Fresh water from the Colorado River into West Matagorda Bay greatly influences estuarine biological productivity by lowering salinity, increasing nutrients and providing sediment. Knowing what the bay needs for ecological health is vital to LCRA's proper management of water supply.

Although Texas law does not mandate specific freshwater inflow needs, state policy calls for "the maintenance of a proper ecological environment of the bays and estuaries of Texas and the health of related living marine resources."

What is a proper ecological environment, and what does it take to maintain it? To shed light on the matter, LCRA and the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, Texas Water Development Board and Texas Commission on Environmental Quality agreed to update the 1997 Matagorda Bay Freshwater Inflow Needs Study. This study along with another, more comprehensive look at Matagorda Bay health criteria being conducted as a part of the LCRA-SAWS Water Project studies will be used in future planning and permitting activities. See the  final 2006 Matagorda Bay Freshwater Inflow Needs Study.