Local Estuary Programs
This page provides links to non-federal government sites. Exit
Currently, 28 estuaries located along the Atlantic, Gulf, and Pacific coasts and in Puerto Rico are designated as estuaries of national significance. These local programs are part of the National Estuary Program (NEP). Each NEP focuses within a study area that includes the estuary and surrounding watershed. Below are documents and links for each estuary program.
Individual Estuary Program Websites
- Albemarle-Pamlico National Estuary Program
- Barataria-Terrebonne National Estuary Program
- Barnegat Bay Partnership
- Buzzards Bay National Estuary Program
- Casco Bay Estuary Partnership
- Charlotte Harbor National Estuary Program
- Coastal Bend Bays and Estuaries Program
- Delaware Center for the Inland Bays
- Galveston Bay Estuary Program
- Indian River Lagoon National Estuary Program
- Long Island Sound Study
- Lower Columbia Estuary Partnership
- Maryland Coastal Bays Program
- Massachusetts Bays National Estuary Program
- Mobile Bay National Estuary Program
- Morro Bay National Estuary Program
- Narragansett Bay Estuary Program
- New York-New Jersey Harbor Estuary Program
- Partnership for the Delaware Estuary
- Peconic Estuary Program
- Piscataqua Region Estuaries Partnership
- Puget Sound Partnership
- San Francisco Estuary Partnership
- San Juan Bay Estuary Partnership
- Santa Monica Bay Restoration Foundation
- Sarasota Bay Estuary Program
- Tampa Bay Estuary Program
- Tillamook Estuaries Partnership
Comprehensive Conservation and Management Plans
Each of the 28 National Estuary Programs was charged with developing and implementing a Comprehensive Conservation and Management Plan (CCMP) that establishes priorities for activities, research and funding for the estuary. The CCMP serves as a blueprint to guide future decisions and addresses a wide range of environmental protection issues, including:
- water quality
- habitat
- fish and wildlife
- pathogens
- land use
- introduced species
Each CCMP is based on a scientific characterization of the estuary and is developed and approved by a broad coalition of stakeholders.
For more information about CCMPs, contact the NEP directly:
- Albemarle-Pamlico Sounds CCMP
- Barataria-Terrebonne CCMP
- Barnegat Bay Partnership CCMP
- Buzzards Bay CCMP
- Casco Bay CCMP
- Charlotte Harbor CCMP
- Coastal Bend Bays and Estuaries CCMP
- Delaware Inland Bays CCMP
- Galveston Bay CCMP
- Indian River Lagoon CCMP
- Long Island Sound CCMP
- Lower Columbia Estuary Program CCMP
- Maryland Coastal Bays Program
- Massachusetts Bays CCMP
- Mobile Bay
- Morro Bay
- Narragansett Bay
- New York-New Jersey Harbor CCMP
- Partnership for the Delaware Estuary CCMP
- Peconic Bay CCMP
- Piscataqua Region Estuaries Partnership CCMP
- Puget Sound Partnership
- San Francisco Estuary CCMP
- San Juan Bay, Puerto Rico
- Santa Monica Bay
- Sarasota Bay CCMP
- Tampa Bay CCMP
- Tillamook Bay
NEPs on Social Media
- Facebook
- Albemarle-Pamlico Sounds NEP
- Barataria-Terrebonne Estuary Program
- Barnegat Bay Partnership
- Casco Bay Estuary Partnership
- Charlotte Harbor National Estuary Program
- Coastal Bend Bays & Estuaries Program
- Delaware Inland Bays Estuary Program
- Partnership for the Delaware Estuary
- Galveston Bay Estuary Program
- Long Island Sound Study
- Lower Columbia River Estuary Partnership
- Maryland Coastal Bays Program
- Mobile Bay National Estuary Program
- Morro Bay National Estuary Program
- New York - New Jersey Harbor Estuary Program
- Peconic Estuary Program
- Piscataqua Region Estuaries Partnership
- Puget Sound Partnership
- San Francisco Estuary Partnership
- San Juan Bay Estuary Program
- Santa Monica Bay Restoration Foundation
- Sarasota Bay Program
- Tampa Bay Estuary Program
- Tillamook Estuaries Partnership
- Twitter
- Albemarle-Pamlico Sounds NEP
- Barataria-Terrebonne Estuary Program
- Barnegat Bay Partnership
- Casco Bay Estuary Partnership
- Delaware Center for the Inland Bays
- Long Island Sound Study
- Lower Columbia River Estuary Partnership
- Maryland Coastal Bays Program
- Mobile Bay National Estuary Program
- Morro Bay National Estuary Program
- Partnership for the Delaware Estuary
- Peconic Estuary Program
- Piscataqua Region Estuaries Partnership
- "Puget Sound Starts Here" Program
- Puget Sound Partnership
- San Fransisco Estuary Partnership
- San Juan Bay Estuary Program
- Santa Monica Bay Restoration Commission
- Sarasota Bay Estuary Program
- YouTube
- Barataria-Terrebonne Estuary Program
- Barnegat Bay Partnership
- Charlotte Harbor National Estuary Program
- Coastal Bend Bays and Estuaries Program
- Delaware Center for the Inland Bays
- Long Island Sound Study
- Lower Columbia River Estuary Partnership
- Mobile Bay National Estuary Program
- Morro Bay National Estuary Program
- New York-New Jersey Harbor Estuary Program
- Partnership for the Delaware Estuary
- "Puget Sound Starts Here" Program
- Puget Sound Partnership
- San Francisco Estuary Partnership
- San Juan Bay Estuary Partnership
- Santa Monica Bay Restoration Commission
- Sarasota Bay Estuary Program
- Tampa Bay Estuary Program
- Photo Sharing (Flickr/Instragam/Pinterest)
- Albemarle-Pamlico Sounds NEP (Flickr)
- Barnegat Bay Partnership (Instagram)
- Casco Bay Estuary Partnership (Flickr)
- Delaware Center for the Inland Bays (Instagram)
- Lower Columbia River Estuary Partnership (Instagram)
- Morro Bay National Estuary Program (Instagram)
- Partnership for the Delaware Estuary (Flickr)
- Partnership for the Delaware Estuary (Instagram)
- Peconic Estuary Program (Instagram)
- "Puget Sound Starts Here" Program (Flickr)
- Puget Sound Partnership (Flickr)
- Santa Monica Bay Restoration Commission (Instagram)
- Santa Monica Bay Restoration Commission (Flickr)
- Sarasota Bay Estuary Program (Instagram)
- Tampa Bay Estuary Program (Pinterest)
State of the Bay Reports
Barataria-Terrebonne National Estuary Program
Barnegat Bay Partnership
Buzzards Bay National Estuary Program
Casco Bay Estuary Partnership
Coastal Bend Bays and Estuaries Program
- The State of the Bay, A Report for the Future, Part 1
- The State of the Bay, A Report for the Future, Part 2
Lower Columbia Estuary Partnership
Delaware Center for the Inland Bays
Partnership for the Delaware Estuary
Galveston Bay Estuary Program
Indian River Lagoon National Estuary Program
Long Island Sound Study
Maryland Coastal Bays Program
Massachusetts Bays National Estuary Program
Mobile Bay National Estuary Program
Morro Bay National Estuary Program
New York-New Jersey Harbor Estuary Program
- State of the Estuary 2012: Environmental Health and Trends of the New York-New Jersey Harbor Estuary
Peconic Estuary Program
Piscataqua Region Estuaries Partnership
- Piscataqua State of Our Estuaries Report (Formerly New Hampshire Estuaries Project)
Puget Sound Partnership
San Francisco Estuary Partnership
Santa Monica Bay Restoration Commission
Sarasota Bay Estuary Program
Tampa Bay Estuary Program
Tillamook Estuaries Partnership
NEP Videos, Virtual Tours and Photo Gallery
On this tab:Videos and Virtual Tours
Take a virtual tour to some of our National Estuary Programs (NEPs)! See what their estuaries look like as you kayak through or fly overhead. Discover the challenges they are facing and solutions they have proposed or developed. Find out why estuaries are so vital and important to our lives.
Barataria–Terrebonne National Estuary Program
- Barataria-Terrebonne Video Gallery — View videos online or request DVD copies.
Barnegat Bay National Estuary Program
- Barnegat Bay Video Gallery (Flash) — Learn about the NEP's efforts to protect and restore the bay.
Casco Bay Estuary Partnership
Charlotte Harbor National Estuary Program
- The Network of an Estuary: Charlotte Harbor National Estuary Program (Flash) — Understand the value of Charlotte Harbor, the importance of the NEP and issues of concern and actions undertaken by the Program's partners.
- Boating and Seagrasses, 8 minutes, 2006 (Flash)
- Where the Rivers meet the Sea: 1. Estuaries (Flash) (General Charlotte Harbor)
- Where the Rivers meet the Sea: 2. Watersheds (Flash) (Stormwater runoff)
- Where the Rivers meet the Sea: 3. Animals (Flash)
- Where the Rivers meet the Sea: 4. Seagrasses (Flash) (Minimize damage from boating)
- Where the Rivers meet the Sea: 5. Mangroves (Flash)
Partnership for the Delaware Estuary
- Delaware Bay Oyster Restoration (Flash) — A brief history of Delaware Bay oysters; from their heyday in the 1800s and early 1900s, to modern-day restoration that is crucial to their survival.
Delaware Center for the Inland Bays
- Delaware Inland Bays Video Gallery (Flash) — View life in and around Indian River Bay and Little Assawoman Bay.
Galveston Bay Estuary Program
- "A Day on Galveston Bay" (Windows Media Player) — Visit Galveston Bay and learn about the efforts of the NEP.
Long Island Sound Study
Mobile Bay National Estuary Program
Morro Bay National Estuary Program
- Bay Stories — In celebration of the 20th anniversary of the Morro Bay National Estuary Program, these videos visit with some locals whose lives are intertwined with the bay and the estuary.
Sarasota Bay Estuary Program
- Our Vision, "Sarasota Bay: Celebrating Our Water Heritage" (Flash) — Visit the waters of Sarasota Bay and learn about the restoration and recovery of the ecosystem.
Tillamook Estuaries Partnership
- TEP Area Profile: Aerial Tour (QuickTime) — Fly overhear and learn more about the Tillamook estuary.