Mission:
To monitor water quality through sampling and analyses of Dallas lakes, creeks, and streams to track environmental changes and assess overall stream health.
Water Quality Resources:
Watershed Map - Dallas is wholly contained within the Trinity River watershed, a 17,696 square mile watershed that extends from Archer County near the north Texas-Oklahoma border, through Dallas to an ultimate discharge through Galveston Bay into the Gulf of Mexico. The incorporated areas of the City of Dallas form a 385 square mile portion of the Trinity River watershed within Dallas, Collin, Denton, Rockwall and Kaufman Counties.
Dallas Water Quality Program – The City of Dallas routinely monitors water quality in the Trinity River and tributary streams, lakes and other water bodies. Specially trained City scientists perform routine sampling during dry- and wet- weather periods, in addition to performing bio-assessment of stream health, and water quality monitoring for special projects. All laboratory analyses are performed by a commercial laboratory that is certified under the National Environmental Laboratory Accreditation Program (NELAP), with documented data quality protocols. These monitoring data are submitted to the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality each year.
Texas Stream Team Program - Texas Stream Team Program is a network of trained volunteers and supportive partners working together to gather information about the natural resources of Texas and to ensure the information is available to all Texans. Established in 1991, Texas Stream Team is administered through a cooperative partnership between Texas State University, the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ), and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Currently, hundreds of Texas Stream Team volunteers collect field water quality information on lakes, rivers, streams, wetlands, bays, bayous, and estuaries across Texas. The City of Dallas is a Supporting Partner with the Texas Stream Team Program by supporting local volunteers who perform basic sampling in Dallas.
Texas Clean Rivers Program - Texas Clean Rivers Program operates under the Clean Rivers Act, which was passed by the Texas Legislature in 1991 with the goal of assessing and improving the state’s water resources. The Trinity River Authority performs water quality sampling and analyses of the water quality in the Trinity River for the Texas Clean Rivers Program under contract with the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ). The City of Dallas is a Cooperating Partner with the Clean Rivers Program, and contributes data that is used by the TRA and the TCEQ to assess improvements or degradation of the water quality in the Trinity River.
Total Maximum Daily Load Program - Total Maximum Daily Load Program (TMDL) works to restore Texas waterways that have limited quality in relation to one or more of their assigned uses, such as recreation, fishing, or a healthy aquatic environment.
Interim Bacteria Reduction Plan - Interim Bacteria Reduction Plan(IBRP) identifies control measures and practices, including monitoring and screening activities that the City is implementing to reduce the discharge of bacteria into the Trinity River, and the Tributaries in Dallas.
Stormwater’s Annual Report - Stormwater’s Annual Report is prepared as required by the City’s Texas Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (TPDES) Permit No. WQ0004396000. The annual system-wide report summarizes program performance relative to preventing and minimizing stormwater pollution. The Annual Report is organized to provide a summary overview of the program highlights with a tabular summary of City of Dallas Stormwater Management Plan (SWMP) performance relative to the specific measurable goals set forth in the SWMP.