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Galveston Bay is located on the Texas coast and is the second
largest estuarine complex in the region. The system is composed
of four bays: East Bay, West Bay, Galveston Bay and Trinity Bay,
and includes numerous other small embayments. It is separated
from the Gulf of Mexico by the Bolivar Peninsula, Galveston
Island and Follets Island with tidal exchange occurring through
the Bolivar and San Luis Passes. Freshwater inflow into the bay
is provided by the Trinity and San Jacinto Rivers. The bay is
surrounded by the urban, commercial, and industrial complexes of
Houston, Texas City and Galveston. Galveston Bay has been
declared an estuary of national significance by the
Environmental Protection Agency National Estuary Program and the
area surrounding the bay system is bordered by coastal plains
and marshes. The Christmas Bay Coastal Preserve, a shallow
embayment located in its southwestern portion, is a unique high
quality subsystem of estuary that