Although the data available is not comprehensive, it provides Coastal Bend residents with a report card on NPS pollution contained in regional runoff. As a component of CBBP development, the characterization report lays the scientific groundwork for initial development of management action plans. There are many factors which determine the amount of pollution carried by runoff. Some factors such as climate, soil characteristics and surface topography are beyond the control of human activity.
Climactic conditions influence precipitation and the amount of runoff generated.
Soil characteristics influence chemical and physical interactions with pollutants. The relatively flat land throughout the Coastal Bend acts to reduce flow velocity in the runoff, reducing the sediment component of NPS pollution. The other major factor determining NPS pollution is land management which is a controllable human influence. Evidence indicates that land modified by human activity is more likely to increase runoff and that the type of activity influences the pollutants found in the runoff. Urban NPS data for the report were compiled from the City of Corpus Christi's National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System permit sampling program.