CCA Texas Approves $503,000 in Habitat Project Funding

8,000 Tons of Rip-Rap Goes Into Sabine HI-54 Shallow Site

Friends of Sabine Reefs (FSR) along with Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD), CCA Texas, and Building Conservation Trust (BCT) moved forward with the next phase of deployments into the new HI-54 Shallow site, located roughly 1.9 miles off Sea Rim State Park and roughly 9 miles from the Sabine Pass jetties. Once again, the local business community was a part of the success of this effort. Port Arthur LNG (PALNG) donated 8,000 tons of rip-rap and transportation costs to get the materials to the Port City docks in Sabine Pass. The deployment was possible because of contributions from PALNG, Cheniere, Golden Pass LNG, Phillips 66, Motiva, and Valero. Along with the local community contributions, CCA Texas contributed $223,000 to the effort to ensure that all 8,000 tons of rip-rap were deployed into the new site. This is the second deployment into the new HI-54 Shallow site following one in June 2024.

“Since 2018 when Friends of the Sabine Pass Reefs was created using the Friends of the Rio Grande Valley Reef as our model, we have been able to create two artificial reefs, HI-20 and HI-54 Shallow,” commented Friends of Sabine Pass Reefs representative, Mic Cowart. Cowart continued, “Our first experience with HI-20 was no doubt one with a lot of growing pains but, with the collaboration of groups including Friends of Sabine Pass Reefs, CCA Texas, TPWD Artificial Reef Program, Laredo Construction and others that came together for the HI-54 Shallow deployment, I think we have assembled a Team that has the expertise, assets, and most importantly, a passion for creating and sustaining marine ecosystems in the Gulf of Mexico. With this Team, the future of artificial reef development is unlimited!”

CCA Texas is excited to help bring the Friends of Sabine Reefs reefing goals to reality and to provide nearshore angling opportunities to the general public. The new HI-54 Shallow site provides a unique angling site for anglers in the Golden Triangle to easily reach by boat, and when conditions are right, kayak off the beach-front of Sea Rim State Park. This new site should hold an abundance of recreationally-sought species such as redfish, spotted sea trout, cobia and more. To date, Friends of Sabine Reefs have secured $710,000 in local industry contributions, CCA Texas has contributed $754,000, and in-kind contributions from Port City, BOMAC, Eldridge Construction, and Laredo Group have all made the Sabine Reef Initiative a reality to benefit the eco-system and recreational anglers.

Galveston Island State Park – Lake Como and Dana Cove Oyster Reef Project

CCA Texas has committed $200,000 in funds to match a contribution of $200,000 from Building Conservation Trust for the Lake Coma and Dana Cove Oyster Reef project. Dana Cove and Lake Como encompass over 200 acres of important coastal bay habitats between West Bay and the northern shoreline of Galveston Island State Park (GISP). Previously restored marsh complexes and rock breakwaters protect estuarine habitat within the cove. This coastal complex provides valuable habitat for numerous species of fish and wildlife.

The objective of this project is to develop an effort to enhance existing coastal habitat within this area. Efforts will include the placement of oyster shell material to create an intertidal oyster reef and bird island habitat adjacent to the north shoreline of Galveston Island State Park. The project will directly benefit avian and estuarine fish species by enhancing the existing habitat, which will support recreational fishing and birding opportunities within the park. The hard substrate will be suitable for oyster and encrusting species attachment and enhance oyster habitat in these protected coves that are not open to harvest. In addition to protecting and increasing valuable habitats, the project will also improve water quality and provide storm surge protection to the adjacent shoreline.

The project within Dana Cove and Lake Como will be unique in that it will utilize shell material from the University of Houston Coastal Center’s (UHCC) Texas Institute for Coastal Prairie Research and Education. This shell has been on site for decades and remains intact to be used as a cultch material to recruit future sets of oyster spat and grow into a healthy and bio-diverse habitat.

Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) will work cooperatively with the Texas Parks and Wildlife Foundation (TPWF) and the Coastal Conservation Association/Building Conservation Trust (CCA) and The Institute to implement the project.

Ayers Reef Restoration Monitoring

In November 2022, the Mesquite Bay complex was closed to all forms of oyster harvest from just north of the 2^nd Chain of Islands (Ayers Bay) to Carlos reef. Restoration efforts are in progress to begin the restoration of reefs in this complex, and to create critical shoreline stabilization with the creation of oyster reefs in identified areas. One of the first projects will be a restoration and protection effort on the eastern end of Ayers reef. With these efforts comes the requirements of pre- and post- monitoring by US Army Corp of Engineers (USACE) permits and funding grants. The typical grant funding for post- monitoring is 12 – 18 months. CCA Texas and Building Conservation Trust (BCT) strongly support longer post monitoring periods to ensure methods and locations of restoration efforts are successful and beneficial. CCA Texas has approved $40,000 in matching funds to match a $40,000 grant from BCT to increase post- monitoring efforts by Texas A&M – Corpus Christi and Harte Research Institute.

Kate’s Hole Living Shoreline

Coastal Bend Bays and Estuaries Program has secured funds from CITGO’s Caring for Our Coast program to develop a living shoreline to create habitat and protect the public access parking lot at Kate’s Hole in Corpus Christi Bay. While planning is still in the works, the early proposal is to create the living shoreline with bagged oyster shells and grass plantings, and to create a volunteer effort to construct this living shoreline. CCA Texas has committed up to $40,000 to help fund this effort scheduled to take place in 2025.