Galveston Bay Report Card: “C” grade

HOUSTON (FOX 26) – The grades are in! Galveston Bay received extra credit this year for its resilience following Hurricane Harvey. 

Galveston Bay Foundation and HARC announced today, during a press conference at Sea Star Base Galveston, the overall health of Galveston Bay received a “C” grade on the 2019 Galveston Bay Report Card for the fifth consecutive year. 

The comprehensive report evaluates data and trends that describe Galveston Bay and the surrounding watersheds, which span across 24,000 square miles and include half of Texas’ population. The 22 indicators are divided among six categories – Water Quality, Wildlife, Habitat, Coastal Change, Pollution Events and Sources, and Human Health Risks -each graded on a scale of “A” to “F.” New this year, oysters were added as a Wildlife indicator.

Some community takeaways include: 

• Water quality – reduce the amounts of grease (fats and oils) you pour down your sink as this affects the amounts of nitrogen, phosphorous and dissolved oxygen in the Bay and rivers & bayous
• Coastal change – reduce storm water run off by installing a rain barrel to positively impact coastal resilience
• Wildlife – remove litter and trash from your community shorelines to protect wildlife
• Habitat – volunteer at a wetland or oyster reef restoration event through Galveston Bay Foundation to support local restoration efforts

To see this year’s report card, click here.