Phase III of St. Charles Bay Living Shoreline

CCA Texas and partners have joined Harte Research Institute (HRI) in the construction of Phase III of the St. Charles Bay Living Shoreline project. This project started in mid-April 2022, and is expected to be completed by the end of May 2022. The project is located along the shores of the Big Tree unit of Goose Island State Park.  Dr. Jennifer Beseres-Pollack with HRI and Texas A&M Corpus Christi (TAMUCC), and her team have been the lead for this project since its inception.   

The first phase of the project was completed in early August 2017, just weeks before Hurricane Harvey’s landfall. Seven reef segments measuring 40 meters long by 10 meters wide and 0.3 meters tall were built along the shore of the park. The new reefs made it through Hurricane Harvey remarkable well and set the stage for future expansion. 

The second phase was completed in September 2020. In this phase an additional ten reef beds were constructed, completing a second row of reef beds and beginning a third row. 

Phase III is underway as this article is being written. Phase III will consist of twenty new reef beds, completing the third row began in Phase II, and adding a fourth and fifth row in deeper waters. These twenty new reef beds include four shallow reef beds next to the shore and near the mouth of Cow Chip Cove. The construction of these reef beds has been a combination of recycled oysters from the Sink your Shuck oyster shell recycling program at HRI, locally processed shell, and limestone rock.

CCA Texas and BCT are proud to continue supporting this critically important project in St. Charles Bay. This project exemplifies the importance of oyster reefs in our eco-systems, including shoreline protection for nearby critical whooping crane habitat, and providing a seed source for adjacent reefs and bays. To date, CCA Texas and BCT have contributed $485,000 to the three phases of the project. These funds include $150,000 from Lone Star Breweries and another $60,000 from Cheniere Energy & Coastal Bend Bays and Estuaries granted to CCA Texas and BCT for this habitat work.

The St. Charles Bay reef project backs the undeniable scientific justification for sanctuary reefs and bay systems. Sanctuary reefs provide: seed source for adjacent reefs; serve as habitat for hundreds of aquatic species; provide recreational fishing opportunities; offer numerous ecological benefits; determine currents; and slow water surges and shoreline erosion.

CCA Texas remains committed to the conservation of oyster reefs along the coast through habitat restoration and creation initiatives. CCA Texas will maintain a continued presence and participation in changing current management practices in the oyster fishery that will yield a more sustainable fishery for first and foremost to the benefit of the eco-systems up and down the coast. As new management practices are advocated for and modified, please be sure to provide your comments and opinions to TPWD and others for the long term health of our bays and estuaries.