PREFACEIX I. FROM BAYOU TO BAYOU CITY j 2. A HARDWORKING BAY25 3. RECREATIONAL RICHES51 4. HURRICANES AND FLOODS71 S. BAY POLITICS91 6. THE CONTAINER PORT JUGGERNAUT 3 I I 7. DESTINATIONS I S 3 S EVENTS 5 1 . 9 9. HOPES AND FEARS175 RESOURCES187 BIBLIOGRAPHY207 INDEX217 DownattheendofmystreetlapsGalvestonBay.Atsixo'clockonawintermorninginthecrispairofanorther, dawnturnstheskytoapaleapricotdomeandcastsacopperysheenoverthewater.Leaflessbranchesframethe gleamingview.Shipsglidethroughtheframe.Whenfogcreepsoverthecoast,Iwakelisteningtoafoghorn'sboom. Whentheairisstillandshrimpboatsareout,urgentifincomprehensibleradioexchangesofshrimpersarecarried overthewater. Sometimesthebaymakesalotofnoise,whenthewaterandtheshoreareatoddsduringabigblow.Bydayit offersthebeautyofpelicans,terns,ospreys,andheronsofseveralkinds.Atnightthehaymakesablackreachof quietinthelightbubbleofgreaterHouston;yousensethedeepeningdarkasyougetclose.Iliketheshipsand shrimpboats,theseafoodsmells,andthewispygrassesthatlooksoyieldingyetsupportsomuchsmalllife.But mostly,Ijustlikethehaybecauseitisthere. ThishookisintendedasacelebrationofGalvestonBay.Alongmuchofitsshorejustgettingtotheedgecanbe difficultbecausethewaterwayisboxedinbyalargepopulationcenterwithamajorportandanenormous concentrationofpetrochemicalplants.Wherecanwegotoenjoythebay'Isitsafetoeattheoysters?Howareweto understandthelowterrainofacoastalestuarywherelandandwatermerge,creatinganedgeofuncertainidentity' PerhapsitisanadvantagetohavegrownupinminingtownsofthehighgrasslandinteriorofSouthAfricaandto havelivedintheArizonadesert,bothsodifferentfromthemarshesanddampwoodsoftheTexascoast:Iknowthat everyplacehasengagingqualities,andmyjobistofigureoutwhattheyare.Uponmovingherein1988,Iwas excitedtolearnthatalligatorsoccupythecreekatourhackboundary,justafewhundredyardsfromthehay. WatchingthehayisahabitIacquiredfrommyneighborSoniaDoty,whomadeapointofdoingthisnightlyfor years.Armedwithabeer,shewouldperchatthebottomofherbayshoregardenandtakeinwhateverwasathand- gulls,ships,windsurfers,smallboats,purplemartins,clouds. Knowinglittleabouthowestuarieswork,Isignedupin1989forashortcourseonbayecologyofferedat ArmandBayouNatureCenter.Thecourseprovidedsomeimportantintroductions.Onewastothespecialmagicofa bayouatnight.Stoppingonthenaturecenter'sboardwalktoenjoytheSpanishmossdrapingthetreesinthe moonlight,Iheardascreech-owlcall,andthenawhippoorwill-hintsofhowtheareafeltwhenitwaswild.Asecond introductionwastotheGalvestonBayFoundation(GBF),thenthenewchampionofhayecology.Oneoftheother studentstakingthecourse,LindaShead,wouldsoonbecomethefoundation'sexecutivedirector. Mycoursenotestellmethatsalinityintheopenoceanisthirty-sixpartsperthousand.IntheGulfofMexicoitis thirty-two,andinGalvestonBayabouttwenty-five,goingdowntofiveorsixpartsperthousandinArmandBayou. Overmuchofitsarea,thehay'sdepthisonlysixtotenfeet.Atthetime,thesewerejustnumberstome,thefirst buildingblocksinmygraspofwhatlowsalinityandsun-warmedshallowwatercando. DougMyers,theinstructor,emphasizedthatpeoplelivingaroundGalvestonBayshouldtrytolearnfromthe mistakesandtriumphsoftheChesapeakeBaycommunityinunderstandingestuarydynamicsandintackling problems.Attwohundredmileslong,ChesapeakeBaywasthelargestestuaryinthenation,hesaid,hometomore thantwenty-sevenhundredspeciesofplantsandanimalsandbiologicallyoneofthemostproductivesystemsinthe world.H.L.Menckencalledit"animmenseproteinfactory."Mining,agriculture,industry,andurbandevelopment, however,allcontributedtoitspollutionload,nearlyresultinginitsdeath.Thehaythatproduced120millionpounds ofshuckedoystermeatin188oproducedonly20millionpoundsofoystersinTheChesapeakeBayFoundationwas formedinthetopromotepublicawarenessofthecrisis. TheGBFwas lookingatsimilarkinds ofproblems:industrialpollution,runoffhearingpesticides andexcessive nutrients, and a serious reduction of submerged aquatic vegetation. A good deal less was then known about GalvestonBaythanisnowknown,andnotjustbecauseofthenormalmarchofscienceovertheinterveningyears. There was an extraordinary push going on for better understanding of the bay as a whole, and I began to consider writingahookaboutit. SketchesnototherwisecreditedarefromanarchiveofworkbyFrederickWeis.HelivednearGalvestonBayinEl lardin del Mar and portrayed the area and its occupants in numerous pencil drawings, ink sketches, andpaintings. Weisbelievedintheimportanceofarttothecommunity,andhisbaysidedrawingsspansomefortyyears.Courtesy ofEllardinCommunityAssociation. Alsoappearinginmycoursenotesarethenamesofseveralotherpeoplecrucialtothehayconservationeffort. Ata1989GBFmeetingtowhichalltheArmandBayoucourseregistrantswereinvited-ameetingaboutWallisville DamandproposeddeepeningoftheHoustonShipChannel-1firstheardtheauthoritativevoiceofthedoyenofbay biologists,BobMcFarlane.PhotographerJimOlivegaveaslideshowabouttherichesoftheestuary,justashe woulddoatecotourismsymposiainSeabrookin2001and2002,attheTexasCoastalTreasuresconferenceheldby theGeneralLandOfficein2002,andatmanyanothergatheringinbetween.Irecordedthetelephonenumberofthe mainspeakerfortheevening,theindefatigableJimBlackburn,whoremainsatthesamephonenumberatthetime ofwriting,evermoresharplyactiveasaprotagonistforthehay. IoweaconsiderabledebttoMaryBethMaher,EllynRoof,andNatalieO'Neill.Havingspottedmeat environmentaleventssuchaslocalEarthDaycelebrations,Natalienudgedmetowardcloserinvolvementinbay advocacy.MaryBethtookoverwhereNatalieleftoff,makingsureIwasfullyengaged,andeventuallysupplying thewherewithalformetoaccelerateworkonthisbookfromaslowshuffletoatrot;someoftheartworkisalso hers.EllynpassedmechoicemorselsofinformationfromthirtyyearsofactivismandconnectedmewithRichard W.(Dick)Bricker,whogenerouslysuppliedphotographs.Besidesrecordinginterestingwatercraft,hisphoto specialtyislargearchival-qualityinkjetprintsoncanvas,forframing. MyneighborDruDicksonwasarewardingfriend,keepinganeyepeeledformaterialImightfindusefuland alwaysgenerousingivingmyfamilyuseofherbeachforpicnicking,swimming,andsailing.HarveyTidwell, publisherofthemonthlyBayRunner.providedvaluablesupportbyacceptingaseriesofmyenvironmentalarticles aboutthebay.OtherstowhomIamgratefulforwisdomandfriendshipandforguidingmythinkingaremy husband,JustinWilkinson;hayactivistsNancyEdmonson,LarryTobin,andKatieChimenti;andwetlandsscientist JohnJacob.Anyfumblesoffactorjudgmentare,ofcourse,myown. Mychildren,KateandMark,havefoundtheirownwaysofenjoyingthehay.Asbabies,theyplayedinitswarm shallows.Markdiscoveredhowtohaveafinetimeonaskimboard,tossingthethinovaloninches-deepwaterata run,thenspringingontothehoardtoplanealong.Hewashavingfunevenduringthehighwaterofstorms,while