| Counties: |
Nueces, San Patricio |
| Parameter: |
Zinc in oyster tissue |
| Basins: |
Bays and Estuaries, San Antonio–Nueces Coastal Basin,
Nueces River Basin, Nueces–
Rio Grande Coastal Basin |
| Segments: |
2482 |
 |
|
Nueces Bay
|
| |
Background and
Goals
Nueces Bay is a shallow, secondary bay that receives freshwater
from the Nueces River and exchanges saline water with Corpus
Christi Bay. Economic activities in and around the bay include
petrochemical refining and production, agriculture, manufacturing,
recreation, maritime commerce, and tourism. Ecologically, Nueces
Bay provides a home for many plants and animals, and plays a role
in water purification and storm protection.
Harvesting of oysters and other edible shellfish from the bay is
currently restricted because concentrations of zinc in oyster
tissue pose a risk to consumers. The TCEQ’s Total Maximum
Daily Load (TMDL) Program is directing a project to reduce zinc
concentrations to levels that make it safe to harvest and eat
oysters from the bay.
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Public Participation
The TMDL Program is working with the existing forum of the Coastal Bend Bays and
Estuaries Program (CBBEP) 
to
involve area stakeholders in the TMDL project.
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TMDL and I-Plan for Nueces
Bay
The commission adopted this TMDL on November 1, 2006. It was
approved by the EPA on December 15, 2006, and is part of the
state's Water Quality Management Plan.
I-Plan
The commission approved the I-Plan on October 24, 2007.
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Project Documents
The following documents are available as PDF files. (Help with
PDF)
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For More Information
For additional information regarding this project, please call
the TCEQ project manager, Andrew Sullivan, at 512/239-4587. Or send
an e-mail to asulliva@tceq.state.tx.us,
and reference the Nueces Bay project in the subject line.
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