Why is the BRC concerned with confined animal feeding operation (CAFO) permits and accountability?
The BRC is concerned with the degradation of water quality in the North Bosque River and its tributaries. The state environmental agency, Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) has completed studies that indicate the North Bosque River is impacted by nutrient and bacterial levels. The data collected for these studies were used to develop a Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) allocation – basically a plan to reduce nutrient and bacteria contamination to a level that would not impact the river. The TMDL target for nutrients is an average 50 percent reduction in phosphorus concentrations at certain monitoring stations in the river. Sources of phosphorous include wastewater generated by wastewater treatment plants and waste generated by CAFOs. Wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) in the North Bosque River have reduced their contribution of phosphorus by at least half. The TCEQ permits for WWTPs include a specific phosphorus limitation reflecting this reduction. Most CAFOs in the North
