Nueces Estuary (Corpus Christi Bay)

The Nueces Estuary is located in the Coastal Bend region of Texas and consists of Nueces Bay, Corpus Christi Bay, and Oso Bay.  The estuary spans 106,990 acres and is separated from the Gulf of Mexico by Mustang Island, although a direct connection to the Gulf exists through the Entrance Channel of the Corpus Christi Ship Channel (Aransas Pass).  This estuary typically receives an average of 587,000 acre-feet of freshwater inflow per year from its major contributing river, the Nueces River.  Also, the Nueces Estuary receives freshwater inflow from Oso Creek via Oso Bay, as well as runoff from surrounding coastal watersheds.  The Nueces Estuary is bordered by San Patricio and Nueces counties, and is located within the boundaries of the Region N (Coastal Bend Region) Regional Water Planning Group.

Selected Nueces Estuary Studies

• Schoenbaechler, C., C.G. Guthrie, J. Matsumoto, Q. Lu, and S. Negusse.  2011.  TxBLEND Model Calibration and Validation for the Nueces Estuary.  July 26, 2011.  Texas Water Development Board, Austin, Texas.  72 pp.
• Schoenbaechler, C., C.G. Guthrie, and Q. Lu.  2011.  Coastal Hydrology for the Nueces Estuary: Hydrology for Version #TWDB201101 with Updates to Diversion and Return Data for 2000-2009.  July 25, 2011.  Texas Water Development Board, Austin, Texas.  20 pp.
• Guthrie, C.G., C. Schoenbaechler, J. Matsumoto, and Q. Lu.  2011.  Comparison of Two Hydrology Datasets, as Applied to the TxBLEND Model, on Salinity Condition in Nueces Bay.  July 11, 2011.  Texas Water Development Board, Austin, Texas.  13 pp.
• Pulich, Jr., W., J. Tolan, W.Y. Lee, and W. Alvis.  2002.  Freshwater inflow recommendation for the Nueces Estuary.  Texas Parks and Wildlife, Austin, Tx.  95pp.
• TDWR.  1981.  Nueces and Mission-Aransas estuaries: A study of the influence of freshwater inflows.  LP-108.  Texas Department of Water Resources, Austin, Tx.  381pp.