Summary 
Terry E. Whitledge and Sammy M. Ray 
TERRY WHITLEDGE—The Galveston Bay estuary has an ecosystem that has endured both the 
use and abuse of a highly populated urban and industrial complex and agricultural production while 
maintaining fisheries harvests and supporting other water-related sporting activities. There have 
been measurable declines in many important components in the Galveston Bay estuary and we fear 
that more detrimental changes will emerge in the future. The Galveston Bay complex (Trinity, 
Galveston, East and West Bays) is still producing a large harvest of shellfish and finfish for 
commercial and sports fishermen and it provides a valuable habitat for many other important species 
such as waterfowl and shore birds. But many of the people who know and appreciate Galveston Bay 
for what it was in the past and for what it is now are concerned about what it will he in the future. 
Management decisions that are being made now will determine the Galveston Bay of the future. In 
making these decisions, too much information cannot be provided but at this time there are many 
questions and even fewer answers about what should be done to protect or improve the health of 
Galveston Bay. Hopefully, concerned citizens, bay users, state agencies, university scientists and 
federal agencies can formulate a coalition that can study the problems and implement solutions and 
preserve the future of Galveston Bay as a national resource. 
General Characteristics 
All of the estuaries that are designated asbeing nationally significant share some common general 
properties that contribute to their importance. Some of the other 196 estuaries in NOAA's national 
estuary analysis have one or more but only a few, including Galveston Bay, will have a combination 
of several or all of the following properties: 
1. Large Surrounding Human Population — The Galveston Bay watershed extends more than 300 
miles and includes Dallas-Fort Worth as well as the Houston metropolitan areas for a combined 
population of about 6.8 million people. The city of Houston and related suburbs (population 2.8 
million) occupy an extensive part of the shoreline of the San Jacinto River and upper Galveston 
Bay. 
2. Area of High Growth and Development — The growth of the Houston and other surrounding 
areas of Galveston Bay is among the highest in the nation. This includes both permanent 
residences such as housing developments and tourist-related service industries. 
3. Industrial Importance — The four-county area of Galveston Bay contains more than 50 percent 
of the total U.S. production of petrochemicals and refines more than 30 percent of the petroleum 
products. The port of Houston has the third largest tonnage of all U.S. ports and there are more 
than 4,000 vessels that transit the 50-mile long Houston ship channel each year. 
4. Toxic and Eutrophic Discharges — The Galveston Bay system directly receives more than half 
of the permitted discharges in the State of Texas. These discharges emanate from a wide range 
of chemical industries and municipal wastewater treatment plants. The discharged water can 
contain significant concentrations of organic chemicals, petroleum byproducts, heavy metals, 
pathogens, nutrients, organic matter and waste heat. The Houston ship channel, in particular, 
has been insulted with many of these substances in the past but there has been some improve¬ 
ments in the past five to ten years. 
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