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
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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 systems ecological health and its present and future
economic values.
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- 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
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- 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
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- 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
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- 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
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- 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
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- 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
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- 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
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