The major objective of this report is to investigate environmental questions before additional steps can be taken to implement the completion of the Trinity River canalization project. Major consideration is given to: (1) the possible effect that the waters of the Trinity River drainage might have upon the overall biological productivity of its estuary and the greater Galveston Bay system; (2) how much runoff water from the basin must be guaranteed to the Galveston Bay system in order to provide optimum conditions for a smoothly running ecosystem; (3) the possible effect of reduced runoff and subsequently reduced sediment load in maintaining the various habitats and ecological niches in Trinity Bay. Recommendations of the report were: (1) to maintain a vigil against the increase of phosphate in Trinity Bay to guard against inhibition of plant production; (2) to insure that a sufficient river discharge is maintained so that a salinity gradient will exist from river mouth to bay mouth; (3) to permit at least 1,300,000 acre feet of water to be discharged into Trinity Bay to flush the bay twice a year; (4) to establish a minimum one-year environmental monitoring program to acquire the necessary data for continued management of the river discharge needed to maintain productivity in Trinity Bay; (5) to evaluate all hurricane protection levee systems and tidal exchange structures surrounding the Galveston Bay area before any proposed alterations of the Trinity River flow are made; (6) to survey all county and municipal waste disposal criteria to determine whether there is a need for a stricter pollution code or stricter enforcement of the present code. (Author).

Field studies of the seasonal assessment ofthe relationship between the discharges of the Trinity River and Trinity Bay ecosystem was to provide information for possible future controls in order to maintain normal biological productivity levels, botanical, zoological and water quality parameters. Overall biological productivity in a river-fed bay-type estuary is governed by a large number of environmental factors; local runoff and discharge of the river are two of the most important factors of water quality parameters. This study does not include monitoring all point sources of runoff water into Trinity Bay, so interactions of various parameters cannot be determined. Change can be clearly defined simply by relating changes observed in the bay to changes observed in the river and marshes. This study is one of three investigations concerned with Trinity drainage basin and its estuary; and, extends and supplements the previous part of this study. (Author).

The Study of Benthic Communities