Seventeen Priority Problems
What are Galveston Bay's most pressing environmental challenges? Where should GBEP and its partners focus management initiatives? To answer those questions, the following issues were distilled and ranked by the Galveston Bay National Estuary Program and constitute the Galveston Bay Priority Problems List.
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- Vital Galveston Bay habitats including wetlands have been lost or reduced in value by a range of human activities, threatening the bay's future sustained biological productivity. See more information. See Solutions.
- Contaminated runoff from non-point sources degrades the water and sediments of some bay tributaries and near-shore areas. See more information. See Solutions.
- Raw or partially treated sewage and industrial waste enters Galveston Bay due to wastewater collection system and treatment plant design and operational problems, especially during rainfall events. See more information. See Solutions.
- Future demands for freshwater and alterations to circulation may seriously affect productivity and overall ecosystem health. See more information. See Solutions.
- Certain toxic substances, or toxicants have contaminated water and sediment and may have a negative effect on aquatic life in contaminated areas. See more information. See Solutions.
- Certain species of marine organisms and birds have shown a declining population trend. See more information. See Solutions.
- Shoreline management practices frequently do not address negative environmental consequences to the bay, or the need for environmentally compatible public access to bay resources. See more information. See Solutions.
- Bay habitats and species are impacted by spills of toxic and hazardous materials during storage, handling, and transport. See more information. See Solutions.
- Seafood from some areas in Galveston Bay may pose a public health risk to subsistence or recreational consumers as a result of the potential presence of toxic chemicals. See more information. See Solutions.
- Illicit connections to storm sewers introduce untreated wastes directly into bay tributaries. See more information. See Solutions.
- Dissolved oxygen (DO) is reduced in certain tributaries and side bays, harming marine life. See more information. See Solutions.
- About half of the bay is permanently or provisionally closed to the taking of shellfish because of high fecal coliform bacteria levels that may indicate risk to shellfish consumers. See more information. See Solutions.
- Water and sediments are degraded in and around marinas from boat sewage and introduction of dockside wastes from non-point sources. See more information. See Solutions.
- Some bay shorelines are subject to high rates of erosion and loss of stabilizing vegetation due to past subsidence/relative sea level rise and current human impacts. See more information. See Solutions.
- Illegal dumping and estuarine debris degrade water quality and aesthetics of Galveston Bay. See more information. See Solutions.
- Some tributaries and near-shore areas of Galveston Bay are not safe for contact recreation activities such as swimming, wade fishing, and sailboarding due to risk of infection. See more information. See Solutions.
- Some exotic species (e.g. nutria and grass carp) threaten desirable native species, habitats, and ecological relationships. See more information. See Solutions.
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