north of Galveston has an annual rainfall of 51 inches. In general, a 
progressively drier climate exists southward until a semiarid condition 
with less than 25 inches of annual rainfall occurs near the Rio Grande. 
Since the vegetation and soil types change in a southerly 
direction this study was confined to the upper Texas gulf coast and 
more specifically to East Bay in the Galveston-Houston area. 
Tidal ranges throughout Galveston Bay are generally less than 1.5 
feet. Maximum tidal currents, excluding currents in the navigation 
channels, are about 1 foot per second (Bobb and Boland, 1970). Fisher, 
et al. (1972) state that "except within the area of significant salt- 
water wedge and flood-tidal delta deposition, tides are generally 
unimportant within the bay-estuary-lagoon system, except when amplified 
by wind." 
Minimum water salinities in East Bay occur in conjunction with 
heavy rains, varying distances from Bolivar and San Luis Passes, and 
the tidal entrances to bays. Water surface salinities in the shallow 
bay areas are generally about 2 parts per thousand less than bottom 
salinities at the same locations (Bobb and Boland, 1970). 
Marine processes have been the chief forces in shaping the shore- 
line and in forming many of the physiographic features of this region. 
Some of these features are: Galveston Island, a barrier island 
sheltering West Bay; Bolivar Peninsula protecting East Bay; Trinity 
River alluvial valley; Trinity Bay; San Jacinto River alluvial valley; 
and Galveston Bay. Trinity Bay and Galveston Bay are the seaward 
continuation of the Trinity and San Jacinto alluvial valleys, respec- 
tively. These two bays merge to form one of the largest estuaries of 
the Texas coast. The central part of the bays have a maximum depth 
of approximately 10 feet with soft mud bottoms. East Bay and West 
Bay are both shallow, usually less than 6 feet deep, and are 3- to 4- 
miles wide with soft mud bottoms (LeBlanc and Hodgson, 1959). 
Shoreline accretion in the bay area has been limited to the im- 
mediate vicinity of the Trinity and San Jacinto deltas. These deltas 
are small in comparison to others along the Texas coast due to the 
small silt loads of the Trinity and San Jacinto Rivers. 
The dominant process along the bay shoreline has been erosion. 
The shoreline from April Fool Point to Kemah in Galveston County has 
been recorded as eroding at the rate of 4 feet annually (U.S. Army, 
Corps of Engineers, 1954). Sixty miles of shoreline in East Bay, 
Galveston Bay, and Trinity Bay in Chambers County (Fig. 1) have also 
eroded at the rate of about 4 feet per year (Carroll, 1974). Fisher, 
et al. (1972) have compiled an active processes map of the Galveston 
Bay complex which show areas of active erosion. One of the critical 
areas is the north shore of East Bay in Chambers County. 
Two principal wind directions dominate the East Bay area. Persis- 
tent, southeasterly winds occur from March through November and short 
