TWDB/TGLO TxBlend Matagorda Bay Currents

Texas Water Development Board (TWDB), in partnership with the Texas General Land Office (TGLO) Oil Spill Prevention and Response effort, maintains near real-time and forecast simulations of water circulation in the major bays for use in the event that an oil spill occurs within Texas bays. For bays with heavy ship traffic, these models quickly provide information to TGLO responders on the potential path of an oil spill by predicting water current direction and speed throughout the bay. TWDB has models for Sabine Lake, Galveston Bay, Matagorda Bay, Corpus Christi Bay, and San Antonio Bay. The TWDB Hydrodynamic and salinity model (TxBLEND) is a computer model designed to simulate water circulation and salinity conditions in estuaries. The model is based on the finite element method, employs triangular elements with linear basis functions, and simulates movements in two horizontal dimensions.