CCMP Actions Implemented: ACS-1, ACS-2
Grantee/Contractor: Houston Advanced Research Center/GeoTechnology Research Institute
CWA Benefits: Improve/Increase Educational or Recreational Opportunities.
ERAP Adaptation/Mitigation Actions Addressed: Stakeholder Outreach: Education.
Stressors addressed: Chronic Higher Tides/Nuisance Flooding; Increase in Extreme Events (coastal flooding/storm surge); Population Increase; Sea Level Rise and Subsidence; Warmer Summers; Warmer Waters; Warmer Winters
Total Project Budget: $168,475 ($84,228 Federal, $84,247 State)
Project Period: September 2025 – May 2028
Project Description: This project will update, expand, and maintain the RMD, an interactive web-based portal providing quality-assured data related to the conservation and management of Galveston Bay. The updated RMD will allow users to view, explore, and download expanded data along with updated data already contained in the RMD. Additionally, this project will update and create new interactive tools to visualize the information. HARC/GTRI will gather and update environmental datasets related to the lower Galveston Bay watershed in cooperation with federal, state, and local governments; universities; and research organizations in support of the Regional Monitoring Plan detailed in GBP, 2^nd Edition.

CCMP Actions Implemented: General support of all Action Plans
Grantee/Contractor: Houston Advanced Research Center/GeoTechnology Research Institute
Subwatersheds: All
Total Project Budget: $222,157 (Fiscal 2024 $60,000 Federal, $162,157 State)
Project Period: September 2023 – February 2026
Project Description: The project will update the revised GBP, 2nd Edition with the information in the Finance Plan Addendum and the Galveston Bay Estuary Resilience Assessment. A stakeholder process will result in an addendum that will serve as a clear, concise update to the Action Plans within the GBP, 2nd Edition for GBEP and its stakeholders that reflects changing priorities and conditions within the watershed. The updated GBP, 2nd Edition will be built on the same framework, background, and stakeholder input critical to GBEP that includes issues like water quality, habitat preservation, the impacts of extreme storm events, microplastics, and others to reflect management strategies aimed at creating a resilient bay system. The strategies and tools identified in this plan, in concert with the collaboration, coordination, and monitoring that occur through the GBC and its subcommittees, will ensure that Galveston Bay is protected for generations to come.

CCMP Actions Implemented: SPO-1, SPO-3, PEA-2, PEA-3
Grantee/Contractor: The Houston-Galveston Area Council (H-GAC)
CWA Benefits: Improve or Protect Water Quality, Improve/Increase Educational or Recreational Opportunities, Protect or Preserve Open Space, Protect/Improve/Provide Habitat for Birds, Protect/Improve/Provide Habitat for Fish/Shellfish, Protect/Improve/Provide Habitat for Other Wildlife, Restore Natural Hydrology.
ERAP Adaptation/Mitigation Actions Addressed: Stakeholder Outreach: Education.
Stressors addressed: Chronic Higher Tides/Nuisance Flooding; Increase in Extreme Events (coastal flooding/storm surge); Population Increase; Sea Level Rise and Subsidence; Warmer Summers; Warmer Waters; Warmer Winters
Total Project Budget: $10,000 ($5,000 Federal, $5,000 State)
Project Period: September 2025 – August 2027
Project Description: Trash Bash® is a successful volunteer-based litter cleanup event that has been held at multiple sites in the Houston-Galveston area on an annual basis, with an average of over 4,000 volunteers annually. Since its inception in 1994, more than 117,000 volunteers have collected over 2,400 tons of trash, 22.53 tons of recycling, and 11,965 tires. Funding typically supports partial salary and fringe benefits of the H-GAC Trash Bash® coordinator position, supplies, outreach materials, and other planning and volunteer training expenses.

CCMP Actions Implemented: SPO-1, PEA-1
Grantee/Contractor: City of Houston Parks and Recreation Department (HPARD)
CWA Benefits: Coastal Resilience, Erosion Control, Flood Control, Improve/Increase Educational or Recreational Opportunities, Protect or Preserve Open Space, Protect/Improve/Provide Habitat for Birds, Protect/Improve/Provide Habitat for Other Wildlife
ERAP Adaptation/Mitigation Actions Addressed: Stakeholder Outreach: Education.
Stressors Addressed: Chronic Higher Tides/Nuisance Flooding; Increase in Extreme Events (coastal flooding/storm surge); Population Increase; Sea Level Rise and Subsidence; Warmer Summers; Warmer Waters; Warmer Winters
Total Project Budget: $90,000 ($45,000 Federal, $45,000 State)
Project Period: September 2025 – August 2027
Project Description: The City of Houston Nature Trails Master Plan will provide guidance and strategies for developing and enhancing a well-maintained and utilized nature trail system throughout Houston’s Nature Preserves. The plan will be developed with local communities and partners with a focus on minimal impacts to natural habitats and wildlife found within the city’s natural areas. It will guide standards and practices that can be implemented throughout Houston to improve and encourage access to natural habitat, enhance visitor experience, and promote the unique ecological diversity found throughout the city.

CCMP Actions Implemented: SPO-1, SPO-2, PEA-2, PEA-3
Grantee/Contractor: University of Houston-Clear Lake (UHCL)
CWA Benefits: Improve/Increase Educational or Recreational Opportunities
ERAP Adaptation/Mitigation Actions Addressed: Stakeholder Outreach: Education.
Stressors Addressed: Chronic Higher Tides/Nuisance Flooding; Increase in Extreme Events (coastal flooding/storm surge); Population Increase; Sea Level Rise and Subsidence; Warmer Summers; Warmer Waters; Warmer Winters
Total Project Budget: $90,972 ($45,486 Federal, $45,486 State)
Project Period: September 2025 – August 2027
Project Description: The Texas Envirothon is a yearly environmental education competition for high school students held in April. The program prioritizes critical thinking and problem solving and is focused on producing environmentally literate community members and leaders. Teachers attend two free of charge workshops delivered by UHCL in partnership with GBF, whose logos will be displayed on workshop materials. Teachers will implement training and skills into their classes to assist their students in mastering the Envirothon learning objectives. EIH provides support and reference materials throughout the students’ training. Participating schools are from across Texas, with a majority from Houston, Galveston, and Baytown. The competition will be hosted in the Greater Houston Area in 2027.

CCMP Actions Implemented: SPO-1, SPO-2, SPO-3, SPO-4, PEA-1, PEA-2, PEA-3
Grantee/Contractor: Native Prairies Association of Texas (NPAT)
Subwatersheds: Armand-Taylor
Total Project Budget: $81,052.31(Fiscal 2025 $40,526.16 Federal, $40,526.15 State)
Project Period: September 2024 – August 2026
Project Description: This program will increase the knowledge and awareness of native coastal prairies and wetlands and provide field experiences for both students and educators. Schools will be identified using a needs assessment conducted as part of a previous project that utilized social, environmental, and education factors to identify schools that lack access to environmental education programs.
NPAT in partnership with a subgrantee will offer three different types of field experiences in this program. Teacher and administrator workshops will provide educators and administrators with information on the ecological, historical, and cultural importance of coastal prairie ecosystems. Field trips will be offered in the fall and spring and highlight the importance of these ecosystems throughout Texas history and their current importance to people, plants, and wildlife. The Summer Camp on the Prairie will serve a minimum of 10 students and include lessons on prairies, technology, and environmental career opportunities.

CCMP Actions Implemented: SPO-1, PEA-3
Grantee/Contractor: GBF
Subwatersheds: All
Total Project Budget: $173,300 (Fiscal 2025 $173,300 State)
Project Period: September 2024 – August 2026
Project Description: Wetland Connections is a year-long program that connects 6-12th grade students to the bay through nature journaling and data collection with mini-campus wetlands, a series of STEM classroom workshops highlighting the importance of wetlands and human impacts on them, and a spring field experience at a local wetland on Galveston Bay. This project also includes two teacher workshops where teachers learn about various conservation and environmental career pathways from experts in their fields.

CCMP Actions Implemented: SPO-1, SPO-2, SPO-3, PEA-2
Grantee/Contractor: BPA
Subwatersheds: All
Total Project Budget: $64,140 (Fiscal 2025 $64,140 State)
Project Period: September 2024 – May 2026
Project Description: Bayou Preservation’s Bayou Stewards for Engaging Under-resourced Communities in Conservation program is an innovative initiative aimed at empowering community stakeholders and fostering meaningful connections between conservation efforts and under-resourced communities in the Galveston Bay area. Over the course of 18 months, this program will recruit, select, and train 4 dedicated community stakeholders to become watershed stewards, equipped with the knowledge and skills to drive science-based impactful change. The host nonprofits, with direct support from BPA, will actively work towards providing mentorship opportunities and support to selected Bayou Stewards. This mentorship will enable the stewards to develop interpretive programming tailored to target audiences, emphasizing the interdependence between the well-being of their communities and the preservation of native habitats.

CCMP Actions Implemented: PEA-3
Grantee/Contractor: Galveston Bay Foundation
Total Project Budget: $107,937 (Fiscal 2024 $53,968.50 Federal, $53,968.50 State)
Project Period: September 2023 – January 2026
Project Description: This project will increase the capacity of GBF’s STEM Workshop program by employing SCA interns to implement programs in underrepresented school districts, provide on-the-job training and mentorships for SCA interns, strengthen relationships with participating school districts, provide educator professional development, and amplify opportunities for project promotion and publicity via literature and conference presentations by UHCL and project partners. GBF’s Environmental STEM Education programs provide classroom and place-based STEM environmental education focused on Galveston Bay to over 10,000 students and teachers each year. The goal of this project is to directly reach at least 4,800 students and teachers via classroom STEM workshops and teacher professional development, indirectly reach up to 4,000 students via teachers implementing lessons learned through teacher professional development, and train two SCA interns in environmental education best practices during this project.

CCMP Actions Implemented: SPO-2, SPO-4, PEA-1, PEA-2, PEA-3, FWI-3
Grantee/Contractor: Houston Public Works
Total Project Budget: $50,000 (Fiscal 2024 $25,000 Federal, $25,000 State)
Project Period: September 2023 – November 2025
Project Description: This contract will allow the City of Houston to expand the reach of the Drought Contingency Plan and Water Conservation Campaign for the Houston area. Contract funding will be used for the creation of more collateral materials as well as more paid advertising to increase the reach and effectiveness of the campaign. Due to the constrained budget the initial campaign will need to focus on the main methods of water conservation outlined in the Drought Contingency Plan (limiting outdoor irrigation, only watering between the hours of 7:00 p.m. and 5:00 a.m., reducing irrigation runoff, and repairing water leaks). The increased funding for creative design will expand the campaign to touch on secondary water conservation methods such as rain barrels, native plants, smart irrigation, and others.

CCMP Actions Implemented: SPO-1, SPO-3, PEA-2, PEA-3
Grantee/Contractor: The Houston-Galveston Area Council (H-GAC)
Total Project Budget: $35,000 (Fiscal 2023 $10,000 State; Fiscal 2024 $7,500 Federal, $7,500 State; Fiscal 2025 $5,000 Federal, $5,000 State)
Project Period: September 2022 – August 2025
Project Description: This project supports Texas’s largest, single-day, volunteer-based waterway cleanup event—River, Lakes, Bays N’ Bayous Trash Bash®. Supporting the personnel costs of the Houston-Galveston Area Council regional coordinator for Trash Bash® ensures continuity throughout the process and consistency in planning and execution from year to year. Trash Bash planning is a year-round process and requires ongoing planning, maintenance, and attention every month.

CCMP Actions Implemented: HC-2, HC-3, SC-1
Grantee/Contractor: National Audubon Society
CWA Benefits: Coastal Resilience, Erosion Control, Protect or Preserve Open Space, Protect/Improve/Provide Habitat for Birds, Protect/Improve/Provide Habitat for Fish/Shellfish, Protect/Improve/Provide Habitat for Other Wildlife
ERAP Adaptation/Mitigation Actions Addressed: Preservation/Conservation/Restoration, Promote Native Habitat.
Stressors addressed: Changes to Land Use and the Built Environment (infrastructure), Chronic Higher Tides/Nuisance Flooding, Increase in Extreme Events (coastal flooding/storm surge), Sea Level Rise and Subsidence
Total Project Budget: $100,000 (Fiscal 2026 $100,000 State)
Project Period: September 2025 – August 2027
Project Description: The project aims to restore the erosion control measures constructed in a past project to protect nesting habitat on North Deer Island, one of the most productive waterbird colonies in Galveston Bay. This is a two-phase project, and the first phase will include bathymetric and geotechnical surveys and engineering and design work to develop a Restoration Plan. Deliverables will also include permit applications to the Army Corps of Engineers to conduct the restoration actions identified in the Restoration Plan, needed to begin restoration of erosion control structures on the island.

CCMP Actions Implemented: HC-1, HC-3, SC-1, SC-2, FWI-3
Grantee/Contractor: Texas Parks and Wildlife Dept.
CWA Benefits: Coastal Resilience, Erosion Control, Flood Control, Improve or Protect Water Quality, Improve/Increase Educational or Recreational Opportunities, Increase or Protect Water Quantity, Protect or Preserve Open Space, Protect/Improve/Provide Habitat for Birds, Protect/Improve/Provide Habitat for Fish/Shellfish, Protect/Improve/Provide Habitat for Other Wildlife, Restore Natural Hydrology.
ERAP Adaptation/Mitigation Actions Addressed: Stakeholder Outreach: Education, Preservation/Conservation/Restoration, Promote Water Conservation and Reuse, Promote Native Habitat.
Stressors addressed: Changes to Land Use and the Built Environment (infrastructure), Chronic Higher Tides/Nuisance Flooding, Increase in Extreme Events (coastal flooding/storm surge), Increasing Drought, Increasing Inland Flooding (largely rain-based), Population Increase, Sea Level Rise and Subsidence, Warmer Summers, Warmer Waters, Warmer Winters.
Total Project Budget: $100,000 (Fiscal 2026 $100,000 State)
Project Period: September 2025 – August 2027
Project Description: This project aims to purchase, in fee simple, and conserve in perpetuity approximately 204 acres of coastal habitats. The purchased tracts would be added to and be managed as part of the 1,039-acre Coastal Heritage Preserve. These last two tracts would close out the 15+ year acquisition effort of the Coastal Heritage Preserve and are necessary to protect the ecological integrity of the existing preserve. Both tracts currently have willing seller agreements but are in dire threat of development.

CCMP Actions Implemented: HC-1, SC-1, SPO-1, SPO-2, SPO-3, SPO-4, PEA-1, PEA-2, PEA-3, RES-1
Grantee/Contractor: Michigan Technological University (MTU)
CWA Benefits: Improve/Increase Educational or Recreational Opportunities, Protect or Preserve Open Space, Protect/Improve/Provide Habitat for Other Wildlife.
ERAP Adaptation/Mitigation Actions Addressed: Stakeholder Outreach: Education.
Stressors addressed: Chronic Higher Tides/Nuisance Flooding; Increase in Extreme Events (coastal flooding/storm surge); Population Increase; Sea Level Rise and Subsidence; Warmer Summers; Warmer Waters; Warmer Winters
Total Project Budget:$12,600 ($6,300 Federal, $6,300 State)
Project Period: September 2025 – November 2026
Project Description: This project aims to continue developing a community engagement component to engage stakeholders in implementing Scat-Track, a community-based program for collecting noninvasive genetic data, throughout the lower Galveston Bay Watershed. This program will feature online portals for reporting results and interactive learning, which will also support classroom education. While data collection is being funded through other sources, the overarching goal is to couple citizen science with novel noninvasive genomic tools to determine how environmental conditions preserve the endangered red wolf deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) found in coyotes (locally called Ghost Wolves) in the Galveston Bay ecosystem.

CCMP Actions Implemented: HC-1, SC-1
Grantee/Contractor: GBF
CWA Benefits: Coastal Resilience, Flood Control, Improve or Protect Water Quality, Improve/Increase Educational or Recreational Opportunities, Increase or Protect Water Quantity, Protect or Preserve Open Space, Protect/Improve/Provide Habitat for Birds, Protect/Improve/Provide Habitat for Fish/Shellfish, Protect/Improve/Provide Habitat for Other Wildlife.
ERAP Adaptation/Mitigation Actions Addressed: Preservation/Conservation/Restoration.
Stressors addressed: Increase in Extreme Events (coastal flooding/storm surge); Increasing Drought; Increasing Inland Flooding (largely rain-based); Population Increase; Sea Level Rise and Subsidence; Warmer Summers
Total Project Budget: $230,000 (Fiscal 2026 – $24,103 Federal, $24,084 State; Fiscal 2025 $65,006.50 Federal, $116,806.50 State)
Project Period: September 2024 – August 2026
Project Description: The Conservation Assistance Program (CAP) was initiated in 2011 and has been reauthorized in several phases through 2024. This contract includes funding to continue the program and build upon successful land conservation efforts in the Galveston Bay watershed and complete the ongoing projects underway.
Growth and development in the lower Galveston Bay watershed are accelerating land use changes from traditional open space, agricultural, and recreational uses toward residential and commercial uses. This trend threatens the health of our ecosystems surrounding Galveston Bay and associated waterways by reducing parcel sizes and permanently altering the landscape of the region. Additionally, land prices are continuing to rise as the availability of land is reduced and demand increases. Purchasing ecologically significant parcels of land at today’s prices will help us maximize the availability of federal and state conservation funding sources.

CCMP Actions Implemented: HC-2, HC-3, SC-1, SC-2, RES-1, RES-3
Grantee/Contractor: Texas A&M University (TAMU)
Subwatersheds: Austin/Bastrop, West Bay, East Bay
Total Project Budget: $174,235 (Fiscal 2025 $69,194 Federal, $89,194 State; Fiscal 2026 $7,923.50 Federal, $7,923.50 State)
Project Period: September 2024 – May 2027
Project Description: The project aims to study and conserve the Black rail (Laterallus jamaicensis), a threatened species heavily reliant on high salt marsh habitats. The research involves using Autonomous Recording Units (ARUs) and a Forward Looking InfraRed (FLIR)-equipped drone to evaluate habitat management techniques and response effects on Black rail populations, as well as conducting mark-recapture studies and fecal metagenomics to understand their diet. The research will be carried out at multiple sites within the Galveston Bay watershed.
After consultation with appropriate refuge personnel, ARUs will be deployed to determine when Black rails recolonize an area after treatments at sites within broader management goals. A FLIR-equipped drone will also be used to survey for Black rails in control and treatment areas. Additionally, habitat (such as above-ground biomass) and landscape-level metrics (such as patch size) will be examined to further refine the understanding of how habitat quality influences Black Rail occupancy. During the non-breeding season, rope-drags will be conducted at selected locations to determine if Black rails are present. Individuals that flush will be banded, measured, and any fecal material present will be collected and analyzed to quantify the diet.

CCMP Actions Implemented: HC-2, HC-3, SC-1
Grantee/Contractor: GBF
Subwatersheds: Trinity Bay, West Bay
Total Project Budget: $175,000 (Fiscal 2025 $175,000 State)
Project Period: September 2024 – August 2026
Project Description: The objective of the project is to assist the Galveston Bay Foundation in its efforts to planting wetland vegetation, primarily Spartina alterniflora, at two upcoming shoreline protection project sites. The sites include Gordy marsh (Trinity Bay) and Oyster Lake (West Bay). This project should result in approximately 45,000 stems of Spartina alterniflora being planted at either or both the Gordy Marsh and/or Oyster Lake project sites. The project will allow for GBF to enter into agreements with contractors to plant project sites that provide logistical challenges making it difficult to get volunteer planters to the project location. As an example, the Oyster Lake project site is a remote site accessible only via an approximately 11-mile boat trip, making it difficult to get volunteers and planting materials to and from the site. Funding would also allow for the contractual harvesting of plants for events in which volunteers or staff cannot meet the demand for the number of plants required to be harvested to support the event, if logistically feasible.

CCMP Actions Implemented: HC-2, HC-3, SC-1
Grantee/Contractor: GBF
Subwatersheds: West Bay
Total Project Budget: $132,700 (Fiscal 2025 $132,700 State)
Project Period: September 2024 – August 2026
Project Description: The Bay Harbor Rookery Island was originally restored in 2010, resulting in the creation of 2.20 acres of nesting habitat for colonial waterbirds. While the island continues to serve as valuable nesting habitat, ongoing erosion has decreased the island’s footprint and elevation. This proposal requests funding to support the engineering and design phase of the Bay Habor Island Stabilization project to expand the island footprint by up to 3.50 acres, restore nesting elevations, and further stabilize the northern shoreline.

CCMP Actions Implemented: HC-2, HC-3, SC-1, SC-2
Grantee/Contractor: Houston Parks and Recreation Department
Total Project Budget: $50,000 (Fiscal 2024 $25,000 Federal, $25,000 State)
Project Period: September 2023 – May 2026
Project Description: The White Oak Bayou Riparian Restoration project will restore 4.6 acres of riparian forest at TC Jester Park and enhance nine acres of riparian forest at Little Thicket Park by performing invasive species removal and native species planting to support resident and migratory wildlife. The historic riparian habitat along White Oak Bayou seen on aerial imagery from the 1940’s was removed with bayou channelization and adjacent urban development by the 1970’s. The land that is now TC Jester Park once consisted of thick, native riparian forest. The park now contains regularly mowed, non-native lawn grass with sparce trees. Little Thicket Park, once the location of the original channel of White Oak Bayou, now acts as a tributary to the concrete channel that is now the main course of the bayou. This park has recently undergone a project to stabilize the banks of the tributary. The existing forest contains a large percentage of invasive species.

CCMP Actions Implemented: HC-2, HC-3
Grantee/Contractor: Houston Advance Research Center
Total Project Budget: $100,000 (Fiscal 2024 $50,000 Federal, $50,000 State)
Project Period: September 2023 – May 2026
Project Description: Currently, associated project details have been captured in the GBEP Projects Database and the Implementation Tracking Viewer (ITV). This project will leverage the newly released Esri Hub Portal platform in combination with an ArcGIS Dashboard to provide interactive and dynamic data visuals, maps, and other summarized information/conservation variables (e.g., total number of acres by project type, number of projects by watershed). The expansion of the ITV to include an SRH will be developed in coordination with Black Cat GIS as the subgrantee of HARC/GTRI. In the SRH, spatial information will be combined with a dashboard of summary statistics, explanatory text, project photos, and data related to each project (as available). Filters for each of the subcommittees will make data easier to find and the SRH easier to use. Custom tools will allow the viewer to quickly sort projects, tally statistics, find final reports, and view special subsets of data. In addition to making another valuable dataset available to GBEP stakeholders, the SRH will add value and utility to the GBEP projects dataset by enhancing spatial content.

CCMP Actions Implemented: HC-2, HC-3, SC-2
Grantee/Contractor: Harris County Precinct 2
Total Project Budget: $36,000 (Fiscal 2024 $36,000 State)
Project Period: September 2023 – May 2026
Project Description: The goal of the Clear Creek Riparian Restoration project is to restore riparian forested areas at Challenger Seven Memorial Park, by removing invasive plants within the park’s riparian zone. Funding will support the final phase of this project, which is targeting 15-25 acres of invasive plant removal adjacent to previous work. An audio tour highlighting the restoration work to be accessed by park visitors will also be developed. Bayou Preservation Association will recruit and coordinate with local professionals to develop content, collateral, audio and visual presentation, and will incorporate education about riparian habitats into the audio tours.

CCMP Actions Implemented: HC-1, SC-1, SC-2
Grantee/Contractor: Texas Parks and Wildlife Department
Total Project Budget: $576,481 (Fiscal 2024 $576,481 State)
Project Period: September 2023 – May 2026
Project Description: The objective of this project is to purchase, in fee simple, and conserve in perpetuity approximately 147.8 acres of coastal habitats. The purchased tract would be added to and managed as part of the 898-acre Coastal Heritage Preserve in Galveston, Texas. This project will protect habitat types that are crucial to numerous commercial and recreational estuarine fishery species including habitats that are classified as essential fish habitat for species under federal fishery management plans. This project will also conserve breeding, nesting, foraging, roosting, and wintering habitats that benefit numerous coastal-dependent and migratory bird species.

CCMP Actions Implemented: SC-2, RES-5
Grantee/Contractor: Texas A&M University at Galveston
Total Project Budget: $96,453 (Fiscal 2023 $48,226.50 Federal, $48,226.50 State)
Project Period: May 2023 – November 2025
Project Description: The Houston-Galveston region experienced a historic winter storm that resulted in an exceptional “cold-stunning” event with a widespread kill of numerous marine species. In total, approximately 13,500 sea turtles in Texas were impacted by the sudden and extended drop in air and water temperatures from winter storm Uri. Generally, cold events are common physical and biological stressors in the Galveston Bay Estuary System (GBES) that occur almost every year. However, these events appear to be increasing in intensity, duration, and frequency, as demonstrated in February 2021 with winter storm Uri. To further explore how sea turtles respond to these annual stressors, TAMUG will deploy satellite tags that collect geolocation, and temperature and they will also deploy depth sensors onto sea turtles of varying life history stages in GBES. The goal is to characterize the physical and biological stressors related to cold-stun events that drive sea turtle movement.

CCMP Actions Implemented: RES-1, RES-3, ACS-1, ACS-2
Grantee/Contractor: Texas A&M University at Galveston (TAMUG)
CWA Benefits: Coastal Resilience, Protect/Improve/Provide Habitat for Other Wildlife.
ERAP Adaptation/Mitigation Actions Addressed: Research.
Stressors addressed: Increase in Extreme Events (coastal flooding/storm surge); Increasing Drought; Increasing Inland Flooding (largely rain-based); Sea Level Rise and Subsidence; Warmer Summers; Warmer Waters; Ocean Acidification
Total Project Budget: $99,826 ($49,913 Federal, $49,913 State)
Project Period: September 2025 – February 2027
Project Description: The project aims to evaluate the viability of environmental DNA (eDNA) to identify sea turtle presence/absence and habitat use. Current approaches to determine presence such as using stranding data and satellite tagging can be biased and inefficient. DNA from water samples from Galveston Bay will be compared to known sea turtle eDNA samples to try to detect specific species. Samples will be collected and compared across high and low flow currents and known sea turtle hot spots to evaluate the parameters under which eDNA is most effective for determining sea turtle presence/absence.

CCMP Actions Implemented: RES-7, RES-8, ACS-2
Grantee/Contractor: Texas A&M University at Galveston (TAMUG)
CWA Benefits: Coastal Resilience, Erosion Control, Protect/Improve/Provide Habitat for Birds, Protect/Improve/Provide Habitat for Fish/Shellfish, Protect/Improve/Provide Habitat for Other Wildlife.
ERAP Adaptation/Mitigation Actions Addressed: Research.
Stressors addressed: Increase in Extreme Events (coastal flooding/storm surge); Increasing Drought; Increasing Inland Flooding (largely rain-based); Sea Level Rise and Subsidence; Warmer Summers; Warmer Waters; Ocean Acidification
Total Project Budget: $151,161 (Fiscal 2026 $23,627 Federal, $23,626 State; Fiscal 2025: $51,954 Federal, $51,954 State)
Project Period: September 2024 – February 2027
Project Description: As wetland restoration becomes an increasingly important part of effective and forward-looking coastal management strategies, it is vital that the best available science is used to boost near-term and long-term restoration success. Restoration projects vary widely in terms of size, soil configuration (e.g., mounds vs. continuous fill), and the inclusion of ECS such as sills or geotubes. These designs often boost emergent plant cover over near-term (5-year) scales, but links to improved ecosystem service provision over a longer time-period are largely unquantified. Furthermore, some ECS in Galveston Bay have subsided over time, thus exposing restored areas to more fetch and wave action, potentially leading to degradation of restored sites. As wetland restoration becomes an increasingly important part of effective and forward-looking coastal management strategies, it is vital that the best available science is used to boost near-term and long-term restoration success.
One of the key outcomes of this project is a robust assessment of site design features that yield successful restoration of key ecosystem services, including carbon sequestration and food web support. This outcome will generate rigorous scientific support for the design of future restoration projects and will ensure appropriate and efficient use of regional resources in ecosystem management.

CCMP Actions Implemented: RES-1, ACS-1, ACS-2
Grantee/Contractor: UHCL
Subwatersheds: All
Total Project Budget: $297,404.33 (Fiscal 2025 $148,702.16 Federal, $148,702.17 State)
Project Period: September 2024 – December 2026
Project Description: The Eastern Oyster, Crassostrea virginica is considered to be an ecosystem engineer and keystone species providing limited hard-bottom habitat and numerous ecosystem services (e.g. wave protection, water filtration, fisheries, complex habitat, and hard bottom substrate). They are also considered a reliable bioindicator of estuarine ecosystem health which integrates the effects of freshwater inflow, pollutants, climate variability, and habitat destruction (e.g. dredging, overharvest, and shell mining) and extreme weather (e.g. droughts, floods, and storms) impacts. Oysters suffer from numerous biological and anthropogenic sources of stress and mortality. In the Gulf, the pathogenic protozoan, dermo is widely distributed throughout the oyster-producing waters of the Gulf, and the prevalence of the parasite is high among oyster populations. Consequently, it is important to understand the influence of various stressors on this critical resource.

CCMP Actions Implemented: RES-1, RES-6, ACS-2
Grantee/Contractor: UHCL
Subwatersheds: All
Fiscal 2025 Budget: $166,898.11 (Fiscal 2025 $83,449.06 Federal, $83,449.05 State)
Project Period: September 2024 – August 2026
Project Description: This project will research the prevalence of Dermo in commercial and retail oysters as well as evaluate a local oyster shell recycling program to determine the best method for curing shell before deploying back into Galveston Bay.
The performing party will contact organizations throughout the region to determine the current methods used to recycle and cure oyster shells currently implemented. Oyster handling processes will also be evaluated and oysters that would typically be placed back into the bay through recycling will be tested for Dermo prevalence and severity. Additionally, the performing party will work with GBF, who has conducted oyster shell recycling in the region for over 10 years, to test common curing times and methods to determine what method works best to minimize Dermo and if methods should be varied depending on the time of the year.

CCMP Actions Implemented: ACS-2, RES-2
Grantee/Contractor: Texas A&M University
Total Project Budget: $98,312 (Fiscal 2024 $49,156 Federal, $49,156 State)
Project Period: September 2023 – December 2025
Project Description: This project aims to: (1) determine the distributions of 6PPD and 6PPD-Q in Galveston Bay over two years in relation to changes in hydrographic conditions with variable stormwater inflows; (2) determine what possible transformation products are formed from photochemical reactions; and (3) determine how 6PPD and 6PPD-Q partition between water and sediments in Galveston Bay.

CCMP Actions Implemented: RES-3, ACS-1
Grantee/Contractor: Texas A&M University of Galveston
Total Project Budget: $130,663 (Fiscal 2023 $44,298.06 Federal, $44,298.06 State; Fiscal 2024 $21,033.44 Federal, $21,033.44 State)
Project Period: May 2023 – March 2025
Project Description: Zooplankton are ecosystem health indicators of water quality and provide the principal conduits for energy transfer from phytoplankton to higher trophic levels. To date, only a few studies to examine the interactions between zooplankton and environmental factors and fisheries have been conducted. This project will conduct monthly sampling of zooplankton in Galveston Bay over two years to determine spatial and temporal variations in the abundance and distribution of eastern oyster larvae. The data generated will be used to estimate larval dispersal and recruitment success and will be used to validate a population model for Galveston Bay. The project data will fill an information gap needed for science-based ecosystem assessments of Galveston Bay.

CCMP Actions Implemented: NPS-1, NPS-2, PHA-2, FWI-2, SPO-2, RES-2, RES-3, RES-5, ACS-2
Grantee/Contractor: TAMUG
CWA Benefits: Coastal Resilience, Improve or Protect Water Quality, Improve/Increase Educational or Recreational Opportunities.
ERAP Adaptation/Mitigation Actions Addressed: Monitoring.
Stressors addressed: Chronic Higher Tides/Nuisance Flooding; Increase in Extreme Events (coastal flooding/storm surge); Increasing Drought; Increasing Inland Flooding (largely rain-based); Sea Level Rise and Subsidence; Warmer Summers; Warmer Waters; Warmer Winters
Total Project Budget: $99,976 ($49,988 Federal, $49,988 State)
Project Period: September 2024 – August 2026
Project Description: The overarching goal of this project is to assess hydrogeological connectivity in a tidal estuary associated with a Superfund site and its effects on contaminant transport. By combining the hydrogeological assessment and groundwater contaminant concentration, the team will be able to model and predict subsurface contaminant transport in the area. Lastly, the project aims to identify at least 30 well owners in the vicinity of the SJRWP through email, in-person meetings, and door-to-door canvassing.

CCMP Actions Implemented: NPS-1, NPS-3, PS-1, PHA-4, PHA-5, RES-6
Grantee/Contractor: H-GAC
CWA Benefits: Flood Control, Improve or Protect Water Quality, Increase or Protect Water Quantity, Protect/Improve/Provide Habitat for Birds, Protect/Improve/Provide Habitat for Fish/Shellfish, Protect/Improve/Provide Habitat for Other Wildlife.
ERAP Adaptation/Mitigation Actions Addressed: Monitoring.
Stressors addressed: Chronic Higher Tides/Nuisance Flooding; Increase in Extreme Events (coastal flooding/storm surge); Increasing Drought; Increasing Inland Flooding (largely rain-based); Sea Level Rise and Subsidence; Warmer Summers; Warmer Waters; Warmer Winters
Total Project Budget: $200,000 ($100,000 Federal, $100,000 State)
Project Period: September 2025 – May 2028
Project Description: This project will provide critical data on baseline microplastic loading in lower Galveston Bay watersheds and quantify the treatment potential of different NbSI projects to reduce microplastic loading by (1) monitoring background levels of microplastic pollution in major contributing waterways to Galveston Bay, and (2) determining the treatment potential of various NbSI installments for removing microplastic pollution from stormwater. Comparative statistics of microplastic concentrations among the contributing drainages will be investigated to identify the sub-watersheds with the largest microplastic pollution, and greatest treatment potential for consideration for installment of additional NbSI projects.

CCMP Actions Implemented: NPS-1, NPS-2, NPS-4, PHA-3, SPO-2, SPO-3
Grantee/Contractor: BPA
Subwatersheds: Clear Creek
Total Project Budget: $30,000 (Fiscal 2025 $15,000 Federal, $15,000 State)
Project Period: September 2024 – August 2026
Project Description: By focusing on pet waste education and TST monitoring, this project seeks to improve water quality, reduce pollution, and enhance the ecological health of the Clear Creek watershed and Galveston Bay. Key activities include distributing educational materials, installing pet waste stations, and training volunteers for water quality monitoring and riparian evaluation. Through these efforts, the project will foster environmental stewardship and strengthen collaborations among stakeholders to better protect the Clear Creek watershed.

CCMP Actions Implemented: NPS-1, NPS-4
Grantee/Contractor: Texas A&M AgriLife
Subwatersheds: Jarbo Bayou, Bastrop Bayou, Highland Bayou, Dickinson Bayou
Total Project Budget: $63,847 (Fiscal 2025 $63,847 State)
Project Period: September 2024 – August 2026
Project Description: The project will deliver resources to local government leaders on permeable alternatives to conventional pavement to support wider implementation of permeable materials in infrastructure projects. A white paper will be developed following engagement with local decision makers and practitioners, providing a financial comparison of permeable and conventional options to arm local governments in furthering permeable pavement adoption in the Lower Galveston Bay watershed.

CCMP Actions Implemented: NPS-1, NPS-2, NPS-4, PS-1, PS-2, PS-3, PHA-3
Grantee/Contractor: UHCL
Subwatersheds: Mustang Bayou, Persimmon Bayou, New Bayou
Total Project Budget: $104,859 (Fiscal 2025 $104,859 State)
Project Period: September 2024 – August 2026
Project Description: The objective of this project is to make the application of rapid molecular methods used to detect the contamination of waterways with human waste a more routine methodology used by water quality professionals in the Galveston Bay watershed. To achieve this, the Performing Party will evaluate a rapid method of concentrating bacteriophages from water samples. In parallel, undergraduate students at the University of Houston Clear Lake will apply proteomic and genomic methods to identify the source of Enterococci species isolated from water samples. These complementary approaches to microbial source tracking will be validated by targeted sampling of a system, Mustang Bayou (Fort Bend and Brazoria counties), which is chronically contaminated with Fecal Indicator Bacteria (FIB). Methods and results will be shared in a workshop and other outreach activities to support implementation of Microbial Source Tracking (MST) protocols by local and regional stakeholders and water quality managers.

CCMP Actions Implemented: NPS-1, NPS-2, NPS-4
Grantee/Contractor: H-GAC
Subwatersheds: Greens Bayou
Total Project Budget: $30,000 (Fiscal 2025 $30,000 State)
Project Period: September 2024 – August 2026
Project Description: The Houston-Galveston Area Council (Performing Party) is currently working with the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) on a Clean Water Act Section 319 watershed protection plan (WPP) development project for Greens Bayou, which was initiated in December 2023 and continues through August 2027. The effort will produce an Environmental Protection Agency 9-Element watershed-based plan and conduct nonpoint source pollution education and outreach elements during the course of the project.
Funding under this project will be used to support the existing federal funding and local match for the project, as supplemental local match. The intended use of the funds will be to cover staff time and related allocation expenses (fringe, indirect, and other) for stakeholder coordination, outreach and education, and support of Galveston Bay Estuary Program programming and messaging.

CCMP Actions Implemented: NPS-1, NPS-4, PHA-3, HC-3, FWI-3, SPO-2
Grantee/Contractor: Texas AgriLife
Total Project Budget: $57,894 (Fiscal 2024 $28,947 Federal, $28,947 State)
Project Period: September 2023 – December 2025
Project Description: The lower Galveston Bay watershed has a multitude of urban and suburban communities and numerous impaired waterbodies, most of which have a WBP and groups actively working to improve water quality. These factors make it an excellent location to pilot a new type of soil health workshop. Workshops will encourage a vision of lawns, landscaped areas, and tracts of undeveloped land as productive ecosystems. This project is a first step in bringing soil back into the conversation for urban and suburban landowners. Implementation of these practices would have a profound impact on local water quality by reducing both stormwater runoff and NPS pollution.

CCMP Actions Implemented: NPS-1, PHA-4, PHA-5, RES-1, RES-2, RES-3
Grantee/Contractor: United States Geological Survey
Total Project Budget: $86,000 (Fiscal 2024 $43,000 Federal, $43,000 State)
Project Period: September 2023 – May 2026
Project Description: The purpose of this project is to expand upon these studies and fill the gaps in our understanding of the spatial and temporal distribution of microplastics in Galveston Bay and its tributaries by:

• targeting tributaries and locations in the bay that could not be included in the previous two studies;
• potentially revisiting sites of interest based on analytical results and/or identified patterns in the previous two studies; and
• targeting new locations based on findings of other GBEP funded projects.

CCMP Actions Implemented: NPS-2, NPS-3, PEA-2
Grantee/Contractor: Texas Water Resources Institute (TWRI)
Total Project Budget: $82,661 (Fiscal 2024 $41,330.50 Federal, $41,330.50 State)
Project Period: September 2023 – November 2025
Project Description: Soil Crop Sciences (SCSC), TWRI, and Biological and Agricultural Engineering (BAEN) at Texas AgriLife plan to coordinate with HCC to develop a minimum of two different types of GSI demonstration sites for greenspaces at the HCC Katy Campus. Interactive signage will also be developed for each demonstration to promote informal learning around the design and function of GSI elements. BAEN, SCSC, and TWRI will also work closely with the Harris County horticulture agents and the Texas Community Watershed Partners to consult on the demonstration sites’ design and procuring supplies and plants for development. The students in the landscape design program at HCC will spearhead upkeep and maintenance of the project area after the project period.

CCMP Actions Implemented:  NPS-1, NPS-3
Grantee/Contractor: Houston Advanced Research Center
Total Project Budget: $81,703 (Fiscal 2024 $81,703 State)
Project Period: September 2023 – December 2025
Project Description: The objective of this project is to develop strategic Green Infrastructure (GI) Best Management Practice (BMP) recommendations in support of the Double Bayou Watershed Protection Plan by integrating bacteria source tracking (BST), watershed-based modeling, and stakeholder outreach. This project will undertake the following tasks: 1) a BST assessment, 2) Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT+) modeling, 3) GI BMP implementation strategy development, and 4) stakeholder outreach. This project leverages two additional funded projects, 1) Implementation of the Double Bayou Watershed Protection Plan: Monitoring, Coordination, and Stakeholder Outreach (Double Bayou Implementation 11/01/22-08/31/25) and 2) the Texas Bacterial Source Tracking Program (Bacteria Source Tracking 8/01/22-04/30/24).

CCMP Actions Implemented: NPS-2, NPS-3, NPS-4, PHA-2, HC-3, SC-1, SPO-1, SPO-2, SPO-4, PEA-1, PEA-2, PEA-3, RES-6, RES-7, ACS-2
Grantee/Contractor: Vision Galveston
CWA Benefits: Coastal Resilience, Flood Control, Improve or Protect Water Quality, Improve/Increase Educational or Recreational Opportunities, Protect/Improve/Provide Habitat for Birds, Protect/Improve/Provide Habitat for Other Wildlife.
EPA Areas of Special Interest Implemented: Reduce Nutrient Pollution to Protect Water Quality and Public Health, Make Investments to Address Recurring Extreme Weather Events and Increase Resilience, Engage All Communities.
ERAP Adaptation/Mitigation Actions Addressed: Stakeholder Outreach: Education, Monitoring, Implementation of WBPs, Preservation/Conservation/Restoration, Promote Native Habitat. Stressors addressed: Changes to Land Use and the Built Environment (infrastructure); Chronic Higher Tides/Nuisance Flooding; Increase in Extreme Events (coastal flooding/storm surge); Increasing Drought; Increasing Inland Flooding (largely rain-based); Sea Level Rise and Subsidence; Warmer Summers; Warmer Waters; Warmer Winters
Total Project Budget: $401,416
Project Period: September 2025 – May 2028
Project Description: Through this project, Vision Galveston will install Nature-based Stormwater Infrastructure (NbSI) to alleviate flooding, tree damage, and equipment deterioration, and enhance usability at Jones Park, a neighborhood park in Galveston, Texas. The project will include the removal of any existing equipment followed by construction of the stormwater system. Bioswales will include underground stormwater detention and irrigation connecting to the City of Galveston’s drainage system. Native vegetation will be planted by the community and landscaped, and signage will be installed to provide interpretive information about the low-impact system. HARC/GTRI as a subgrantee will assess the effectiveness of the NbSI and monetary value provided by the nature-based solutions following the completion of their construction.

CCMP Actions Implemented: NPS-1, HC-1, HC-2, HC-3, SC-1, SC-2, FWI-3, SPO-1, RES-6
Grantee/Contractor: Houston Parks Board
CWA Benefits: Coastal Resilience, Erosion Control, Flood Control, Improve or Protect Water Quality, Improve/Increase Educational or Recreational Opportunities, Increase or Protect Water Quantity, Protect or Preserve Open Space, Protect/Improve/Provide Habitat for Birds, Protect/Improve/Provide Habitat for Other Wildlife, Restore Natural Hydrology.
EPA Areas of Special Interest Implemented: Reduce Nutrient Pollution to Protect Water Quality and Public Health, Make Investments to Address Recurring Extreme Weather Events and Increase Resilience, Engage All Communities.
ERAP Adaptation/Mitigation Actions Addressed: Stakeholder Outreach: Education, Implementation of WBPs, Preservation/Conservation/Restoration, Promote Water Conservation and Reuse, Promote Native Habitat.
Stressors addressed: Changes to Land Use and the Built Environment (infrastructure); Increasing Drought; Increasing Inland Flooding (largely rain-based); Warmer Summers; Warmer Waters; Warmer Winters
Total Project Budget: $150,000
Project Period: September 2025 – August 2028
Project Description: Through this project HPB will develop a conservation plan for the Bayou Greenways system that will provide guidance for conservation site restoration and prioritization in the City of Houston, Texas. This plan will build upon the internal mapping process (in-kind), and reference completed internal documents such as BMP guidance documents and HPB’s Integrated Pest Management Plan to provide a final map of potential conservation sites for restoration. These maps will provide the basis for the community stakeholder input and help in the final ranking of all sites. HPB will produce the final Bayou Greenways Conservation Plan reflecting both the internal evaluation process and the external stakeholder process.

CCMP Actions Implemented: All
Grantee/Contractor: Houston Advanced Research Center/Geotechnology Research Institute (HARC/GTRI)
CWA Benefits: Coastal Resilience, Improve/Increase Educational or Recreational Opportunities.
EPA Areas of Special Interest Implemented: Engage All Communities.
ERAP Adaptation/Mitigation Actions Addressed: Stakeholder Outreach: Education, Monitoring. Stressors addressed: Changes to Land Use and the Built Environment (infrastructure); Chronic Higher Tides/Nuisance Flooding; Increase in Extreme Events (coastal flooding/storm surge); Increasing Drought; Increasing Inland Flooding (largely rain-based); Ocean Acidification; Population Increase; Sea Level Rise and Subsidence; Warmer Summers; Warmer Waters; Warmer Winters
Total Project Budget: $359,184.00
Project Period: September 2025 – May 2028
Project Description: The State of the Bay Report has been the hallmark publication of GBEP since the first edition was published in 1994. In 2020, the State of the Bay, Fourth Edition, summarizing monitoring data, research findings, and management actions along with information describing historical resource use and modern social and economic features of the lower Galveston Bay watershed, was recreated and updated online at stateofgalvbay.org. All information is presented in the context of the GBP, 2^nd Edition, and progress towards its implementation. The State of the Bay, Fifth Edition will incorporate information from GBEP’s Regional Monitoring Database, Estuary Resilience Action Plan, and Habitat Mapping portal, along with data and monitoring information available through 2025. The State of the Bay, Fifth Edition will present an analysis of 2-3 key priority focus themes currently impacting the Galveston Bay ecosystem and its stakeholders, as selected by the stakeholder-led subcommittees.

CCMP Actions Implemented: SC-1, SPO-2, SPO-3, RES-2, RES-3, RES-8, ACS-1, ACS-2
CWA Benefits: Coastal Resilience, Improve or Protect Water Quality, Improve/Increase Educational or Recreational Opportunities, Increase or Protect Water Quantity.
EPA Areas of Special Interest Implemented: Make Investments to Address Recurring Extreme Weather Events and Increase Resilience.
ERAP Adaptation/Mitigation Actions Implemented: Monitoring, Research.
Stressors addressed: Ocean Acidification; Warmer Summers; Warmer Waters; Warmer Winters
Grantee/Contractor: Houston Advanced Research Center (HARC)
Total Project Budget: $278,800 (Federal Fiscal 2024 $278,800)
Project Period: September 2024 – May 2027
Project Description: This project will provide baseline assessments of OCA in Galveston Bay that will allow for comparisons of carbonate system variability and effects on shellfish communities in Galveston Bay estuaries. Ocean acidification is driven by elevated atmospheric cardon dioxide_. OCA is primarily driven by regional factors such as inflows (high carbon dioxide, low pH water) and eutrophication and is exacerbated by ocean acidification. OCA is a threat to our oceans and estuaries and to life forms that rely on carbonate-based shells and skeletons, such as oysters, shrimp, and crab. Although there is continuous monitoring of some variables that may influence shellfish health in Galveston Bay such as water temperature, salinity, freshwater inflows, and water levels, there is no continuous monitoring of carbonate system parameters such as pH, dissolved oxygen, or the partial pressure of carbon dioxide.

CCMP Actions Implemented: HC-3, SC-1, SC-2, SPO-1, PEA-3
CWA Benefits: Coastal Resilience, Erosion Control, Flood Control, Improve or Protect Water Quality, Improve/Increase Educational or Recreational Opportunities, Protect or Preserve Open Space, Protect/Improve/Provide Habitat for Birds, Protect/Improve/Provide Habitat for Other Wildlife.
EPA Areas of Special Interest Implemented: Reduce Nutrient Pollution to Protect Water Quality and Public Health, Make Investments to Address Recurring Extreme Weather Events and Increase Resilience, Engage All Communities, Reduce Trash.
ERAP Adaptation/Mitigation Actions Implemented: Stakeholder Outreach: Education, Preservation/Conservation/Restoration, Promote Native Habitat.
Stressors addressed: Changes to Land Use and the Built Environment (infrastructure); Increase in Extreme Events (coastal flooding/storm surge); Increasing Drought; Increasing Inland Flooding (largely rain-based); Population Increase; Warmer Summers; Warmer Waters; Warmer Winters
Grantee/Contractor: City of Houston Parks and Recreation Department (HPARD)
Total Project Budget: $295,000 (Federal Fiscal 2024 $295,000)
Project Period: September 2024 – May 2027
Project Description: Herman Brown Park contains 670 acres of riparian forest habitat along Hunting Bayou and is a nature preserve protected from development by city ordinance. Phase 1 of this project will enhance 230 acres of forested habitat located on the southern side of the park.
The habitat enhancement will include identifying and removing invasive species and planting native species throughout the management area. The restoration efforts will support the local ecosystem by restoring historical plant communities throughout the site and along Hunting Bayou. These riparian forests help to improve water quality by reducing NPS pollution, decrease erosion, and help to mitigate flooding.
Additionally, HPARD will work with a subcontractor to create a Habitat Management Plan to guide HPARD in future maintenance of the park.

CCMP Actions Implemented: NPS-2, PHA-2, RES-2, HC-2, HC-3, FWI-3, SPO-1, SPO-3, SPO-4, PEA-2, PEA-3
CWA Benefits: Coastal Resilience, Improve or Protect Water Quality, Improve/Increase Educational or Recreational Opportunities, Increase or Protect Water Quantity, Protect or Preserve Open Space, Protect/Improve/Provide Habitat for Birds, Protect/Improve/Provide Habitat for Other Wildlife.
EPA Areas of Special Interest Implemented: Reduce Nutrient Pollution to Protect Water Quality and Public Health, Make Investments to Address Recurring Extreme Weather Events and Increase Resilience, Engage All Communities.
ERAP Adaptation/Mitigation Actions Implemented: Stakeholder Outreach: Education, Implementation of WBPs, Preservation/Conservation/Restoration, Promote Water Conservation and Reuse, Promote Native Habitat.
Stressors addressed: Changes to Land Use and the Built Environment (infrastructure); Chronic Higher Tides/Nuisance Flooding; Increase in Extreme Events (coastal flooding/storm surge); Increasing Drought; Increasing Inland Flooding (largely rain-based); Population Increase; Sea Level Rise and Subsidence; Warmer Summers; Warmer Waters; Warmer Winters
Grantee/Contractor: GBF
Total Project Budget: $336,000.00 (Federal Fiscal 2024 $336,000)
Project Period: September 2024 – August 2026
Project Description: This project will create a showcase for green infrastructure and coastal resiliency by providing functional and applicable examples of water conservation and reuse, and habitat protection and enhancements. The TBDC demonstration site will host a series of environmental education events for the Channelview community through K-12 programing, teacher development workshops, science nights, and other community events.

CCMP Actions Implemented: NPS-3, HC-3, SC-1, SC-2, SPO-1
CWA Benefits: Coastal Resilience, Flood Control, Improve or Protect Water Quality, Improve/Increase Educational or Recreational Opportunities, Protect or Preserve Open Space, Protect/Improve/Provide Habitat for Birds, Protect/Improve/Provide Habitat for Other Wildlife.
EPA Areas of Special Interest Implemented: Reduce Nutrient Pollution to Protect Water Quality and Public Health, Make Investments to Address Recurring Extreme Weather Events and Increase Resilience, Engage All Communities.
ERAP Adaptation/Mitigation Actions Implemented: Stakeholder Outreach: Education, Preservation/Conservation/Restoration, Promote Native Habitat.
Stressors addressed: Changes to Land Use and the Built Environment (infrastructure); Increase in Extreme Events (coastal flooding/storm surge); Increasing Drought; Increasing Inland Flooding (largely rain-based); Population Increase; Warmer Summers; Warmer Waters; Warmer Winters
Grantee/Contractor: Houston Parks and Recreation Department (HPARD)
Total Project Budget: $140,000.00 (Federal Fiscal 2022-2023 $390,000)
Project Period: March 2024 – May 2026
Project Description: The Coastal Savannah and Riparian Habitat Restoration Project will restore 24.5 acres of coastal prairie, wetland, and savannah habitat in E.R. and Ann Taylor Park and 21 acres of riparian forest in Furman Greenspace in Harris County, Texas. Houston Parks and Recreation Department’s Natural Resources Management Program will restore four kinds of key habitats that have been lost throughout the Houston Region: riparian forest, savannah, prairie, and wetland ecosystems. The restoration projects will provide ecosystem and community resilience by restoring and enhancing vital ecosystems, increasing rainwater capture through infiltration, and trapping and filtering nonpoint source pollutants as runoff from adjacent urban development. Community and volunteer planting projects will allow citizens to be involved in the creation of these critically endangered ecosystems.

CCMP Actions Implemented: SPO-1, SPO-2, SPO-3, SPO-4
CWA Benefits: Improve/Increase Educational or Recreational Opportunities.
EPA Areas of Special Interest Implemented: Engage All Communities.
ERAP Adaptation/Mitigation Actions Implemented: Stakeholder Outreach: Education, Stakeholder Outreach: Alerts/Risk, Monitoring, Implementation of WBPs, Preservation/Conservation/Restoration, Research, Promote Water Conservation and Reuse, Promote Native Habitat.
Stressors addressed: Changes to Land Use and the Built Environment (infrastructure); Increase in Extreme Events (coastal flooding/storm surge); Increasing Drought; Increasing Inland Flooding (largely rain-based); Population Increase; Sea Level Rise and Subsidence; Warmer Summers; Warmer Waters; Warmer Winters
Grantee/Contractor: UHCL
Total Project Budget: $146,655.00 (Federal Fiscal 2022-2023 $125,000.00; State Fiscal 2025 $21,655.00 State)
Project Period: October 2024 – March 2026
Project Description: In conjunction with GBEP, UHCL, and partners, KPRC-TV, will use the reach of their broadcast signal to communicate Back the Bay and other project messaging on a grand scale to the Houston Designated Market Area (DMA) and simultaneously communicate targeted messaging on behalf of stakeholders within underserved/underrepresented communities. As an environmental marketing partner, KPRC-TV will be able to provide extensive reach for messaging that benefits the entire DMA, while strategically building customized plans for the stakeholders. The created, customized media, utilizing TV as well as targeted digital assets, will educate and engage Houston and surrounding areas on the importance of protecting and sustaining living resources. Products will include:

• Houston Life segments (TV Campaign with 30 x 30 second commercials)
• Production of 30 second commercials used for TV and digital
• Banner ads and streaming commercials on Click2Houston.com

The seven key initiatives are as follows:

• The 9^th Addition to Coastal Heritage Preserve,
• Drought and Water Conservation Outreach Campaign,
• White Oak Bayou Riparian Restoration Project,
• Stopping Plastics and Litter Along Shorelines (SPLASh) in Houston’s Bayous and Beyond,
• Targeted Microplastics Monitoring in The Waters of Galveston Bay and Its Tributaries,
• River, Lakes, Bays N’ Bayous Trash Bash® (Trash Bash®), and
• Tracking Perkinsus Marinus (Dermo) Infection in Sun-Cured Oysters: Informing Oyster Shell Recycling Programs in Galveston Bay.

CCMP Actions Implemented: HC-1, SC-1
CWA Benefits: Coastal Resilience, Improve or Protect Water Quality, Improve/Increase Educational or Recreational Opportunities, Protect or Preserve Open Space, Protect/Improve/Provide Habitat for Birds, Protect/Improve/Provide Habitat for Other Wildlife.
EPA Areas of Special Interest Implemented: Make Investments to Address Recurring Extreme Weather Events and Increase Resilience, Engage All Communities.
ERAP Adaptation/Mitigation Actions Implemented: Preservation/Conservation/Restoration, Promote Native Habitat.
Stressors addressed: Changes to Land Use and the Built Environment (infrastructure); Increase in Extreme Events (coastal flooding/storm surge); Increasing Drought; Increasing Inland Flooding (largely rain-based); Population Increase; Sea Level Rise and Subsidence; Warmer Summers; Warmer Waters; Warmer Winters
Grantee/Contractor: Armand Bayou Nature Center (ABNC)
Total Project Budget: $390,000.00 (Federal Fiscal 2022-2023 $390,000)
Project Period: March 2024 – May 2026
Project Description: The Middle Armand Bayou Protection Project is focused on preserving 1,065 acres of coastal habitat through fee-simple acquisition in Harris County, Texas. The targeted tract contains habitats that are representative of the Texas Gulf Coast: wetland forest, coastal tall grass prairie, and the non-channelized estuarine Armand Bayou and its surrounding wetlands. The survival of these vulnerable ecosystems is vital for the 370 species of wildlife that depend upon them, for people seeking the wonder and comforts of nature, and for the range of ecosystem services they provide, including storm water retention, flood abatement and water quality improvement.

CCMP Actions Implemented: NPS-1, NPS-2, NPS-3, NPS-4, PS-2, PHA-3, SPO-2, SPO-4, PEA-1, PEA-2, PEA-3
CWA Benefits: Improve or Protect Water Quality, Improve/Increase Educational or Recreational Opportunities.
EPA Areas of Special Interest Implemented: Reduce Nutrient Pollution to Protect Water Quality and Public Health, Engage All Communities.
ERAP Adaptation/Mitigation Actions Implemented: Implementation of WBPs.
Stressors addressed: Increase in Extreme Events (coastal flooding/storm surge); Increasing Inland Flooding (largely rain-based); Population Increase; Sea Level Rise and Subsidence
Grantee/Contractor: H-GAC
Total Project Budget: $365,000 (Federal Fiscal 2022-2023 $365,000)
Project Period: March 2024 – August 2026
Project Description: Through this project, H-GAC will:

• Identify target communities and qualifying recipients for OSSF repair or replacement
• Coordinate with authorized agents and local officials
• Coordinate with and implementation of watershed-based plans
• Repair or replace failing OSSFs
• Conduct homeowner education and outreach on the operation and maintenance of OSSFs

As part of the “Water Quality Outreach Implementation for Vulnerable Rural Populations” project, H-GAC will use interactive tools and regional water quality data to identify and generate a list of vulnerable populations. A stakeholder group will then review and provide input on final vulnerable populations identified. GBEP will work with H-GAC to try and select communities above the 80th percentile of demographics identified in the EJ Screen tool. Communities for this project will be selected from the previously developed list.
Failing OSSFs can allow inadequately treated wastewater to enter surface groundwater resulting in numerous water quality and human health concerns. The repair or replacement of failing OSSFs results in an improved effluent quality and a reduction in the amount of nutrients entering the environment.

CCMP Actions Implemented: HC-1, HC-2, HC-3, SC-1, SC-2
CWA Benefits: Coastal Resilience, Improve or Protect Water Quality, Improve/Increase Educational or Recreational Opportunities, Protect or Preserve Open Space, Protect/Improve/Provide Habitat for Birds, Protect/Improve/Provide Habitat for Other Wildlife.
EPA Areas of Special Interest Implemented: Make Investments to Address Recurring Extreme Weather Events and Increase Resilience, Engage All Communities.
ERAP Adaptation/Mitigation Actions Implemented: Stakeholder Outreach: Education, Preservation/Conservation/Restoration, Promote Native Habitat.
Stressors addressed: Changes to Land Use and the Built Environment (infrastructure); Chronic Higher Tides/Nuisance Flooding; Increase in Extreme Events (coastal flooding/storm surge); Increasing Drought; Increasing Inland Flooding (largely rain-based); Population Increase; Sea Level Rise and Subsidence; Warmer Summers; Warmer Waters; Warmer Winters
Grantee/Contractor: GBF
Total Project Budget: $390,000 (Federal Fiscal 2022-2023 $390,000)
Project Period: March 2024 – May 2026
Project Description: The Salt Bayou Acquisition and Restoration Project is focused on preserving approximately 25 acres of coastal habitat through fee-simple acquisition in Galveston County, Texas. GBF will coordinate with local partners to acquire, restore, and enhance approximately 25 acres of coastal prairie in the underserved community of San Leon, Texas. The goals of this proposal are 1) acquire 25 acres of coastal prairie; 2) conduct treatment of invasive plant species; and 3) create public access opportunities which may include a natural-surface walking path and/or interpretive signage. The acquisition will kickstart the project, which is a multi-faceted initiative utilizing land conservation, public access, and green infrastructure to create a natural preserve to provide wildlife habitat and recreational opportunities.

CMP Actions Implemented: NPS-2, HC-2, SPO-1, SPO-2, SPO-3, PEA-1, PEA-2, PEA-3, RES-3, ACS-2
CWA Benefits: Improve or Protect Water Quality, Improve/Increase Educational or Recreational Opportunities, Protect/Improve/Provide Habitat for Birds, Protect/Improve/Provide Habitat for Fish/Shellfish, Protect/Improve/Provide Habitat for Other Wildlife.
EPA Areas of Special Interest Implemented: Engage All Communities, Reduce Trash.
ERAP Adaptation/Mitigation Actions Implemented: Stakeholder Outreach: Education, Preservation/Conservation/Restoration, Promote Native Habitat.
Stressors addressed: Changes to Land Use and the Built Environment (infrastructure); Increase in Extreme Events (coastal flooding/storm surge); Increasing Drought; Increasing Inland Flooding (largely rain-based); Population Increase; Sea Level Rise and Subsidence; Warmer Summers; Warmer Waters; Warmer Winters
Grantee/Contractor: American Bird Conservancy (ABC)
Total Project Budget: $353,600 (Federal Fiscal 2022-2023 $353,600)
Project Period: February 2024 – August 2026
Project Description: In conjunction with GBEP and partners ABC’s Stopping Plastics and Litter Along Shorelines (SPLASh) program will target Texas Education Agency (TEA) Region 4 students, City of Houston communities, and the greater Houston-Galveston region in order to mitigate the trash and plastic pollution problems that threaten the health of humans and wildlife in the greater Galveston Bay Watershed. Through community outreach, educational programming, and trash clean-up events focused in the City of Houston with an emphasis on the areas surrounding Sims and Brays Bayous, the project’s goal is to foster a sense of stewardship and community pride in City of Houston residents and decrease the amount of trash and plastic pollution in Houston waterways which in turn will decrease the amount of pollution in the Greater Galveston Bay watershed.