While many organisms in an estuary help filter pollutants being carried into the bays and estuaries from upstream sources, there is much more we can do to keep the watershed clean and help life flourish in the coastal regions. Marshes are critical components of bay and estuary ecosystems. To ensure health of the Bay, it is vital to understand how various freshwater inflows impact marsh vegetation. The River Authority studies Inflow Scenarios for San Antonio Bay Modeling by evaluating potential effects changes in freshwater flows have on the marsh vegetation in the Bay. This study helps measure how freshwater influences the plant’s growth cycles.
Other scientific studies being undertaken by The River Authority include the St. Charles Bay Marsh Restoration Study and the Marsh Vegetation Sampling, in addition to supporting funding for a salinity and tidal Gage in the San Antonio Bay. No matter how close or far you live from the San Antonio Bay, you can help protect it by simply keeping the land free of pollutants such as lawn chemicals, oil, litter, and pet waste. Your actions will prevent storm water from carrying them to a waterway like the San Antonio River and eventually, to a coastal bay. Click here to learn more about how taking care of our watershed is helping take care of the San Antonio Bay.