Galveston Baykeeper

Galveston Bay ranks high among the nation’s great bay systems, providing enormous economic benefits to both the region and the state. It is the largest Bay in Texas and the 7th largest in the U.S.

In 1987, The United States Congress designated Galveston Bay as an Estuary of National Significance in its passage of the Water Quality Act of 1987.

Along with other nationally significant bay systems on our coasts, Galveston Bay was recognized for its premier values to communities – economically, biologically, and culturally.

Remarkably the Bay’s natural resources are self-renewing as long as the Bay remains healthy and productive.

Like many other US Bays, Galveston Bay faces significant issues related to habitat loss, species decline, conflicting human uses, and pollution.

The Galveston Bay ecosystem is home to hundreds of species of animals and plants but it's future is at risk. 

More than four-fifths of the submerged seagrasses have disappeared in the last four decades.  Some bird and marine species show declining population trends. Wetlands are being lost to urban development at increasing rates, impacting the functions and values of these important estuarine ecosystems. Despite conservatin efforts, mitigation for these losses is minimal. Better long-term, sustainable planning is imperative in order to protect these vital natural and economic resources.

Download Google Earth Layers:

Lower Galveston Bay Watersheds in Google Earth

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