According to the 2004 Texas Water Quality Inventory, Copano Bay on the Texas Gulf Coast is not suitable for harvesting oysters because of elevated bacteria concentrations from various sources. In addition, recreation in the tidal segments of the Mission and Aransas rivers is impaired by the bacteria, Enterococcus. The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) has implemented the Copano Bay Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) Project to determine the sources of these bacteria and the measures necessary to reduce the bacteria levels in the rivers and bay.
The Copano Bay Water Quality Education project provides educational programs and
demonstrations for land and livestock owners, coordinating with such programs as the
Urban Rancher Program for small landowners and
Lone Star Healthy Streams Program for cattlemen.
The programs and demonstrations will increase awareness of water quality issues and best management practices
(BMPs) that owners can implement to decrease or prevent bacteria from entering waterways.
This project is coordinated with TCEQ's ongoing TMDL program, the implementation plan development, and surface water quality monitoring activities to provide the necessary support to these activities.