Matagorda Bay and Nearby Coastal Waters: A Project to Assess Dissolved Oxygen and pH

Palacios Port Jetty

Watershed Counties: Matagorda, Jackson, Calhoun, Refugio, and San Patricio
Parameters: Dissolved Oxygen, pH
River Basins: Bays and Estuaries, Colorado-Lavaca Coastal Basin, San Antonio-Nueces Coastal Basin
Segments: 2451, 2452, 2456, 2483A

• Project Overview (PDF)
• Background and Goals
• Public Participation
  • Matagorda and Tres Palacios Area
  • Conn Brown Harbor Area
• Project Documents
• For More Information

Background and Goals

Water quality testing found that dissolved oxygen and pH concentrations were sometimes outside the range required to support a healthy aquatic community in several bays and a harbor on the Texas coast. The affected segments were Matagorda Bay/Powderhorn Lake (Segment 2451), Tres Palacios/Turtle Bay (Segment 2452), Carancahua Bay (Segment 2456), and Conn Brown Harbor (Segment 2483A).

These coastal waters represent an ecologically important part of the Texas coast that include both freshwater and saltwater marshes along with open estuaries. The area has many diverse uses including recreation, production of oil and gas, cultivation of rice, sorghum, and cotton, livestock grazing, and commercial and residential developments.

The goal of this project was to assess water quality conditions in detail and to ensure the bays and harbor sustain a healthy aquatic community.

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Public Participation

Project personnel informed the public about this project through a series of public meetings. The meetings were open to everyone.

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Matagorda and Tres Palacios Bay Area

Meeting summaries and presentations are in PDF.

• February 2007
  • Meeting Summary
  • Presentation: Restoring Water Quality in Texas Surface Waters: Matagorda Bay Dissolved Oxygen and pH TMDL Project
  • Presentation: Results of the Tres Palacios Bay Dissolved Oxygen TMDL Project
  • Presentation: Understanding Water Quality Issues Associated with Palacios Harbor
• June 2006
  • Meeting Summary
• March 2006
  • Meeting Summary
  • Presentation: Restoring Water Quality in Texas Surface Waters
  • Presentation: Tres Palacios Bay Dissolved Oxygen Total Maximum Daily Load Project
• November 2005
  • Meeting Summary
  • Presentation: Restoring Water Quality in Texas Surface Waters
  • Presentation: Matagorda Bay and Nearby Coastal Waters Dissolved Oxygen and pH Total Maximum Daily Load Project

Conn Brown Harbor Area

• November 2005
  • Presentation: Conn Brown Harbor Total Maximum Daily Load Project

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Project Documents

• Protecting Tres Palacios Bay — Brochure
• Tres Palacios Bay TMDL Source Assessment Report
• Matagorda Bay and Nearby Coastal Waters Dissolved Oxygen and pH TMDL Assessment Report

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For More Information

Please e-mail us at tceq@tceq.texas.gov, and reference the Matagorda Bay project in the subject line. Or call the project manager, Roger Miranda, at 512-239-6278.

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