State of the Bay Report for Tampa Bay
The National Estuary Program was established by the Clean Water Act Amendments of 1987 to protect nationally significant estuaries threatened by pollution, development, and overuse. National Estuary Programs (NEPs) combine the knowledge and talents of citizen and technical advisors, senior government officials and staff, and elected officials (working through a Management Conference) to develop sound scientific information about the estuary and to promote effective management solutions to identified problems. Tampa Bay was designated an estuary of national significance by Congress in 1990, laying the foundation for the creation of the Tampa Bay Estuary Program (TBEP) in 1991.