What are the Issues?

The following Priority Issues have been identified by the Corpus Christi Bay National Estuary Program as resource management issues in need of further investigation. The lists of concerns and contributing factors are meant to be inclusive of all potential problems, either real or perceived. The lists will be further refined and developed during the course of the four-year planning effort, with some concerns and contributing factors deleted and some added as new information becomes available. 

Altered Freshwater Inflow into Bays and Estuaries
Loss of Wetlands and Estuarine Habitats
Condition of Living Resources
Degradation of Water Quality
Altered Estuarine Circulation
Bay Debris
Public Health Issues

The Corpus Christi Bay National Estuary Program supports a consensus-building process to develop a comprehensive conservation and management plan for the bays and estuaries of the Coastal Bend.

Local representatives of industry, commercial fishing, agriculture, ranching, recreational sports, environmental organizations, local governments, scientists, and resource managers are all volunteers in this effort.

The Coastal Bend Bays Plan will be based on technical assessments of the bay system’s ecological health and its present and future economic values.

Altered Freshwater Inflow into Bays and Estuaries
Concerns
  • Maintenance of adequate freshwater inflows to support ecological health and productivity
  • Sedimentation processes, delta building, and loss of marsh
  • Adequate water supplies for current and future needs
  • Economic concerns and impacts
  • Nutrient input
Contributing Factors
  • Current water demand and planned increases in water demand
  • Alterations in timing and volume of tributary flow due to impoundments and withdrawals
  • Alteration of the location of tributary flows
  • Natural conditions (semi-arid climate)
  • Conservation, reuse, and technology advances
Loss of Wetlands and Estuarine Habitats
Concerns
  • Maintenance of ecological health and characteristic productivity of the estuarine system(s)
  • Degradation of important wetland function including fishery and wildlife habitat, flood mitigation, pollutant trapping, etc.
  • Maintenance of critical habitats for the protection of ecologically and commercially important species; and endangered, threatened, and protected species
  • Destruction and alteration of bay bottom habitats
Contributing Factors
  • Dredging and the placement of dredged materials
  • Loss of coastal vegetation due to subsidence, sea level rise, erosion, and shoreline alteration
  • Persistent brown tide events in the upper Laguna Madre contributing to losses of seagrasses
  • Commercial and residential development including bridge and highway construction, etc.
  • Point sources of pollutants from municipal and industrial activities
  • Nonpoint sources of pollution including urban and agricultural sources
  • Disturbance of submerged habitats from trawling, propeller scaring, and other activities
  • Altered freshwater inflows and accompanying sediment and nutrient inputs
Condition of Living Resources
Concerns
  • Protection and/or enhancement of ecologically and economically important estuarine species characteristic to the study area
  • Protection and enhancement of endangered, threatened, and protected species
  • Recent declines or die-offs (e.g. dolphins)
Contributing Factors
  • Habitat destruction and degradation
  • Degradation of water quality due to industrial effluents, agricultural pesticides, chemical/petroleum spills, bay debris, eutrophication, and dredging
  • Persistent brown tide in the upper Laguna Madre
  • Overutlilization of living resources
  • Altered estuarine circulation
  • Altered freshwater inflows
Degradation of Water Quality
Concerns
  • Maintenance of the environmental quality of the estuary
  • Maintenance of designated uses
  • Protection of human and ecological health
Contributing Factors
  • Dredging and disposal of dredged materials
  • Pollutants from municipal/industrial wastewater treatment facilities
  • Nonpoint sources of pollution including urban and agricultural sources
  • Persistent brown tide events in the Upper Laguna Madre
  • Tidal discharge of oil field produced waters
  • Loss of wetlands
  • Altered circulation
  • Freshwater inflows
  • Atmospheric pollution
Altered Estuarine Circulation
Concerns
  • Localized concentrations of pollutants due to reduced tidal exchange and flushing
  • Altered circulation within the Laguna Madre and between the bays and Gulf of Mexico
  • Reproduction of estuarine plants and animals (e.g. fish, shrimp etc.)
Contributing Factors
  • Channelization and other navigation improvements
  • Natural processes (e.g., flooding/hurricanes, sedimentation, and sea level rise)
  • Modifications to natural passes and benthic features (e.g., oyster reefs and seagrass beds)
  • Dredging and the placement of dredged materials
  • Constructed barriers to water circulation (e.g., causeways, groins, and jetties)
  • Altered freshwater inflow
  • Industrial intakes/discharges
Bay Debris
Concerns
  • Protection of human health from potentially hazardous debris and wastes
  • Ingestion and entanglement by local fauna
  • Degradation of the aesthetic quality of the bays
Contributing Factors
  • Land based sources of debris including wash-off from urban areas
  • Littering from recreational and commercial boating operations including barges, tugboats, recreational vessels, ships, and commercial fishing boats
  • Oil exploration/production facilities
  • Meteorological events including wind and floods
  • Converging ocean currents
  • Natural sources such as dead animals/birds, driftwood, seagrass, and natural hydrocarbon seepage
  • Tourists and local population
  • Industrial and construction sites
  • Public attitudes, lack of education and lack of enforcement of existing laws
Public Health Issues
Concerns
  • Protection of human health from contaminated seafood (fish/shellfish)
  • Health problems related to contact with polluted water
  • Shellfish bed closures due to contamination with enteric bacteria and viruses
Contributing Factors
  • Deposition of bioaccumulating toxic substances into the estuary
  • Pathogenic organisms (bacterial and viral) from inadequate sewage treatment, septic systems, and/or marine sanitation practices
  • Contaminated sediment as sources of toxic substances
  • Nonpoint and point source pollution