**STUDY TITLE**: Texas Barrier Islands Ecological Characterization.

**REPORT TITLE**: Texas Barrier Islands Region Ecological
Characterization Atlas: Socioeconomic and Natural Features Narrative.
Texas Barrier Islands Region Ecological Characterization Atlas:
Biological Resources Narrative. Texas Barrier Islands Region Ecological
Characterization Atlas: Mineral Resources and Selected Oil and Gas
Infrastructures Narrative.

**CONTRACT NUMBER(S)**: BLM: MU9-14; MMS: 14-12-0001-29011.

**SPONSORING OCS REGION**: Gulf of Mexico.

**APPLICABLE PLANNING AREA(S)**: Western Gulf of Mexico.

**FISCAL YEAR(S) OF PROJECT FUNDING**: 1979; 1980; 1981.

**COMPLETION DATE OF REPORT**: February 1984.

**COST(S)**: FY 1979: \$427,000; FY 1980: \$250,270; FY 1981: \$150,000.

**CUMULATIVE PROJECT COST**: \$827,270.

**PROJECT MANAGER(S)**: J. Johnston.

**AFFILIATION**: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

**ADDRESS**: 1010 Gause Boulevard, Slidell, Louisiana 70458.

**PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR(S)\***: F. Hendricks, C. Kimber, K. White.

**KEY WORDS**: Western Gulf; Texas; biology; characterization; barrier
islands; maps; coastal zone; minerals; development; socioeconomics;
recreation; tourism; seagrasses; drainage basin; forestry; habitat;
birds; invertebrates; Gulf of Mexico Region.

**BACKGROUND**: Coastal oil and gas development, affecting both natural
and sociological systems, must compete with other industry, agriculture,
fisheries, commerce, settlement, and recreation for space within the
coastal zone. Economic and political pressure may also rise out of
conflict over natural resource protection and resource use. This study
was initiated to provide information which can aid in developing
policies to facilitate this reconciliation process.

**OBJECTIVES**: (1) To compile and synthesize cartographically those
known aspects of the natural and cultural features of the Texas coastal
zone which might influence land use decisions.

**DESCRIPTION**: The Texas Barrier Island Region extends from the
eastern end of East Bay, Texas to the U.S.-Mexico international border.
The offshore boundary is the State-Federal demarcation line, while the
inland boundary extends approximately 40 miles inland. Three sets of
maps were produced to display information on natural and socioeconomic
features, mineral resources and selected oil and gas infrastructures,
and biological resources. Sixteen maps were compiled at a mesoscale
(1:100,000) on U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) planimetric maps printed on
Mylar. Information was derived from available published and unpublished
maps and reports, personal files, aerial photographs, and field checks.

**SIGNIFICANT CONCLUSIONS**: Oil and gas infrastructure and mineral
resources, socioeconomic and natural resources, and biological resources
of the Texas coastal plain were individually mapped on a series of 16
USGS quadrangle maps at a scale of 1:100,000, creating a map set
comprised of 48 individual maps.

**STUDY RESULTS**: The oil and gas infrastructure section includes
information on onshore and offshore crude oil and gas pipelines;
transfer, processing, and storage facilities for the oil and gas
industry; and port and offshore facilities. Mineral resources topics
included oil and gas fields; sand, clay, and gravel pits; sulphur wells
or mines; geopressured-geothermal areas; and groundwater sources. While
the entire Texas coast includes some oil and gas infrastructure, certain
areas command the greatest development. Along the lower Texas coast,
much of the oil and gas infrastructure was found on the Corpus Christi
Quadrangle. Port Lavaca and Beeville regions represent infrastructure
concentrations along the central coast, while the Houston-Galveston area
represents major concentrations on the upper coast.

Socioeconomic and cultural themes mapped included conservation,
preservation, and recreation areas; point source discharges, water
quality and sewage facilities; public and military lands; historical
sites and archeological areas; major transportation networks and major
natural artificial waterways; and major dredge material disposal sites.
Five national wildlife refuges and one national seashore are found
within the study area. These resources front inland bay and canal waters
except for the Padre Island National Seashore. Eighteen state parks and
recreation areas occur in the study area. Trinity Basin has relatively
few point source discharges, while Galveston Bay has been polluted by
high bacterial concentrations discharging from the San Jacinto River. In
general, central coastal river basins have acceptable water quality
although a high incidence of fecal coliforms caused by livestock
operations are found in the Lavaca Basin. In the San Antonio and Nueces
Basins, water quality is affected by high fecal coliform levels from
municipal wastewater discharges and high total dissolved solids from
open pit discharges of oil field brine and non-point source effluents.
The Arroyo Colorado has low dissolved oxygen and elevated levels of
fecal coliforms, nitrogen, phosphorous, and dissolved solids due to
industrial, municipal, and agricultural wastes. Prison farms are located
in Brazoria and Nueces Counties. Airports are found on all quadrangles
of the coast except the Baffin Bay and Allyns Bight regions. Military
airfields are found in the Houston and Corpus Christi area. Eleven U.S.
Coast Guard stations are situated at the mouths of estuaries and along
navigable channels. Historically, American Indian settlements were
distributed along the entire coast and were generally associated with
riparian settings on high natural levees or river terraces. Most
features on the National Register of Historic Places are found in Harris
County, while region-wide a total of 93 features were mapped. Three
historical parks, three historic sites, and two historic structures are
also mapped. Interstate highways link Houston and Corpus Christi with
other parts of the country. The State and local agencies maintained
approximately 7,000 miles and 32,000 miles of roads in 1976. Galveston
Island has more roads serving the population than any of the other
coastal islands. Seven Class 1 line haul railroads and three Class 2
line haul railroads serve the study area. The greatest concentration of
rail services occurs in the Houston, Angleton, and Galveston areas
(62.6% of the total trackage). Houston is the major hub with important
rail centers at Galveston, Corpus Christi, and Brownsville. Waterways
carry the greatest volume of commercial transportation. Seven deep draft
ship channels are found in Houston, Texas City, Galveston, Freeport,
Matagorda, Corpus Christi, and Brownsville. The Houston Ship Channel
accounts for 23% of the total traffic. Fourteen shallow draft channels
are located in the region, mostly in the northern half of the coast. Six
deep harbors are located at Houston, Texas City, Galveston, Freeport,
Corpus Christi, and Brownsville. The Port of Houston is the largest in
the area. The Gulf Intracoastal Waterway, longest of the artificial
waterways, accounts for one third of the nation\'s total waterway
length. Dredge deposition sites (i.e., from construction of drainage and
irrigation canals) were also plotted.

Twenty-two different species or habitats representing resources of
biological concern were mapped, including the Arctic peregrine falcon
(sighted in 12 Texas counties). Upland game included white-tailed deer,
quail, and furbearers. The white-winged dove is found in the lower Rio
Grande Valley, while Atwater\'s prairie chicken and the bald eagle are
both native to the coastal region. The majority of key finfish areas
were adjacent to seagrass beds and marshes. The seagrass beds are
dominated by shoal grass (*Halodule beaudettei*), widgeongrass (*Ruppia
maritima*), manatee grass (*Cymodocea filiformis*), and turtlegrass
(*Thalassia testudinum*). Oak mottes are the climax communities of the
sandy ridges of the south Texas coastal plain and are important wildlife
areas. Southeastern Texas bottomland hardwood forests are important
habitat for wood ducks. Rio Grande subtropical woodlands support
wildlife such as jagarundi, ocelots, and numerous bird species.
Galveston Bay and Matagorda Bay are top ranked for oyster (*Crassostrea
virginica*) harvests along the coast. Areas of ecological concern were
determined to have high quality natural breeding and wintering habitat
of current demonstrated importance to waterfowl and where a current or
anticipated threat to the habitat exists. Over 90% of the world
population of whooping crane winter in the Copano-Aransas and San
Antonio Bay areas. Shrimp nurseries along the coast support white
(*Penaeus setiferus*), brown (*P. aztecus*), and pink shrimp (*P.
duorarum*). Unique wildlife ecosystems are found at Smith Woods,
Matagorda Island, Welder Flats, Lamar Peninsula, and Southmost Ranch.
Virgin brush habitat is found along the higher elevations of the Rio
Grande floodplain, providing important habitat for key wildlife species.

**STUDY PRODUCT(S)**: Kimber, C. T., K. L. White, and F. S. Hendricks.
1984. Texas Barrier Islands Region Ecological Characterization Atlas:
Socioeconomic and Natural Features Narrative. A final report by the U.S.
Fish and Wildlife Service for the U.S. Department of the Interior,
Minerals Management Service Gulf of Mexico OCS Region, Metairie, LA.
NTIS No. PB85-188076/AS. MMS Report 84-0005. FWS/OBS-82/15. Contract No.
14‑12‑0001‑29011. xiii + 73 pp.

Johnston, J. B. (ed.). 1984. Texas Barrier Islands Region Ecological
Characterization Atlas: Biological Resources Narrative. A final report
by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for the U.S. Department of the
Interior, Minerals Management Service Gulf of Mexico OCS Region,
Metairie, LA. MMS Report 84-0005. FWS/OBS-82/16. Contract No.
14‑12‑0001‑29011. v + 12 pp.

Kimber, C. T., K. L. White, and F. S. Hendricks. 1984. Texas Barrier
Islands Region Ecological Characterization Atlas: Mineral Resources and
Selected Oil and Gas Infrastructures Narrative. A final report by the
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for the U.S. Department of the Interior,
Minerals Management Service Gulf of Mexico OCS Region, Metairie, LA.
NTIS No. PB85-188134/AS. MMS Report 84-0005. FWS/OBS-82/17. Contract No.
14‑12‑0001‑29011. x + 85 pp.

Study products included 48 topical map sheets (1:100,000 scale) of
socioeconomic and natural features; biological resources; and mineral
resources and oil and gas infrastructures within 16 coastal areas (i.e.,
Allyns Bight, Anahuac, Angleton, Baffin Bay, Beeville, Brownsville,
Corpus Christi, El Campo, Freeport, Galveston, Goliad, Harlingen,
Houston, Port Lavaca, Port Mansfield, San Antonio Bay). Separate volumes
of Synthesis Papers (i.e., one ecological synthesis volume, one
socioeconomic synthesis volume) and a single Data Appendix were also
prepared under this contract.

**\*P.I.\'s affiliation may be different than that listed for Project
Manager(s).**