Both quantity and quality of freshwater inflows to Texas estuaries have become important issues in water rights and discharge permitting activities. Nutrient content of bay waters and loading to the bays are issues in wastewater discharge regulation and for water rights decisions. Too much can be harmful. Key nutrient processes and elements of loading The amount of nutrients at work in the bay depends on how much goes in and the processes that control them.
Nutrients get into the bay in a number of ways.
For this to be meaningful and effective, we must include all the important processes. The nutrient budget process provides a basis for assessing potential affects of system alterations in the context of all sources and sinks. A balance of inputs and losses also tests our knowledge of the system. If the amount of materials which cannot be accounted for is large, then important sources, sinks, or processes have been overlooked. By quantifying budget components, the relative importance of physical, geochemical, and biological processes are revealed, and the comparative magnitudes of components may be related to sensitivity of the system to changes in those components.