Silver Bullets?

The magazine is finished except my editorial and I'm struggling. At reader request I want to address the unfortunate reality of Cedar Bayou, but this is no easy task.

Mid-coast trout and flounder fisheries have declined and fishermen are gung-ho to see the pass restored. However, after many conversations with TPWD biologists and studying all I can on the formation of Texas barrier islands, I am still scratching my head.

Many things are stacked against Cedar Bayou. To begin, the barrier islands are a work in progress that began during the Later Pleistocene. Geologists say river silts transported by littoral currents caused shoals to form along the gulf beach. Over time, the shoals became islands. As they grew, the spaces between them (passes) disappeared. Remnants of ancient washover fans are proof that many passes once existed and Cedar Bayou is one of the last to close. In time, geologists say, all the natural passes will close.

Man is also involved. The ICW directs tidal pulses away from Cedar Bayou and the Guadalupe River now contributes little to the hydrology equation. In the current drought, with many water rights being exercised, the Guadalupe nearly ceases to flow. At Victoria, the city can no longer take what they need without replacing an equal amount from ground wells. A curious plan for obtaining 12,000,000 gallons per day, but economically advantageous compared with treating well water, we are told.

Taking a narrow view, much of current mid-coast fisheries problems can be blamed on the drought. San Antonio and Aransas Bays need freshwater badly. We should also willingly recognize that our tradition of aggressive harvest deserves blame too.

Looking beyond drought, many fishermen believe all that is needed is another mid-coast corridor to "flush the bay" and provide a spawning path. But not all species spawn in the gulf and not all that do are in decline. Without Cedar Bayou, redfish are still finding their way to the gulf, and presumably the crabs and shrimp are capable of the same. However, being more freshwater-dependent, crabs and shrimp are taking a worse beating here lately.

While coastal passes are essential in the maintenance of delicate estuarine balance, the decline of the mid-coast trout and flounder fisheries, and also that of the blue crab, shrimp, and oysters, cannot be undone simply by re-establishing a connection to the Gulf of Mexico at Cedar Bayou. Coastal Fisheries Division's thirty year's of data indicates no correlation between Cedar Bayou being open and greater relative abundance. The Division is not opposed to the pass being opened; they simply have no data or funds to support it.

Based on science, I do not believe opening the pass is the silver bullet fishermen have been hoping for. Consider West Matagorda Bay; if an open pass is all that is missing, the fisheries that are declining further south would be thriving here. But alas, this is not true. The population surveys from this bay, especially trout and flounder, are as disappointing as those from San Antonio and Aransas.

If any silver bullets exist, they would be freshwater inflow and greater conservation of the resources we can manage. Without freshwater, our bays cannot function as estuaries and their historic bounty will fade into history. The San Marcos River Foundation is fighting to preserve Guadalupe River inflow to sustain San Antonio and Aransas Bays. It is a novel concept and one that perplexes river authorities and water managers. SMRF deserves our support and our fisheries need help too. Ask your legislators to support freshwater inflow and practice catch and release.