Reviewing the Plan
By Lily Auliff

In 1995, the Galveston Bay Estuary Program (GBEP) issued The Galveston Bay Plan, a 20-year comprehensive conservation management plan for the Galveston Bay ecosystem. The plan outlines some 82 actions to revitalize the Bay, with an incremental review scheduled every five years. GBEP recently released its first progress report on plan implementation.

“The end of the millennium also marks the end of the first phase of The Galveston Bay Plan. Five years of implementation were reviewed by a set of task forces, and priority areas for the next five years proposed,” explains Helen Drummond, GBEP program director, in an epilogue entitled Sustaining Galveston Bay For Future Generations. “The plan contains 82 recommended actions. The reviewers determined that 67 percent of those recommended actions had been initiated and 5 percent had been completed.”

Habitat Restoration
The original Bay plan’s number one priority was habitat restoration. Plan partners — non-profit groups, government entities, universities, and businesses — have rehabilitated more than 1,000 acres of wetlands since the plan was issued, including at least 500 acres of brackish marsh, according to the progress report. Much more vital habitat has been protected through acquisitions by private organizations.

Water Quality
Non-point source pollution, or the pollution from unknown sources found in runoff, has been the most significant water quality problem in Galveston Bay for many years. Monitoring of small wastewater treatment plants has improved since the plan was implemented, and GBEP has established a stormwater management technical assistance program for local governments. Malfunctioning septic systems continue to be a problem, and demonstration projects are showing a need for increased public education and system upgrades, according to the report.

Photo courtesy of the Galveston Bay Information Center, TAMUG © 2001 Chris Kuhlman.

Estimating total maximum daily loads (TMDLs), which involves calculating the maximum amount of a pollutant that a body of water can receive and still meet water quality standards, and allocating that amount among pollution sources, has proved to be an effective way to monitor and control contaminant concentration. The Texas Natural Resource Conservation Commission has established TMDLs for eight common pollutants found in the lower Galveston Bay watershed.

Partners in the Natural Resources Damage Assessment (NRDA) program have been integral to improving spill and dumping problems in and around the Bay, according to the plan review. “Seagrant developed a Clean Marina Program for Texas and is working cooperatively with the GBEP to address boater waste issues. The implementation of Phase I of the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) stormwater program under the Clean Water Act will have major positive impacts on spills and solid waste associated with runoff. Public attention has been focused on this source of pollution through the successful Trash Bash activity coordinated by Gulf Coast Waste Disposal Authority,” explains Drummond.

Freshwater Inflow
The Bay’s freshwater inflow needs have been included in the Region H draft water plan. “This is the only region in Texas to specifically address the needs of an estuary during the planning process,” says Drummond. Although this is good news, the review document adds that continued modeling and monitoring will be needed to ensure adequate flow levels. Large strides in water conservation education have also reduced the Bay’s vulnerability to drought conditions.

Public Health
According to the review, GBEP and the Texas Department of Health have increased monitoring of seafood for fecal coliforms, other bacteria, and toxic contaminants, and the Texas General Land Office has improved beach water monitoring for pollutants that could affect contact recreation. “The health of Galveston Bay users is better protected since GBEP encouraged collaboration among management users,” Drummond concludes.

Public Participation and Education
The public is learning more about Galveston Bay through successful events and activities like the biennial State of the Bay Symposium, Bay Day, Marsh Mania, Trash Bash, Citizen Water Quality Monitoring, and the Galveston Bay Yards and Neighbors program, according to the progress report.

Galveston Bay Estuary Program’s Plan Review Summary is available online at http://gbep.tamug.tamu.edu/FinalReviewJan01.pdf. Sustaining Galveston Bay For Future Generations can be requested by email to gbep@tnrcc.state.tx.us.