OUR FLOWING FUTURES

Freshwater inflows into bays and estuaries are crucial for maintaining ecological balance along the Texas Gulf Coast while also helping to mitigate pollution and support recreational and commercial activities.

Dr. Paul Montagna, HRI’s Chair for HydroEcology, and his team work to provide information and recommendations on how to effectively manage those inflows to ensure freshwater into bays and estuaries are sufficient to maintain a healthy ecological environment that will persist into the future.

Estuaries are the link between streams and rivers to the ocean, and the inflows provide nutrients, sediments, and regulate salinity levels. If the flows are off-balance or not functioning properly, it could have grave ecological impacts.

In multiple bays along the Texas coast, including Lavaca Bay, Matagorda Bay, and San Antonio Bay, HRI researchers and scientists are working to measure non-point source pollution from watersheds. Non-point source pollution is where a sizable portion of pollution in Texas’ bays and estuaries comes from.

Their research is important to help understand and separate any benefits due to freshwater inflow from degradation due to pollution in bays and estuaries. This distinction can assist key stakeholders in making informed decisions on environmental flow standards, ensuring the protection and sustainability of these vital ecosystems.

HRI’s research considers multiple factors including climatic and seasonal differences, along with how bays and estuaries along the Texas coast are different as they work to identify which specific pollutants might be responsible for degradation.

Taking in those factors is important to help maintain bay productivity, health, and balance, and they also help with recommendations on environment flow standards that are important for key stakeholders and policymakers as they make decisions that can affect the future of Texas’ Gulf Coast.