About Back the Bay

Mission

The preservation of Galveston Bay for Generations to come.

Our Purpose

To provide comprehensive ecosystem management through collaborative partnerships and to ensure preservation of the bay’s multiple uses.

2005
Introduced
History of Back the Bay

Back the Bay was created by the Galveston Bay Estuary Program as an education campaign to engage and inspire the Houston-Galveston community in conservation through everyday lifestyle and habit changes. Learn about how Back the Bay has evolved over the years.

2005
Introduced
The Back the Bay Campaign

Galveston Bay Council members and stakeholders named the lack of public awareness as one of the greatest challenges facing the Bay’s future health. Addressing this challenge was a very high priority in the Galveston Bay Strategic Action Plan (2005-2015).

2011
The Pilot Campaign

The Galveston Bay Estuary Program created Back the Bay to help address this priority by increasing awareness about the Bay’s value among the public. To gauge its effectiveness, extensive research was conducted pre and post pilot and throughout campaign implementation to measure outcomes and to define and redefine target audiences and messages. A small pilot-campaign began in Pearland and Friendswood, Texas, to decide what messages were most impactful.

2012
Campaign Expanded in Media

Back the Bay significantly increased media exposure though a website campaign and messaging adapted to recreational uses of Galveston Bay like hunting, boating, and fishing. A partnership with Houston NBC affiliate KPRC Channel 2 created TV banners that scrolled the Back the Bay logos and website across targeted programming.

2015
Campaign Expands to Bayous

Back the Bay added Back the Bayous to the campaign to help communities feel more connected to Galveston Bay. The message was distributed at events throughout the Houston-Galveston region on stickers, reusable totes, posters, and in media. The Back the Bay website was also updated and included specific tips and resources on how the public could help preserve Galveston Bay.

2017
Focus on Marine Debris

Back the Bay expanded its outreach with 14 TV stations providing 30-second highlights on trash and marine debris and additional radio spots broadcast on 13 radio stations including Spanish language media.

2023
Campaign Transitions to a Resource Website

Back the Bay campaign has officially transformed to a resource page where the community and partners can find:

▪ Education and stewardship resources to engage users to become more involved in conservation, recreation, and preservation around Galveston Bay.
▪ A comprehensive list of partner organizations that work with GBEP to meet our mission of preserving Galveston Bay for generations to come.
▪ Contact information to have GBEP provide a program, presentation, or outreach booth for your group or event.
▪ Increased access to public information on the health and status of Galveston Bay: Past, Present, and Future...

Galveston Bay 101

What is an Estuary

An estuary is an area where freshwater flowing from rivers, bayous, and streams blends with salty seawater. The mixing of the two kinds of water results in a rich environment for an abundance of plants and animals. Many marine organisms—such as shrimp, oysters, crabs, and numerous fish species—find food and shelter in the estuary during their juvenile phases.

The Galveston Bay Estuary Program focuses on the lower Galveston Bay watershed, which includes the surface water below Lake Livingston and Lake Houston; all of which flows into Galveston Bay.

With an area of over 600 square miles, Galveston Bay is the largest bay in Texas and 7th largest in the U.S.

Over 50% of the population of the state of Texas lives in the Galveston Bay Watershed, with over 5.5 million people in the Houston-Galveston region.

Galveston Bay has over 230 miles of shoreline and an average depth of seven feet.

Galveston Bay is fed by the Trinity River and San Jacinto River watersheds.

The upper portions of the Trinity River watershed reach almost to the Texas-Oklahoma border.

About the Galveston Bay Estuary Program (GBEP)

GBEP is a non-regulatory program of the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality. It was established in 1989 as part of the U.S. EPA’s National Estuaries Program (NEP) and is one of 28 NEPs, and one of only two in Texas.

GBEP primarily operates in the lower Galveston Bay watershed which is defined as the 4,000 square-mile area draining to the bay downstream of two major impoundments: Lake Houston on the San Jacinto River, and Lake Livingston on the Trinity River. Due to its proximity to Galveston Bay, the lower portion of the watershed has a more direct influence on the water quality of the bay, but the combination of human and agricultural influences from the upper watershed also directly contributes to the water quality of the system. Learn More About the Galveston Bay Estuary Program at https://gbep.texas.gov.  

The Galveston Bay Plan, 2nd Edition (GBP) is the comprehensive conservation and management plan that serves as a roadmap for the future health of Galveston Bay allowing GBEP and partners to fulfill its purpose and achieve its goals. 

The GBP serves as a guiding document, identifying environmental issues and suggesting action-based solutions to achieve restoration and preservation of the bay. With the help of GBEP stakeholders, partners, non-profit organizations, and state and federal agencies, the GBP developed four categories of focus, or Plan Priorities, which address the most pressing issues facing Galveston Bay. 

PLAN PRIORITY
1

ENSURE SAFE HUMAN AND AQUATIC LIFE USE
The Galveston Bay estuary is one of the most productive in the country through commercial fishing, tourism, and oyster harvesting. Water quality is a key indicator of the health of the bay, therefore improving water quality and promoting public health through awareness are steps necessary to protect the health of the bay.

PLAN PRIORITY
2

PROTECT AND SUSTAIN LIVING RESOURCES
The region has experienced a significant shift in land use due to population growth which has led to habitat loss and fragmentation. Habitat loss, fragmentation, and other impacts affect surface water quality, reduces biodiversity, and disrupts the food chain.

PLAN PRIORITY
3

ENGAGE
COMMUNITIES
With 95 percent of households in the Houston-Galveston region being within five miles of a major body of water, protecting and promoting the health of our natural resources is important. A resilient Galveston Bay depends on an informed and supportive public that feels personally invested in making decisions that improve its health.

PLAN PRIORITY
4

INFORM SCIENCE-BASED DECISION MAKING
Galveston Bay is a complex, dynamic system influenced by ever-changing human interactions and natural processes. Given these changes affect the people, habitats, and species of Galveston Bay, the information collected through monitoring and research is essential in managing implementation activities.