Galveston Bay Estuary Program State of the Bay Symposium IV January 28-29,1999

Moody Gardens Hotel & Convention Center One Hope Boulevard, Galveston Island

A program of TNRCC/GLO

CTF-09/GBEP T-3 r Robert J. Huston, Chairman R. B. "Ralph" Marquez, Commissioner John M. Baker, Commissioner

Jeffrey A. Saitas, Executive Director

Authorization for use or reproduction of any original material contained in this publication—that is, not obtained from other sources—is freely granted. The commission would appreciate acknowledgment.

Copies of this publication are available for public use through the State Library, other state depository libraries, and the TNRCC Library, in compliance with state depository law. For more information on TNRCC publications call 512/ 239-0028 or visit our Web site at:

http://www.tnrcc.state.tx.us/publications

Published and distributed by the Texas Natural Resource Conservation Commission POBox 13087 Austin TX 78711-3087

The TNRCC is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer. The agency does not allow discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, disability, age, sexual orientation or veteran status. In compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, this document may be requested in alternate formats by contacting the TNRCC at (512)239-0028, Fax 239-4488, or 1 -800-RELAY-TX (TDD), or by writing P.O. Box 13087, Austin, TX 78711 -3087. ESTUARY PROGRAM Presents STATE OF THE BAY SYMPOSIUM IV January 28-29, 1999

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Subject Page Schedule of Events and Presentations 1

The First 60 Acres: A NRDA Restoration Project 7

Baytown Nature Center: A Jewel in the Texas Coastal Birding Trail 11

Baytown Nature Center: A Teacher's Vision 15

Baytown Nature Center: How Did It Happen 21

Brownwood Peninsula: A Historical Perspective 25

Oysters as Indicators of Bioavailable Butyltins in Galveston Bay 29

Clean Trace Metal Measurements in the Ship Channel 35

Trace Contaminants Association with Colloidal Macromolecular Organic matter in Galveston Bay: Implications for Bioavailability 43

Toxic Contaminants of Sediments in Puget Sound 51

The NOAA's National Status and Trends Mussel Watch Program in Galveston Bay: Chlorinated Hydrocarbons in Oysters, 1986-1997 59

Assessment of Sediment Toxicity in Galveston Bay, Texas 71

Evaluation of the Effect of Land-Use Activities on Sediment Quality Within the Galveston Bay System 79

Benthic Community Dynamics in Galveston Bay, Texas 93

Regional Environmental Monitoring and Assessment Program Galveston Bay 1993 97

Demonstration/Evaluation of Constructed Wetlands as an Alternative On-Site Waste Water Treatment System 111

Wetland Restoration on Clear Creek Utilizing Dredged Material from the Webster Electric Generating Station 125 State of the Bay Symposium IV Table of Contents (cont.)

The San Jacinto Marsh Project, Restoration of a Priceless Biological and Cultural Resource 129

Guidelines for Restoration Plantings in the Galveston Bay System 135

Recommendations of Target Freshwater Inflows for the Trinity-San Jacinto Estuary Based on Analysis of Long-Term Fisheries Survey Data 139

Galveston Bay Freshwater Inflows Study 149

System Simulation of Tidal Hydrodynamic Phenomenon in the Galveston Bay, Texas 153

Results of Galveston Bay Oyster Growth and Recruitment Models 157

Restoration of Intertidal Wetlands Along the I-45 Corridor 161

The Wetlands Project Site Registry: Benefits for Landowners and Habitat .... 165

The Habitat Conservation Blueprint, A Practical Plan for Community-Based Conservation/Restoration Efforts 171

Attwater's Prairie Chickens on the Edge: Galveston County, Texas 175

Clean Water for : a Watershed Partnership 179

Pierce Marsh Restoration Project 185

Dickinson Bay Oyster Reef/Wetland Restoration Demonstration Project 189

Green Sector Initiative for Sustainable Development . . . 195

Wetlands Restoration at Galveston Island State Park a Multi-Agency Project . . 201

Chlorinated Pesticides and PCBs in Colonial Nesting Birds of Galveston Bay . . 207

Shrimp Farms: The Next Threat to Galveston Bay 215

Polynuclear Aromatic Hydrocarbons in the Oysters from Galveston Bay 219

Survey of Small Galveston Bay Tributaries Under Conditions Representative of Wastewater Discharge Permit Renewal 225 State of the Bay Symposium IV Table of Contents (cont.)

Diet, Feeding Habits, and Predator Size/Prey Size Relationships of Red Drum (Sciaenops ocellatus) in Galveston Bay, Texas 233

Bottlenose Dolphins in Texas Coastal Waters 241

Bottlenose Dolphins of San Luis Texas: Occurrence Patterns Site-Fidelity and Habitat Use 245

Gull, Tern & Skimmer Population Trends in Galveston Bay 249

Trends in the Relative Abundance, Size and Harvest of Selected Finfishes and Shellfishes in Galveston Bay, Texas: November 1975 - December 1997 . 253

Denitrification in Galveston Bay 259

Atmospheric Deposition of Nutrient Nitrogen to Galveston Bay 263

Long Term in Nitrogen Loads to Galveston Bay 277

Atmospheric Deposition of Organic Contaminants to Galveston Bay 287

Recent Trends in Nutrients Within the Galveston Bay System 295

Exhibitors 305

Poster displays 311 State of the Bay Symposium IV

Sponsors and Contributors

The Galveston Bay Estuary Program wishes to thank the following sponsors and contributors for their financial support of the State of the Bay Symposium IV.

East Harris County Manufacturers Association Gulf Coast Waste Disposal Authority Houston Lighting and Power National Marine Fisheries Service Scenic Galveston Texas Parks and Wildlife Department Texas Sea Grant College Program Texas Natural Resource Conservation Commission Texas General Land Office

This symposium is the direct result of the teamwork of the following entities:

Environmental Institute of Houston; Environmental Protection Agency - Region 6; Galveston Bay Foundation; Galveston Bay Information Center; Gulf Coast Waste Disposal Authority; Harris County; Houston - Galveston Area Council; Houston Lighting and Power Co.; National Marine Fisheries Service; Rice University - Dept. Of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology; Sea Grant; Texas A & M University at Galveston; Texas Chemical Council; Texas Dept of Health; Texas Natural Resouce Conservation Commission; Texas Parks and Wildlife Dept.; Texas Water Development Board; U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service; U.S. Geological Survey; University of Houston - ; University of Texas at Austin - College of Engineering; University of Houston - School of Public Health; University of Texas - Marine Science Institute.