about the bay

The Matagorda and San Antonio Bay estuaries are situated between Galveston and Corpus Christi and cover almost 700 square miles of the central Texas coast. The mainland fringe is comprised of large expanses of coastal prairie dotted with oak mottes, bisected by coastal streams and river bottoms, and punctuated with freshwater marshes and tidal wetlands. Clear, cool water flows from Texas hill country streams and aquifers down the San Antonio, San Marcos, Guadalupe and Colorado rivers and mixes with the salty waters of the Gulf of Mexico near the towns of Seadrift and Matagorda. The critical freshwater flows moderate salinity, and supply crucial sediments and nutrients that sustain habitats, bay health and productivity. The unique environment created at the confluence of central Texas Rivers and the Gulf of Mexico is home to incredibly diverse populations of wildlife and fisheries species, migratory waterfowl, and overwintering populations of endangered Whooping cranes.”

OUr Mission

The Matagorda Bay Foundation is dedicated to the wise stewardship of central Texas’ estuaries and the coastal watersheds that sustain the natural resources of the Matagorda, Lavaca, Espiritu Santo and San Antonio Bays.
We envision a state where the relationship between freshwater inflow and a healthy, productive coast is understood and embraced by all Texans; a coast with diverse habitats and abundant wildlife and fisheries resources available for the use and enjoyment of future generations.
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