Galveston Bay Report ard A citizen-driven, science-based analysis of the health of the bay Lisa Gonzalez Anja Borski Erin Kinney Scott Jones Texas Association of Environmental Professionals, March 19, 2015
Project Partnership Independent analysis Seeking scientific answers Advocacy Education
13 million people
Why a Report ard? ommunicate science to the public Align analyses to public interests Increase local interest in and support for bay and watershed management strategies
How it is Being Developed? A citizen-driven, science-based analysis of the health of the bay Public input obtained July Dec 2014 Two online surveys 550 responses 33 presentations to community groups 950 people Used input to develop the report card framework
What is Being Addressed? Water Quality Nitrogen Phosphorus Dissolved Oxygen Pollution Events and Sources Oil Spills Toxics in Sediment Litter and Trash Wildlife Shrimp, rabs, and Oysters Fin Fish Birds Habitat Wetlands Underwater Grasses Oyster Reefs Dredging Seafood onsumption Human Health Risks Recreation oastal hange Freshwater Inflows Sea Level Temperature ph
What is Being Addressed? 1) Water Quality 2) Pollution Events and Sources 3) Wildlife 4) Habitat 5) Human Health Risks 6) oastal hange
Water Quality Nitrogen Phosphorus Dissolved Oxygen Houston- Galveston Region Rivers & Bayous Galveston Bay A A B Data Source: TEQ 2014
Water Quality Nitrogen Phosphorus Dissolved Oxygen Houston- Galveston Region Rivers & Bayous Galveston Bay B Data Source: TEQ 2014
Water Quality Nitrogen Phosphorus Dissolved Oxygen Houston- Galveston Region Rivers & Bayous Galveston Bay A A A Data Source: TEQ 2014
Pollution Events & Sources Oil Spills Toxics in Sediment Litter and Trash 2014 = 195 documented oil spills Source: Texas GLO, 2015
Pollution Events & Sources Oil Spills Metals in Sediment Litter and Trash ALL Tributaries: Arsenic B admium A hromium B opper B Lead B Mercury D Nickel B Silver B Zinc Houston Ship hannel # of Samples % Exceeding ARSENI 146 1 % ADMIUM 147 0 % HROMIUM 147 3 % OPPER 147 1 % LEAD 146 3 % MERURY 126 40 % NIKEL 147 7 % SILVER 147 1 % ZIN 147 12 % Data Source: TEQ 2014
Wildlife Shrimp, rabs, and Oysters Fish Birds Feeding Nesting Species 15 Year Trend (2000-2014) Marsh Open water Tree Ground Black-crowned Night Heron Great Blue Heron Roseate Spoonbill Snowy Egret Tri-colored Heron White Ibis White-Faced Ibis Reddish Egret Black Skimmer Brown Pelican Laughing Gull Least Tern Neotropic ormorant Forster's Tern Royal Tern Sandwich Tern D A B B Data Source: TEQ 2014 Data Source: TPWD, 2014
Habitat Wetlands Underwater Grasses Oyster Reefs Dredging 1996-2010: 14,000 acres lost to development All watersheds saw net wetland loss, but a few are noteworthy: Most wetlands remaining: Trinity River East Bay West Bay Austin-Bastrop Bayou Trinity Bay edar Bayou Greatest % Loss: Brays Bayou (52%) White Oak Bayou (44%) lear reek (25%) Buffalo Bayou (22%) Sims Bayou (21%) Greens Bayou (20%) Data Source: NOAA -AP 2010
Human Health Risks Seafood onsumption Recreation Species Geography ontaminant Action All fish species Blue crab Blue crab Spotted trout atfish HS/San Jacinto River, north of Fred Hartman Bridge Upper Galveston Bay from Red Bluff & Houston Points to Fred Hartman Bridge Organochlorine pesticides Dioxins Dioxins PBs Women of child bearing age and children <12 years: Do Not Eat All others: 1 meal/month atfish All Galveston Bay Source: Texas DSHS, 2014
Human Health Risks Seafood onsumption Recreation (Bacteria in Water) Houston- Galveston Region Rivers & Bayous Galveston Bay B
oastal hange Freshwater Inflows Sea Level Temperature ph Estimated current rate of Gulf of Mexico sea level rise is ~ 3mm per year urrent rate at Galveston is ~ 6 mm per year 2 feet over 100 years Data Source: HGSD and NOAA, 2014
oastal hange Freshwater Inflows Sea Level Temperature ph 8.6 8.4 8.2 8 7.8 R² = 0.0706 7.6 7.4 1973 1974 1975 1976 1977 1978 1979 1980 1981 1982 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 Data Source: TEQ, 2014
Annual Process Public Input Release Report ard Update Data Develop/ Update Report ard
Thank You Anja Borski aborski@galvbay.org Lisa Gonzalez Lgonzalez@HARresearch.org