLs completed 338.0 TMDL alternative 1.0 Non-pollutant impairment 181.0 TMDL needed 7,396.3 Total Threatened and Impaired 7,916.2

Top of page

Texas Assessed Waters
Designated Use Support for Rivers and Streams
Reporting Year 2008*

* Waters assessed for more than one designated use are included in multiple designated use groups below.

Description of this table

Designated Use	Miles Assessed	Percent Good	Percent Threatened	Percent Impaired	% Good
					% Threatened
					% Impaired
Aquatic Life Use	16,193.7	86.8	.0	13.2
Domestic Water Supply - Public Water Supply	8,789.1	100.0	.0	.0
Fish Consumption Use	1,174.1	68.3	.0	31.7
General Use	14,127.9	88.8	.0	11.2
Primary Recreation/Swimming	14,292.7	64.5	.0	35.5

Top of page

Texas Causes of Impairment
for Threatened and Impaired Rivers and Streams
Reporting Year 2008

Description of this table

Cause of Impairment	Cause of Impairment Group	Miles Threatened or Impaired
Bacteria	Pathogens	5,090.5
Dissolved Oxygen	Organic Enrichment/Oxygen Depletion	1,563.1
Chloride	Salinity/Total Dissolved Solids/Chlorides/Sulfates	1,224.5
Total Dissolved Solids (TDS)	Salinity/Total Dissolved Solids/Chlorides/Sulfates	567.5
PCB(s) in Fish Tissue	Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCBs)	324.8
Impaired Macrobenthos Community	Cause Unknown - Impaired Biota	245.5
Impaired Fish Community	Cause Unknown - Impaired Biota	219.1
Sulfates	Salinity/Total Dissolved Solids/Chlorides/Sulfates	171.5
Chlordane in Fish Tissue	Pesticides	170.2
pH	pH/Acidity/Caustic Conditions	163.5
Selenium	Metals (other than Mercury)	137.0
Mercury in Fish Tissue	Mercury	110.0
Dioxin (Including 2,3,7,8-TCDD)	Dioxins	105.7
Excess Algal Growth	Algal Growth	86.1
Lead	Metals (other than Mercury)	83.2
Toxicity	Total Toxics	74.1
DDE	Pesticides	67.0
Dieldrin	Pesticides	57.7
Heptachlor Epoxide	Pesticides	57.7
Nitrates	Nutrients	27.0
Aluminum	Metals (other than Mercury)	24.0
Sediment Toxicity	Total Toxics	5.0
Zinc	Metals (other than Mercury)	3.2
Mercury in Water Column	Mercury	2.5

Top of page

Texas Probable Sources of Impairments
for Threatened and Impaired Rivers and Streams
Reporting Year 2008

Description of this table

Probable Source	Probable Source Group	Miles Threatened or Impaired
Source Unknown	Unknown	1,070.2
Non-Point Source	Unspecified Nonpoint Source	848.0
Municipal Point Source Discharges	Municipal Dishcarges/Sewage	492.5
Natural Sources	Natural/Wildlife	413.7
Urban Runoff/Storm Sewers	Urban-Related Runoff/Stormwater	381.1
Sanitary Sewer Overflows (Collection System Failures)	Municipal Dishcarges/Sewage	225.5
Agriculture	Agriculture	215.5
Upstream Source	Other	211.6
Permitted Runoff From Confined Animal Feeding Operations (Cafos)	Agriculture	203.9
Rangeland Grazing	Agriculture	182.6
On-Site Treatment Systems (Septic Systems And Similar Decentralized Systems)	Municipal Dishcarges/Sewage	180.7
Grazing In Riparian Or Shoreline Zones	Agriculture	177.8
Unrestricted Cattle Access	Agriculture	156.3
Natural Conditions - Water Quality Standards Use Attainability Analyses Needed	Natural/Wildlife	131.9
Livestock (Grazing Or Feeding Operations)	Agriculture	102.8
Internal Nutrient Recycling	Natural/Wildlife	90.6
Animal Feeding Operations (Nps)	Agriculture	74.6
Manure Runoff	Agriculture	71.0
Wildlife Other Than Waterfowl	Natural/Wildlife	70.6
Industrial Point Source Discharge	Industrial	55.5
Municipal (Urbanized High Density Area)	Urban-Related Runoff/Stormwater	52.2
Residential Districts	Urban-Related Runoff/Stormwater	50.6
Irrigated Crop Production	Agriculture	31.0
Point Source Unknown	Other	23.9
Industrial Thermal Discharges	Industrial	18.4
Rural (Residential Areas)	Other	13.5
Petroleum/Natural Gas Activities	Resource Extraction	12.6
Waterfowl	Natural/Wildlife	12.0
Non-Irrigated Crop Production	Agriculture	11.6
Flow Alterations From Water Diversions	Hydromodification	11.0
Aquaculture (Permitted)	Aquaculture	9.5
Aquaculture (Not Permitted)	Aquaculture	9.5
Sediment Resuspension (Clean Sediment)	Hydromodification	6.0
Channelization	Hydromodification	6.0
Impacts From Land Application Of Wastes	Land Application/Waste Sites/Tanks	5.6
Land Application Of Wastewater Biosolids (Non-Agricultural)	Land Application/Waste Sites/Tanks	5.6
Land Application Of Wastewater (Non-Agricultural)	Land Application/Waste Sites/Tanks	5.6
Auction Barns And Off-Farm Animal Holding/Management Area	Agriculture	5.0
Dry Weather Flows With Nps Pollutants	Urban-Related Runoff/Stormwater	4.4
Atmospheric Deposition - Toxics	Atmospheric Deposition	1.0
Littoral/Shore Area Modifications (Non-Riverine)	Habitat Alterations (Not Directly Related To Hydromodification)	.5

Top of page

---

Texas Assessed Waters
Summary of Water Quality Attainment for Lakes, Reservoirs, and Ponds
Reporting Year 2008

Description of this table Assessed Status Acres Assessed 1,568,749.0 Unassessed 425,851.0 Total Acres 1,994,600.0

Description of this table Attainment Status Acres Good 987,418.1 Threatened .0 Impaired 581,330.9 Total Acres Assessed 1,568,749.0

Description of this table TMDL Development Status Acres All TMDLs completed .0 TMDL alternative .0 Non-pollutant impairment 303.0 TMDL needed 581,027.9 Total Threatened and Impaired 581,330.9

Top of page

Texas Assessed Waters
Designated Use Support for Lakes, Reservoirs, and Ponds
Reporting Year 2008*

* Waters assessed for more than one designated use are included in multiple designated use groups below.

Description of this table

Designated Use	Acres Assessed	Percent Good	Percent Threatened	Percent Impaired	% Good
					% Threatened
					% Impaired
Aquatic Life Use	980,909.9	96.5	.0	3.5
Domestic Water Supply - Public Water Supply	1,506,575.5	100.0	.0	.0
Fish Consumption Use	617,170.4	40.2	.0	59.8
General Use	1,477,669.8	85.4	.0	14.6
Primary Recreation/Swimming	751,363.4	99.2	.0	.8

Top of page

Texas Causes of Impairment
for Threatened and Impaired Lakes, Reservoirs, and Ponds
Reporting Year 2008

Description of this table

Cause of Impairment	Cause of Impairment Group	Acres Threatened or Impaired
Mercury in Fish Tissue	Mercury	361,231.9
Sulfates	Salinity/Total Dissolved Solids/Chlorides/Sulfates	114,054.0
pH	pH/Acidity/Caustic Conditions	87,378.0
Chloride	Salinity/Total Dissolved Solids/Chlorides/Sulfates	40,472.0
Total Dissolved Solids (TDS)	Salinity/Total Dissolved Solids/Chlorides/Sulfates	33,474.0
Dissolved Oxygen	Organic Enrichment/Oxygen Depletion	32,404.0
PCB(s) in Fish Tissue	Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCBs)	8,142.0
Bacteria	Pathogens	5,725.0
Impaired Fish Community	Cause Unknown - Impaired Biota	4,680.0
DDT in Fish Tissue	Pesticides	2,710.0
DDD	Pesticides	2,710.0
Chlordane in Fish Tissue	Pesticides	2,710.0
Dieldrin	Pesticides	2,710.0
Heptachlor Epoxide	Pesticides	2,710.0
DDE	Pesticides	2,710.0
Sediment Toxicity	Total Toxics	1,559.0

Top of page

Texas Probable Sources of Impairments
for Threatened and Impaired Lakes, Reservoirs, and Ponds
Reporting Year 2008

Description of this table

Probable Source	Probable Source Group	Acres Threatened or Impaired
Source Unknown	Unknown	4,228.9
Atmospheric Deposition - Toxics	Atmospheric Deposition	3,753.9
Non-Point Source	Unspecified Nonpoint Source	2,710.0
Point Source Unknown	Other	2,710.0
Dam Or Impoundment	Hydromodification	2,410.0
Impacts From Hydrostructure Flow Regulation/Modification	Hydromodification	2,410.0
Industrial Point Source Discharge	Industrial	1,516.0
Contaminated Sediments	Legacy/Historical Pollutants	1,516.0
Natural Sources	Natural/Wildlife	150.0

Top of page

---

Texas Assessed Waters
Summary of Water Quality Attainment for Bays and Estuaries
Reporting Year 2008

Description of this table Assessed Status Square Miles Assessed 2,078.0 Unassessed 315.0 Total Square Miles 2,393.0

Description of this table Attainment Status Square Miles Good 1,437.5 Threatened .0 Impaired 640.5 Total Square Miles Assessed 2,078.0

Description of this table TMDL Development Status Square Miles All TMDLs completed .0 TMDL alternative .0 Non-pollutant impairment .2 TMDL needed 640.3 Total Threatened and Impaired 640.5

Top of page

Texas Assessed Waters
Designated Use Support for Bays and Estuaries
Reporting Year 2008*

* Waters assessed for more than one designated use are included in multiple designated use groups below.

Description of this table

Designated Use	Square Miles Assessed	Percent Good	Percent Threatened	Percent Impaired	% Good
					% Threatened
					% Impaired
Aquatic Life Use	2,033.3	87.0	.0	13.0
Fish Consumption Use	591.3	94.9	.0	5.1
General Use	2,038.1	100.0	.0	.0
Oyster Aquatic Life	1,641.5	75.8	.0	24.2
Primary Recreation/Swimming	2,037.9	99.4	.0	.6

Top of page

Texas Causes of Impairment
for Threatened and Impaired Bays and Estuaries
Reporting Year 2008

Description of this table

Cause of Impairment	Cause of Impairment Group	Square Miles Threatened or Impaired
Bacteria (Oyster Waters)	Pathogens	368.2
Dissolved Oxygen	Organic Enrichment/Oxygen Depletion	264.8
Zinc in Edible Tissue	Metals (other than Mercury)	28.9
PCB(s) in Fish Tissue	Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCBs)	28.6
Dioxin (Including 2,3,7,8-TCDD)	Dioxins	28.6
Bacteria	Pathogens	12.7
Mercury in Fish Tissue	Mercury	1.6

Top of page

Texas Probable Sources of Impairments
for Threatened and Impaired Bays and Estuaries
Reporting Year 2008

Description of this table

Probable Source	Probable Source Group	Square Miles Threatened or Impaired
Atmospheric Deposition - Toxics	Atmospheric Deposition	1.6
Industrial Point Source Discharge	Industrial	1.6
Urban Runoff/Storm Sewers	Urban-Related Runoff/Stormwater	1.6
Source Unknown	Unknown	1.6

Top of page

---

Texas Assessed Waters
Summary of Water Quality Attainment for Coastal Shoreline
Reporting Year 2008

Description of this table Pie chart not displayed because total size for Coastal Shoreline is unavailable. Assessed Status Miles Assessed 1.3 Unassessed Unavailable Total Miles Unavailable

Description of this table Attainment Status Miles Good .0 Threatened .0 Impaired 1.3 Total Miles Assessed 1.3

Description of this table TMDL Development Status Miles All TMDLs completed .0 TMDL alternative .0 Non-pollutant impairment .0 TMDL needed 1.3 Total Threatened and Impaired 1.3

Top of page

Texas Assessed Waters
Designated Use Support for Coastal Shoreline
Reporting Year 2008*

* Waters assessed for more than one designated use are included in multiple designated use groups below.

Description of this table

Designated Use	Miles Assessed	Percent Good	Percent Threatened	Percent Impaired	% Good
					% Threatened
					% Impaired
Primary Recreation/Swimming	1.3	.0	.0	100.0

Top of page

Texas Causes of Impairment
for Threatened and Impaired Coastal Shoreline
Reporting Year 2008

Description of this table

Cause of Impairment	Cause of Impairment Group	Miles Threatened or Impaired
Bacteria	Pathogens	1.3

Top of page

Texas Probable Sources of Impairments
for Threatened and Impaired Coastal Shoreline
Reporting Year 2008

Description of this table

Probable Source	Probable Source Group	Miles Threatened or Impaired
Source Unknown	Unknown	1.3

Top of page

---

Texas Assessed Waters
Summary of Water Quality Attainment for Ocean and Near Coastal
Reporting Year 2008

Description of this table Pie chart not displayed because total size for Ocean and Near Coastal is unavailable. Assessed Status Square Miles Assessed 3,879.0 Unassessed Unavailable Total Square Miles Unavailable

Description of this table Attainment Status Square Miles Good .0 Threatened .0 Impaired 3,879.0 Total Square Miles Assessed 3,879.0

Description of this table TMDL Development Status Square Miles All TMDLs completed .0 TMDL alternative .0 Non-pollutant impairment .0 TMDL needed 3,879.0 Total Threatened and Impaired 3,879.0

Top of page

Texas Assessed Waters
Designated Use Support for Ocean and Near Coastal
Reporting Year 2008*

* Waters assessed for more than one designated use are included in multiple designated use groups below.

Description of this table

Designated Use	Square Miles Assessed	Percent Good	Percent Threatened	Percent Impaired	% Good
					% Threatened
					% Impaired
Aquatic Life Use	1,513.0	100.0	.0	.0
Fish Consumption Use	3,879.0	.0	.0	100.0
General Use	1,665.0	100.0	.0	.0
Primary Recreation/Swimming	1,520.0	100.0	.0	.0

Top of page

Texas Causes of Impairment
for Threatened and Impaired Ocean and Near Coastal
Reporting Year 2008

Description of this table

Cause of Impairment	Cause of Impairment Group	Square Miles Threatened or Impaired
Mercury in Fish Tissue	Mercury	3,879.0

Top of page

Texas Probable Sources of Impairments
for Threatened and Impaired Ocean and Near Coastal
Reporting Year 2008

No probable sources of impairments reported.

Top of page

---

Texas Causes of Impairment for Reporting Year 2008

Description of this table

NOTE: Click on the underlined Cause of Impairment Group to see a list of specific state causes of impairment making up the Cause of Impairment Group.
Cause of Impairment Group	Size of Assessed Waters with Listed Causes of Impairment
	Rivers and Streams (Miles)	Lakes, Reservoirs, and Ponds (Acres)	Bays and Estuaries (Square Miles)	Coastal Shoreline (Miles)	Ocean and Near Coastal (Square Miles)
Algal Growth	86.1
Cause Unknown - Impaired Biota	380.1	4,680.0
Dioxins	105.7		28.6
Mercury	112.5	361,231.9	1.6		3,879.0
Metals (other than Mercury)	247.4		28.9
Nutrients	27.0
Organic Enrichment/Oxygen Depletion	1,563.1	32,404.0	264.8
Pathogens	5,090.5	5,725.0	368.2	1.3
Pesticides	237.2	2,710.0
pH/Acidity/Caustic Conditions	163.5	87,378.0
Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCBs)	324.8	8,142.0	28.6
Salinity/Total Dissolved Solids/Chlorides/Sulfates	1,288.5	138,022.0
Total Toxics	79.0	1,559.0

Top of page

---

Texas Probable Sources Contributing to Impairments
for Reporting Year 2008

Description of this table

NOTE: Click on the underlined Probable Source Group to see a list of specific state Probable Sources making up the Probable Source Group.
Probable Source Group	Size of Assessed Waters with Probable Sources of Impairments
	Rivers and Streams (Miles)	Lakes, Reservoirs, and Ponds (Acres)	Bays and Estuaries (Square Miles)	Coastal Shoreline (Miles)	Ocean and Near Coastal (Square Miles)
Agriculture	690.9
Aquaculture	9.5
Atmospheric Deposition	1.0	3,753.9	1.6
Habitat Alterations (Not Directly Related To Hydromodification)	.5
Hydromodification	11.0	2,410.0
Industrial	73.9	1,516.0	1.6
Land Application/Waste Sites/Tanks	5.6
Legacy/Historical Pollutants		1,516.0
Municipal Dishcarges/Sewage	785.2
Natural/Wildlife	612.9	150.0
Other	249.0	2,710.0
Resource Extraction	12.6
Unknown	1,070.2	4,228.9	1.6	1.3
Unspecified Nonpoint Source	848.0	2,710.0
Urban-Related Runoff/Stormwater	430.8		1.6

Top of page

---

Texas TMDL Alternatives by Cause of Impairment 2008

Description of this table

NOTE: Click on the underlined "Number of TMDL Alternatives by Cause of Impairment " value to see a listing of those Causes of Impairment.
Cause of Impairment	Number of TMDL Alternatives	Rivers and Streams (Miles)	Bays and Estuaries (Square Miles)
Chlordane in Fish Tissue	15	102
Dieldrin	13	58
Heptachlor Epoxide	13	58
Dissolved Oxygen	1	1
Mercury in Fish Tissue	1		2

Total: 43 TMDL Alternatives

Top of page

---

Texas Previously Impaired Waters Now Attaining All Uses

Description of this table

NOTE: Click on the underlined "Number of Waters Attaining" value for a detailed list of those waters now attaining all uses.
Cycle Attaining	Number of Waters Attaining	Number of Causes of Impairment Addressed
2005	7	7
2008	22	22

Top of page

---

Texas Causes of Impairment for 303(d) Listed Waters

Description of this table

NOTE: Click on a cause of impairment (e.g. pathogens) to see the specific state-reported causes that are grouped to make up this category. Click on the "Number of Causes of Impairment Reported" to see a list of waters with that cause of impairment.
Cause of Impairment Group Name	Number of Causes of Impairment Reported
Pathogens	405
Organic Enrichment/Oxygen Depletion	125
Salinity/Total Dissolved Solids/Chlorides/Sulfates	79
Mercury	64
Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCBs)	44
pH/Acidity/Caustic Conditions	43
Cause Unknown - Impaired Biota	29
Dioxins	28
Total Toxics	14
Metals (other than Mercury)	7

Total: 838 Causes of Impairment

Top of page

---

Texas Cumulative TMDLs by Pollutant

This chart includes TMDLs since October 1, 1995.

Description of this table

NOTE: Click on the underlined "Pollutant" value to see associated listed waters for which a TMDL was developed. Click on the underlined "Number of TMDLs" value to see a listing of those TMDLs for the pollutant.
Pollutant	Number of TMDLs	Number of Causes of Impairment Addressed
Escherichia Coli (E. Coli)	50	50
Nickel	14	14
Chlordane	10	10
Enterococcus Bacteria	9	9
Fecal Coliform	9	9
Ammonia Nitrogen	8	8
Carbonaceous Bod	8	8
Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCBs)	5	5
DDE	4	4
Dieldrin	4	4
Total Dissolved Solids (TDS)	4	4
1,1,2-Trichloroethane	2	2
1,2-Dichloroethane	2	2
Chloride	2	2
DDT	2	2
Dissolved Oxygen	2	2
Heptachlor Epoxide	2	2
Phosphorus	2	2
4,4'-DDD	1	1
4,4'-DDT	1	1
Atrazine	1	1
Chlorides	1	1
DDD	1	1
Endrin	1	1
Heptachlor	1	1
Hexachlorobenzene	1	1
Lindane	1	1
Nitrogen, Total	1	1
PCB(s) in Fish Tissue	1	1
Sulfate	1	1
Sulfates	1	1
Toxaphene	1	1
Zinc in Shellfish	1	1

Total: 154 TMDLs; 154 Causes of Impairment Addressed

Top of page

Texas Cumulative Number of TMDLs

EPA Fiscal Year starts October 1 and ends September 30.

Description of this table

NOTE: Click on the underlined "Number of TMDLs Completed" value for a detailed list of the TMDLs for the fiscal year.
Fiscal Year	Number of TMDLs	Number of Causes of Impairment Addressed
2001	26	26
2002	2	2
2003	23	23
2004	8	8
2006	5	5
2007	35	35
2008	1	1
2009	54	54

Total: 154 TMDLs; 154 Causes of Impairment Addressed

Top of page

---

TMDL Document Search

Top of page

• EPA Home
• Privacy and Security Notice
• Contact Us