Artificial Reef - Mustang Island

Thanks for the responses. I have to disagree that no drive beaches are imminent. I'm not sure you are familiar with what's been going on here for the last two years. Over 70% of the public voted to take beach access restrictions away from the City of Corpus Christi. That tells me two things. One, people don't want politicians deciding beach access. Two, now any restriction would have to go to a public vote. Not a likely sell. Port Aransas has already gone on record as being committed to maintaining open vehicle access to all their beaches. Add to that the new CC Council, the composition of the Nueces County Parks Board, and other entities, and I think we have a pretty strong position for protecting our beaches. It isn't going to matter who it is suggesting vehicle restrictions, the response will be the same - don't mess with our beaches. This ain't Galveston or South Padre. The idea of compromise regarding erosion is probably reasonable and may gain some support. By the way, if you look at the number of projects planned or under way on Mustang Island you will see that no concessions are needed to encourage development.

Thanks Jcc..

I guess this bares repeating. All of those entities took those positions when no alternatives, or incentives were offer up in the vehicle restricted section of beach.

There was no reef for vehicle restricted SECTION incentive. The Port A Chamber I think would like to see increased revenues for its business owners.

The safety and cleanliness of that SECTION would be greater.

Mustang Island Park is a great example. It is struggling big time. If it had a artificial reef untold numbers of surfers, fishermen and divers would flock there.

There is no way a major vehicle ban for large area of beach in exchange for a reef would EVER pass.

BUT, what about a small section. For a great break, fishing reef and snorkling reef...Maybe only a few hundred yards ?

How can we figure this out. ?

Keep Responding !!!

Dialogue is imperative into putting together a plan that will work for everyone..!


Thanks

Coastal Ben

Well, how about a reef at MISP? The argument could be made to TP&W that a reef would increase usership of the park with a corresponding increase in revenues. That's an idea I think most would support. The other concern is going to be erosion/other outcomes from a reef. I don't know about reefs, but every other manmade structure creates erosion problems somewhere through interupted sand transport or reflected wave energy.

jcc,

check out www.spacecoastreef.com

artificial reefs actually BUILD beach, not create erosion..

Coastal

If you send me your email address I will sent you the Cocoa Beach proposal..

Quote :

Mustang Island Park is a great example. It is struggling big time

Personally, I believe the real reason the MISP is "struggling" is due to the high cost of admission...$4.00 per person everytime you enter!??? South Padre only charges that much PER CAR!

I realize that's way off-topic, but it had to be said...that's something that's bothered me since I started surfing near jetties. All five members of my family surf and $20 bucks a day just to enter the park so we can surf that side of the jetty is ridiculous! Since no one entity maintains the beach completely up to the north side of that jetty, the soft sand piles up to an unaccessible condition if you don't have 4-wheel drive.

In a way I agree. For that price we could justify building an indoor wave pool. But, after all, MISP is just an example of where the reef could go and not the final location. For this thing to get local backing there has to be a benefit to the local economy. MISP is too far from the shops in Port A and the Bob Hall Pier area is also just far enough away for the reef to have a local impact. If the reef was place about a mile south of Horace Caldwell the local shop owners would go hog wild with their support.

Coastal Ben,

How would the effect of having a "near shore" reef jive with the Texas Public Artificial Reefing Program that the TPWD has put together? Everything that I've read from the workshop Q&A indicates that their reefing locations are up to 7 miles offshore but are still considered near shore reefs. Will there have to be a petition to the state or the Army Corps of Engineers because the coastal waters belong to the state? What did the guys in Florida have to do to get where they are now? I'm only concerned because you can get all the funding you want but not get permission from the state.

Hi Rusty,

I am working on the TPWD . I coached a kid for a few years and his mother is a manager at the Aransas office of the TPWD. I am reaching out to her for direction on who to contact.

I'll post up progress.

New Wave R,

Yeah that is steep for admission. Here in Rockport we have Goose Island it is $ 5.00 bucks a head. per day. So needless to say its volume have dropped off.

BUT, Once you surf a nice peeling wave with a defined peak and some hollow sections where you can get a little tube action. That $ 20.oo bucks will slide much easier outta your pocket

Coastal

There is an interesting article in this month's Surfer Mag about artificial reefs for surfing in other parts of the world. This is a great debate and I'm enjoying all of the different points of view...

Here's a link to the article. Very interesting. I'm sold.

http://www.surfermag.com/features/oneworld/reefnelson/index.html

These guys in the surfer mag are the same guys I have been working with. I researched and found them to be the authorities on artificial reef construction. They are willing to meet with us. Right now US is ME and any of you guys ( or gals )who would be willing to help.

While we are on that subject, I NEED some help. If you would like to be more involved please send me a message , I need to get some people organized and start a petition thru some of the surf shops, and some other things.

Thanks Aloha and Rusty.

CB

before this would happen you have to consider a few things you may not be aware of. 1)shrimpers dragging over ,tearing,or moving the reef, 2)impact on natural sandbar configuration and beach replentishment, 3)hurricanes, 4)the inshore oil drilling industry to name just a few.

Gypsyseagod,

Thank you for expressing your interest. Take a look at

www.spacecoastreef.com

ARS is the engineering group out of Australia. They have a U.S.A. rep I have been corresponding with. John and I have been organizing the priliminary elements for presentation.

The reef is located close to the beach the local shrimpers would be un-effected. The reef actually prevents beach erosion and creates a
"Salient" an area of calm water will little current , which actually builds beach.

We have several different options. The latest is a considered joint venture with TPWD at Mustang Island.

We are going to meet with ARS when they come to Texas for a similar project in Galveston.

Details to follow..



Coastal Ben

gypsyseagod,

All good points, however, many of these are addressed by the Texas Parks & Wildlife Department (except hurricanes).

The TPWD will functionally create what is called a Near Shore Reef area. There are currently other Near Shore Reef areas but they are about 5-7 miles offshore and make up plus/minus 160 acres. These areas are clearly marked and are generally off limits to commercial fishermen. There has never been a Near Shore Reef as close to the shore as we are proposing but I'm am hopeful that the same rules will apply. We are also hopeful that the artificial reef will not be a burden on the shrimpers. I would hate for our recreation activities interfere with someone else's livelihood. For more information you can click on the link to the TPWD provided in an earlier post.

The sandbar/configuration and beach replenishment issue may be resolved in the possibility that the reef may actually provide beneficial effects to the shore. This effect has already been proven in New Zealand where significant erosion has been reversed.

Hurricanes.........there's nothing you can do about a hurricane. Board up your house and get to higher ground.

I'm sure that placement of the reef would take any pipelines or rigs into consideration so that there is no interference. Again, I would refer to the Near Shore Reef jurisdiction provided by TPWD.

Keep 'em coming. We need to make sure we have a bullet-proof arguement before this thing gets off the ground.

Rusty

as an ex shrimper and an avid surfer i am for the reef but just so y'all know. shrimping is @ no time permitted within 5 miles of the beach from fish pass to the mexican border. however,certain times of the year shrimping is allowed during the daylight hours as close to the beach as you can get w/out running aground. we have personally drug in 30 ft. of water as close as 1/2 mile to the beach. thats fron around sandcastle drive down to the fish pass line. the reef is a great idea,and the best bet is to put it south of fish pass.

gypsyseagod,

Take a look at the information at this link:

http://www.spacecoastreef.com./index_files/Page934.htm

It gives a good idea of the depth of the reef and also the placement in relation to the shore. Considering your experience in shrimping, can you let us know what effect it could have on shrimpers if it were placed closer to Port A?

i saw the design & the mooring bouys would be great for attracting fish ( so now you would have fishing boats too). but as i was saying about the shrimping closer to port a.,i know these bigger boats that the vietnamese own can drag a wreck hundreds of yards before it rips loose and the aluminum trawl doors they use would definitely rip an eco-bag.you may want to talk tojohn nixon on the polly anna in port a. & get some knowledge of just where the trawling is taking place & get an idea of the equipt used. personally i would recommend installing the reef 200 yards straight out from horace caldwell pier (you will know the break i'm talking about from big spring days & hurricanes) not sure what it would do to the bowl though. and just a note,if you try to restrict trawling or fishing in any area not previously restricted you will have all sorts of legal trouble w/ the texas shrimp association, the southern shrimp alliance, & various charter fishing alliances. just a heads up.

GSG,

The shrimpers would have to circumnavigate the reef, just as they do the piers. It is a comparatively small area and yes they too would have to respect the perimiters of the reef.

As the saying goes...

You can make some of the people happy all of the time..

All of the people happy some of the time..

But, you can not make ALL of the people happy ALL of the time...


Coastal Ben

I will be making every attempt to attend this and get the project entered for consideration. If I can not make it this month I willl try next month.

I will pitch the project in relation to beach erosion. I think for now no concession for a no drive area should be interjected.

Results will be posted up...Coastal Ben

Meeting Notice and Agenda
The Nueces County Beach Management Advisory Committee will hold a Regular
Meeting on Wednesday May 23, 2007 at 4:00 pm in the
Conference Room, Nueces County Parks and Recreation
Department Administration Building, Padre Balli Park, 15802
SPID, Corpus Christi, Texas. The Committee will conduct the following
agenda:
AGENDA
1. Call to order.............. Fred McCutchon, Chair
2. ANNOUNCEMENTS ........ Fred McCutchon
3. Public Input: Comments from the Audience
4. ACTION ITEM: Approval of Minutes of Previous Meetings .........Fred McCutchon
5. DISCUSSION/ACTION ITEM: Seaweed Removal and Sand Relocation, and
Measurements of Dunes and Vegetation Line Changes........ Blake Pettis/Todd Jensen
6. DISCUSSION/ACTION ITEM: Determinations of Need for Dune Permit, Additional
La Concha Lots .............Jennifer Smith-Engle
7. DISCUSSION ITEM: Fee Structure for Dune Protection Permits .........Jennifer
Smith-Engle
8. Adjournment
_________________________________________________________________
Contact: Nueces County Beach Management Advisory Committee
901 Leopard Street
Corpus Christi,Tx 78401
361/888-0268

Ok Folks,

I had a 25 minute phone conference with Fred McChutchon chair of the Nuesces County Beach Management Commitee.

He is a strong supporter of a artificial reef. He can possibly obtain funding from the TPWD's near shore reef development fund. I gave him a rudementary sketch of the project and he is all behind it. He would like the reef to be positioned on Mustang Island in the state park.

The project is going to be placed on the agenda for the June Beach Management meeting.

I have also sent him links to ASR. He is aware of the Galveston reef project and knows some of the individuals managing the project.

We are inching ahead..!!!!!

Stay tuned for the next update..


Coastal Ben

Coastal Ben,

For the record, the four Texas chapters of the Surfrider Foundation do not support trading public beach access for an artificial reef. We have fought very hard, with broad public support, to maintain public access on Gulf beaches and are not about to give it up now. While your idea of building a reef off Mustang Island State Park is interesting, there is no reason to even consider a deal where the public's right of access is squandered on another stretch of beach in return for a reef that may or may not create another surf spot.

Tom Pratte, one of the original founders of Surfrider, dreamed of building artificial reefs to help replace spots lost to development (i.e. Dana Point and Bolsa Chica in California) but early attempts failed to produce good waves. You can read Surfrider's policy and other info on artificial reefs at:

http://www.surfrider.org/srResults.aspx?srchparam=artificial%20reefs

Finally, it's fun to talk about the possibilities of a manmade surf spot on Mustang Island, but it's probably too early to propose building one in the Coastal Bend. I know that ASR has been successful in New Zealand, but suggest that we watch how things go on the Upper Coast and (if a reef is built) allow them to get all the kinks worked out before suggesting that one be built here. If ASR would like to make a presentation at one of our monthly meetings, I'm sure there would be a packed room of surfers wanting to hear what they have to say.

Neil McQueen
Chairman
TX Coastal Bend Chapter
Surfrider Foundation
www.surfrider.org/coastalbend

Neil,

Thanks for your response !

I am familiar with the Surf Riders Org. I have great respect for the group !

The Galveston project is a year out so we would school from it and revisions could be made prior to any project here.


During the feasability study it was determined that a no drive beach in exchange for a reef was NOT feasible !

1. A no drive beach has little community support.

2. Nueces County would probably not be in a position to fund such a project.

3.The developers who might be in a position to fund such a project have a propencity to not always make good on their promises !

So from what I have learned, the best bet would be through The Nueces Countys Beach Management Committee, funding for the reef through access of the Near Shore Reef Development Fund of the TPWD might be possible.

The thoughts as of now are to compose a proposal that would be configured around beach erosion and increasing Mustang Islands revenues.

If you would like to help, any assistance of the Surf Riders Org would be greatly appreciated !

Coastal Ben

Ok Folks,

Here is the latest. I spoke to Ben Rhame of the Texas General Land Office Coastal Mgmt Department Friday. He is very interested as they too have funds available for beach erosion management. It sounded to me that they needed to use them or possibly lose them. He is going to be in Port A. June 26th at Texas A&M for a coastal management meeting. He is going to meet with the Nueces County Beach Management Comittee, TPWD, and a group from Texas A&M.

He sent me an invitation to attend. The guys from ASR ( the reef design and construction company) are trying to attend as well !

Thanks Fred for putting me in contact with Ben Rhame. We will need a Lands Lease and a Core Permit and he is the guy to get that done !

More info to come !

Coastal ben

Ben,

You are the Man! It appears that things are heading in the right direction. I would love to attend the meeting but it would be really hard to get down there on that day. I was at the surf shop and looked for you but we must have missed one another.

I have one question, have you notified the Port A newspaper? You might find all kinds of local support if this story gets posted. Then again, you might get negative opposition. Just a thought.

Rusty

Hi Rusty,

This has been a quite a learning experience for me. I have had some great people in the local government agencies and state agencies give me direction. I want to make sure I have all the relative organizations involved on board before making any " public announcements".

But yeah at some point we will embark on a campaign to get the word out to the community.

The shop was so packed I hung around for like 15 min's and then took my son surfing.

Stay Tuned !

Coastal Ben