About Clean Coast Texas

Our Mission Clean Coast Texas works to ensure vibrant and sustainable eco-tourism industries through planning, constructed improvements, environmental analysis, technical resources, and partnership activities that enhance water quality management. Who We Are Clean Coast Texas is an initiative of the Texas General Land Office  Coastal Management Program’s Coastal Nonpoint Source Pollution program. Clean Coast Texas collaborates with communities at the nexus of water quality and stormwater runoff, hazard mitigation, and resiliency to sustain strong economies throughout the Texas Gulf Coast. The Texas General Land Office serves as the lead state agency with program efforts coordinated by The Harte Research Institute at Texas A&M University- Corpus Christi in collaboration with Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service Disaster Assessment and Recovery, The Meadows Center for Water and the Environment at Texas State University, Texas Sea Grant, Coastal Bend Council of Governments, Halff Associates, Doucet & Associates, and Anchor QEA The Texas Coastal Zone is an important ecological and recreational area whose water quality is challenged by pollution, wastewater discharge, and runoff from rapid development. For more information on the Texas Coastal Zone, click here . Who We Serve Clean Coast Texas serves coastal communities by providing local the general public with information and tools to better manage stormwater quality and quantity. The tools and guidance provided throughout this website can help Texas coastal communities implement measures to reduce the impact of development on the environment and protect the natural resources that support a thriving Gulf Coast economy. If you are a resident of the coastal zone and want to learn more about the unique features of the Texas coast, our impacts on the region, and what you can do at home to improve the water quality of our region, click here . If you are an elected already know about coastal nonpoint source pollution and are here for technical guidance on ways to implement stormwater best management practices, upgrade existing developments, or model an ordinance to address stormwater runoff, click here . LEARN MORE Program History Recognizing the need to enhance the management of the nation's coastal natural resources, Congress passed the Protecting Coastal Waters Act in 1990, also referred to as §6217 of the Coastal Zone Act Reauthorization Amendments (CZARA). The act requires every state participating in a Coastal Nonpoint Source Program to develop and implement management measures that mitigate non-point source pollution and restore and protect coastal waters. To meet these new requirements, the Texas General Land Office (GLO) worked with other state agencies to establish the Texas Coastal Nonpoint Source Pollution Control Program in 1996 under the leadership of the Texas Coastal Management Program . Texas submitted its Nonpoint Source Pollution Program to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for review in 1998 and received conditional approval in 2003. Since then, Texas has worked closely with NOAA and EPA to ensure all management measures are sufficiently met. As a result, in May 2022, NOAA and EPA granted Texas full approval of its Coastal Nonpoint Pollution Control Program. Administered by GLO, the Texas Coastal Nonpoint Source Pollution Program comprises six networked agencies that coordinate to implement approved management measures. The responsibilities of each agency are described below. These agencies coordinate programs and staff activities on an ongoing basis. Regular meetings and communications among program staff are frequent. Image Program Reports