1. Water Quality in the
Galveston Bay System
Teresa Long
December 6, 2012

2. Galveston Bay System
• Semi-enclosed body of water where freshwater from rivers,
bayous and tributaries mix with salt water from the Gulf of
Mexico
• Six segments with a combined surface area of 519.1 square
miles
• Valuable natural and economic resource
• Subtropical ecosystem which provides a valuable nursery for a
diverse array of plant and animal species
• Sustains water-based industries such as recreational and
commercial fishing, travel, and ecotourism
• Port of Houston is the second-largest port in the United States
• Transportation link for petrochemical industries
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3. Oyster Waters
• Galveston Bay oyster fisheries produce more oysters than
any single water body in the United States
• Prior to Hurricane Ike, the annual Galveston Bay oyster harvest
totaled between 3 and 4 million pounds valued at nearly 10
million dollars
• Approximately half of Galveston Bay is under some form
of oyster harvesting restriction
• Nine segments are on the Texas Water Quality Inventory
and 303(d) List for fecal coliform bacteria
impairments(TCEQ, 2012)
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4. Oyster Waters
• Oysters are filter feeders are capable of filtering a volume of
water per hour that is approximately 1500 times the volume
of their body (Lester, 2002)
• A single oyster filters 50 gallons of water in a single day
• Due to the large amount of water filtered, any bacteria
present in water concentrates in oysters
• Human consumption of oysters harvested in waters with high
levels of bacteria presents a serious public health concern
• Impairment of oyster waters is most likely mainly due to
human activities such as discharging boat sewage into the
water
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5. Water Quality Intern at Galveston Bay Foundation
6/2012-12-2012
Galveston Bay Foundation is a nonprofit
organization that works to preserve, protect and
enhance Galveston Bay
• Advocacy Team
• Seeks solutions to conflicts among diverse users of the
bay in an effort to protect long-term interests
• Reducing bacteria levels in the bay and improving water
quality in general is of great importance in ensuring
public health and local economy
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6. Water Quality Intern at Galveston Bay Foundation
6/2012-12-2012
• Water Quality Projects
• Texas Stream Team Certified Trainer
• Training Volunteer Water Monitors
• Bacteria sampling & analysis
• Data management
• Various education campaigns and public outreach events
• Research / Data Collection supporting efforts to have the
Galveston Bay system declared a No Discharge Zone
• Developed tools to collect and disseminate information
• Web-based applications
• Interactive maps
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7. Water Monitoring
• Data points generated via
chemical analyses, physical
testing, and general
observations produce a
unique portrait of water
quality parameters for that
particular site and moment
in time
• Over time, trend analysis
provides many clues and
can facilitate early
identification of potential
water quality issues caused
by nonpoint source
pollution
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8. Point Sources vs. Nonpoint Sources
• Point sources are single, identifiable pollution sources subject
to permit requirements and regulated by the Federal Clean
Water Act and Texas Law
• Effectively regulated and monitored
• Nonpoint sources originate from many sources which can be
difficult to identify
• Largely unregulated and not subject to permit requirements
• Analyzing data for trends and correlating it to human
contributions can be an effective strategy to define nonpoint
source pollution
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9. Reducing Bacteria Levels
• Galveston Bay Foundation has been tasked with developing an
Implementation Plan aimed at reducing bacteria levels in
Galveston Bay
• Boat sewage discharged into the Galveston Bay system is a
nonpoint source pollutant
• Elevates bacteria levels
• Lowers dissolved oxygen content
• Untreated discharge from just one weekend boater puts the
same amount of bacterial pollution into the water as the
treated sewage of 10,000 people
• The ultimate goal is to secure a No Discharge Zone declaration
from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for the
Galveston Bay system
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10. Texas Stream Team
• Statewide network
consisting of hundreds
of trained volunteers
who regularly collect
and submit water
quality data
• Volunteers are
provided a kit and
trained to conduct
testing and record data
in a manner that
produces
clear, consistent results
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11. Volunteer Water Monitor Training
• Phase I – Classroom training that includes
orientation, demonstration, and practice
• Phase II – Group field training, and individual testing, focuses
on recording field observations
• Phase III – Site visit that includes site assessment by a certified
trainer, individual training on chemical and physical testing
methods, evaluation of proficiency, and volunteer certification
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12. Chemical and Physical Testing
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•
•
Dissolved Oxygen
Salinity
pH
Temperature (Air and Water)
Water Transparency
Depth
Field Observations
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13. Dissolved Oxygen Concentration
• Measure of amount of
oxygen freely available in
water
• Measured in milligrams per
liter (mg/L)
• <2 mg/L: Fatal to most
species
• <3 mg/L: Stressful to
most species
• >5 mg/L: Sufficient for
most species
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14. Dissolved Oxygen Concentration
• Volunteer monitors
come from all walks of
life and have various
levels of scientific
knowledge and
experience
• Successful Phase III
training and certification
depends on the ability of
the trainer to teach
techniques
• Reading meniscus
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15. Salinity
• Measures the
concentration of
dissolved salts in water
• Dissolved salt content
affects distribution of
plant and animal life
• As salinity increases,
dissolved oxygen
concentration
decreases
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16. pH
• Most suitable range
for aquatic life = 6.59
• Significant changes in
pH, either sudden
and dramatic or a
steady increase over
time, may be an
indicator of problems
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17. Temperature
• Air and water
temperature are measured
in degrees Celsius
• Aquatic species require
specific temperatures
ranges in order to survive
• Direct correlation to other
parameters being
measured, such as
dissolved oxygen
concentration
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18. Water Clarity / Total Depth
• Transparency is a
measure of turbidity
or clarity
• Total depth of the
exact sample point is
recorded and used in
trend analysis
• Measured in meters
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19. Field Observations
• Volunteer monitors record
observations on a regular
basis
• first-hand knowledge of water
quality conditions that may not
be immediately apparent from
chemical analysis
•
•
•
•
•
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Algae cover
Water surface conditions
Current weather conditions
Tide Stage, Rainfall
Water clarity, color and odor
General observations that
may affect the sample
collected, such as nearby boat
traffic or unusual
foam, odors, etc.
Source: HGAC
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20. Bacteria Analysis
• Enterococcus is an
indicator bacterium
normally found in the
intestines of humans
• Better indicator of
human sewage in
brackish waters than
fecal coliform
• Analyzed via IDEXX
Enterolert method
Source: CDC
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21. Conclusion
• Galveston Bay Foundation has a team of 29 Certified Water
Monitors
• Increased from 9 monitors in June 2012
• 6 monitors to be trained in the next 2 weeks
• Bacteria Lab is operational
• Solid foundation in place for collecting, analyzing, and
presenting data to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
requesting Galveston Bay to be declared a No Discharge Zone
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22. Galveston Bay Foundation
Certified Volunteer Water Monitoring Team
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23. There is No Substitute
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Source: witchitafalls.gov

24. References
Lester, J., Gonzolez, L., Sage, T., & Gallaway, A. (2002). The state
of the bay: A characterization of the galveston bay ecosystem.
(2nd ed.). Webster, TX: Galveston Bay Estuatry Program.
Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, Total Maximum
Daily Load Section. (2009). Six total maximum daily loads for
bacteria in waters of the upper gulf coast segments 2421, 2422,
2423, 2424, 2432, and 2439. Austin, TX.
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