Coastal Science in Texas Active
Coastal science at the USGS Oklahoma-Texas Water Science Center (OTWSC) includes groundwater, surface water, and water-quality studies. Surface water includes coastal waters, estuaries, and major inflows to the coast. Visit the links below for more information on our data and science.
COASTAL SCIENCE CAPABILITIES
OTWSC has expertise in a wide variety of coastal science applications, including, but not limited to:
- Groundwater and Surface Water
- Characterizing Freshwater/Saline-Water Relations
- Characterizing Groundwater/Surface-Water Relations
- Suspended Sediments
- Quantifying Loads and Yields of Sediment, Nutrients, and Contaminants
- Understanding Relations Between Streamflow and Sediment and Contaminant Transport
- Evaluating the variability of nutrient and sediment concentrations and loads entering bays and estuaries
- Water Quality
- Collecting Physical and Chemical Water Properties
CURRENT COASTAL SCIENCE
Coastal Inflow Sediment and Nutrient Monitoring
Nutrient and Sediment Variability in the Lower San Jacinto River
Water Quality Monitoring at Offshore Artificial Reefs
Inter-Agency Collaboration
RESTORE Act Activities in Texas
Projects related to coastal science are listed below.
Water Quality Monitoring at Offshore Artificial Reefs
RESTORE Act Activities in Texas
Nutrient and Sediment Variability in the Lower San Jacinto River
Nutrient and Sediment Monitoring in Inflows to Texas Bays and Estuaries
Publications related to coastal science are listed below.
Characterizing and simulating sediment loads and transport in the lower part of the San Antonio River Basin
Characterization of geomorphic units in the alluvial valleys and channels of Gulf Coastal Plain rivers in Texas, with examples from the Brazos, Sabine, and Trinity Rivers, 2010
Evaluating the variability of sediment and nutrient loading from riverine systems into Texas estuaries and bays
Hydrologic conditions and water quality of rainfall and storm runoff for two agricultural areas of the Oso Creek watershed, Nueces County, Texas, 2005-08
Hydrologic conditions and quality of rainfall and storm runoff for two agricultural areas of the Oso Creek Watershed, Nueces County, Texas, 2005-07
Water-quality and ancillary data collected from the Arroyo Colorado near Rio Hondo, Texas, 2006
A chronicle of organochlorine contamination in Clear Creek, Galveston and Harris Counties, Texas, 1960-2002, as recorded in sediment cores
Water-quality assessment of the Trinity River Basin, Texas - Nutrients in two coastal prairie streams draining agricultural areas, 1994-95
Hydrology of the Texas Gulf Coast aquifer systems
Hydrogeology and predevelopment flow in the Texas Gulf Coast aquifer systems
Planning report for the Gulf Coast Regional Aquifer-System Analysis in the Gulf of Mexico coastal plain, United States
- Overview
Coastal science at the USGS Oklahoma-Texas Water Science Center (OTWSC) includes groundwater, surface water, and water-quality studies. Surface water includes coastal waters, estuaries, and major inflows to the coast. Visit the links below for more information on our data and science.
COASTAL SCIENCE CAPABILITIES
OTWSC has expertise in a wide variety of coastal science applications, including, but not limited to:
- Groundwater and Surface Water
- Characterizing Freshwater/Saline-Water Relations
- Characterizing Groundwater/Surface-Water Relations
- Suspended Sediments
- Quantifying Loads and Yields of Sediment, Nutrients, and Contaminants
- Understanding Relations Between Streamflow and Sediment and Contaminant Transport
- Evaluating the variability of nutrient and sediment concentrations and loads entering bays and estuaries
- Water Quality
- Collecting Physical and Chemical Water Properties
CURRENT COASTAL SCIENCE
Coastal Inflow Sediment and Nutrient Monitoring
Nutrient and Sediment Variability in the Lower San Jacinto River
Water Quality Monitoring at Offshore Artificial Reefs
Inter-Agency Collaboration
RESTORE Act Activities in Texas
- Groundwater and Surface Water
- Science
Projects related to coastal science are listed below.
Water Quality Monitoring at Offshore Artificial Reefs
USGS Texas Water Science Center scientists are collecting physical and chemical water properties at selected Texas artificial reefs to provide the initial foundation to establish the status and long-term trends in the environment and information essential for sound management decisions and long-term planning.RESTORE Act Activities in Texas
The USGS is collaborating with NOAA to develop tools to aid in an implementation strategy for integrated monitoring that will enable the RESTORE Council to meet its reporting requirements to Congress as well as to achieve the Councils goals, objectives, commitments and mission of science-based comprehensive Gulf ecosystem restoration.Nutrient and Sediment Variability in the Lower San Jacinto River
The San Jacinto River is the second largest inflow into Galveston Bay. The USGS Texas Water Science Center collects water-quality samples in the lower reaches of the San Jacinto River over a range of hydrologic conditions to improve our understanding of the variability of nutrient and sediment concentrations in freshwater inflows from the San Jacinto River into Galveston Bay.Nutrient and Sediment Monitoring in Inflows to Texas Bays and Estuaries
The USGS Texas Water Science Center is evaluating the variability of nutrient and sediment concentrations and loads entering Texas bays and estuaries across a range of hydrologic conditions in Galveston Bay (inflow from the Trinity and San Jacinto Rivers), Matagordo Bay (inflow from the Colorado River), San Antonio Bay (inflow from the Guadalupe River), and Nueces Bay (inflow from Nueces River). - Publications
Publications related to coastal science are listed below.
Characterizing and simulating sediment loads and transport in the lower part of the San Antonio River Basin
This extended abstract is based on the U.S. Geological Survey Scientific Investigations Reports by Crow et al. (2013) and Banta and Ockerman (2014). Suspended sediment in rivers and streams can play an important role in ecological health of rivers and estuaries and consequently is an important issue for water-resource managers. The quantity and type of suspended sediment can affect the biologicalAuthorsJ. Ryan Banta, Darwin J. Ockerman, Cassi Crow, Stephen P. OpsahlCharacterization of geomorphic units in the alluvial valleys and channels of Gulf Coastal Plain rivers in Texas, with examples from the Brazos, Sabine, and Trinity Rivers, 2010
The U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the Texas Water Development Board, described and characterized examples of geomorphic units within the channels and alluvial valleys of Texas Gulf Coastal Plain rivers using a geomorphic unit classification scale that differentiates geomorphic units on the basis of their location either outside or inside the river channel. The geomorphic properties oAuthorsDavid K. Coffman, Greg Malstaff, Franklin T. HeitmullerEvaluating the variability of sediment and nutrient loading from riverine systems into Texas estuaries and bays
The water quality in estuaries and bays and the health of these coastal ecosystems are affected by sediment and nutrient loads transported by streams. Large sediment loads delivered to an estuary or bay can degrade water quality. Concentrations of suspended sediment are affected by natural conditions (such as soil erosion and streambed resuspension) and can also be affected by human activities (suAuthorsMichael T. LeeHydrologic conditions and water quality of rainfall and storm runoff for two agricultural areas of the Oso Creek watershed, Nueces County, Texas, 2005-08
The U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the Texas State Soil and Water Conservation Board, Coastal Bend Bays and Estuaries Program, and Texas AgriLife Research and Extension Center at Corpus Christi, studied hydrologic conditions and water quality of rainfall and storm runoff of two primarily agricultural subwatersheds of the Oso Creek watershed in Nueces County, Texas. One area, the upperAuthorsDarwin J. Ockerman, Carlos J. FernandezHydrologic conditions and quality of rainfall and storm runoff for two agricultural areas of the Oso Creek Watershed, Nueces County, Texas, 2005-07
The U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the Texas State Soil and Water Conservation Board, Coastal Bend Bays and Estuaries Program, and Texas AgriLife Research and Extension Center at Corpus Christi, studied hydrologic conditions and quality of rainfall and storm runoff of two (primarily) agricultural areas (subwatersheds) of the Oso Creek watershed in Nueces County, Texas. One area, the uAuthorsDarwin J. OckermanWater-quality and ancillary data collected from the Arroyo Colorado near Rio Hondo, Texas, 2006
The Arroyo Colorado is in the lower Rio Grande Valley of southern Texas and extends from near Mission, Texas, eastward to the Laguna Madre estuarine and coastal marine system, which separates Padre Island from the Texas mainland. Streamflow in the Arroyo Colorado primarily is sustained by effluent from municipal wastewater-treatment plants along the stream banks. Since 1986, the tidal segment of tAuthorsMeghan C. Roussel, Michael G. Canova, William H. Asquith, Richard L. KieslingA chronicle of organochlorine contamination in Clear Creek, Galveston and Harris Counties, Texas, 1960-2002, as recorded in sediment cores
Clear Creek flows through the Texas Coastal Plain from its headwaters southeast of Houston, Texas, to Clear Lake, which empties into Galveston Bay. Segments of Clear Creek were on the State of Texas 303(d) list for 1998, 1999, and 2000 as a result of a fish consumption advisory issued by the Texas Department of Health. One of the contaminants for which the fish consumption advisory was issued is tAuthorsBarbara Mahler, Peter Van MetreWater-quality assessment of the Trinity River Basin, Texas - Nutrients in two coastal prairie streams draining agricultural areas, 1994-95
In 1991, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) began nationwide implementation of the National Water-Quality Assessment (NAWQA) Program. Long-term goals of NAWQA are to describe the status of and trends in the quality of a large, representative part of the Nation?s surface- and ground-water resources and to provide a sound, scientific understanding of the primary natural and human factors affecting thAuthorsLarry F. LandHydrology of the Texas Gulf Coast aquifer systems
A complex, multilayered ground-water flow system exists in the Coastal Plain sediments of Texas. The Tertiary and Quaternary clastic deposits have an areal extent of 114,000 square miles onshore and in the Gulf of Mexico. Two distinct aquifer systems are recognized within the sediments, which range in thickness from a few feet to more than 12,000 feet The older system--the Texas coastal uplands aqAuthorsPaul D. Ryder, Ann F. ArdisHydrogeology and predevelopment flow in the Texas Gulf Coast aquifer systems
A multilayered ground-water flow system exists in the Coastal Plain sediments of Texas. The Tertiary and Quaternary clastic deposits have an area! extent of 128,000 square miles onshore and in the Gulf of Mexico. Two distinct aquifer systems are recognized for the sediments, which range in thickness from a few feet to more than 12,000 feet. The older system the Texas coastal uplands aquifer systemAuthorsPaul D. RyderPlanning report for the Gulf Coast Regional Aquifer-System Analysis in the Gulf of Mexico coastal plain, United States
Large quantities of water for municipal, industrial and agriculture use are supplied from the aquifers in Tertiary and younger sediments over an area of about 225,000 square miles in the Coastal Plain of Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Illinois, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Tennessee, and Texas. Three regional aquifer systems, the Mississippi Embayment aquifer system, the Coastal LowlanAuthorsHayes F. Grubb