New Artificial Reef off Corpus Christi

[ibj40]

City of Corpus Christi to sign lease to store materials for artificial reef planned 10 miles offshore

By Jessica Savage
Caller-Times
Posted September 25, 2012 at 6:24 p.m.

CORPUS CHRISTI — Large pieces of concrete headed for the landfill soon may have a new purpose under the sea in an offshore artificial reef planned in state waters 10.5 miles east of Packery Channel.

The City Council approved a first reading Tuesday on a lease agreement with the Texas General Land Office to store materials in a 3-acre site on the Rincon Channel. A waterfront storage site has been the missing link for the project, which has the permits needed to begin building the reef, said At-large Councilman Mark Scott, who has been working on the project the past year.

"This is a great asset for tourism because it will provide a fishing and scuba diving location for nearshore activities," he said. "It benefits Port A and Lake Padre because it's equidistant from both."

The 160-acre artificial reef, two years in the planning, is a partnership between the Texas Parks & Wildlife Department, Saltwater-fisheries Enhancement Association, Coastal Conservation Association, Port of Corpus Christi Authority and the city of Corpus Christi. It's part of the Near Shore Reefing Program coordinated by the state to enhance fishing and diving opportunities close to shore within state waters.

To secure the storage site, the city has to agree to a four-year lease agreement to pay a total of $32,000 for the waterfront site on port property. The agreement is expected to have a final reading Oct. 9 by the council.

Once it's in place, SEA will begin coordinating the transport of materials to the site, said Mike Hurst, who handles offshore resources for the nonprofit. The groups will begin building the reef once there are enough materials to load onto a barge. Some of the material could come from the planned demolition of the Copano Bay bridge, where a new structure is being built. The state will help stockpile the material as the reef will take years to build.

"This is really going to be a big thing in the future," Hurst said. "We'll be working on it long after I'm dead."

 

[ReefHound]

It will be good for fishing but not so much for diving. That's too close to shore for good visibility, usually. If you're already on a boat then no reason to not go on out 25-30 miles and hit more reliable blue water.

 

[psiborg1812]

It will be good for fishing but not so much for diving. That's too close to shore for good visibility, usually. If you're already on a boat then no reason to not go on out 25-30 miles and hit more reliable blue water.

Thanks negative nancy.

 

[chairmanTARAC]

FYI, The remains of the Humboldt channel bridge were placed on the Chevron 712 site offshore Corpus christi several years ago.This was the only deck donated to the program and has been down since July 1991.and that .bridge material enhanced the site . Very few individuals have ever dived this site, because there were so many offshore platforms available to dive on. and is an awesome dive. Now most of these platforms are gone. Coordinates are available on many offshore charts and TPWD web site. To create all those fantastic wrecks to dive on in Florida took tremendous effort and financial support from the dive community to create.This effort has been totally nonexistent in Texas. In the last 30 years there has been only one donation, a tug in 95 to the program. The CCA (A fishing group} is now financially giving to the program. I have yet to see any dive group, Buy a vessel, clean it and donate it to the program. A lot can be done if divers and the community want it to be. Don't bitch, go out and get something done and if you haven't gone out and made a dive on the clipper or other sites, now is the time to book a dive when the gulf has the best vis and smallest seas.

 

[LiveBait]

Well said Chairman!

 

[ReefHound]

Thanks negative nancy.

Would you rather have smoke blown up your skirt? I dive the gulf every chance I get. I've been on the Clipper, the VA Fogg, several Liberty ships including the Vancouver which is 7 miles offshore and in shallow murky water, and countless rigs. I'm just being honest. It's one thing to dive a mud hole when your paying $15-20 admission but when you're paying $250 or more for a gulf trip most will expect to see blue water.

I'm good friends with Jim and I endorse all he said but I'm not sure embracing sub-par sites like shallow rubble brings us any closer to premier sites like the Clipper. It's great for fishing no doubt, and if it diverts fishing boats from the rigs it's good for divers in that respect. It WILL take a lot of effort from the dive community and if you were at Trashfest last year I was the one gathering 500 signatures for a petition for another ship reef that I gave to Dale Shively, director of TPWD.

There are lots of ship reefs in Florida however I don't know any that were funded by the dive community. It takes local and state government to get involved. But they won't do it on their own initiative, it will take involvement from the dive community to demand it. And it will take more than idle words but action. So my challenge to all here is show some action and start diving the nice sites that already exist. Anyone here really wanting to dive the Fogg or Liberty ships in the next few months, send me a PM.

 

[chairmanTARAC]

well said reefhound, divers should take advantage of chum club trips, The Laredo club also sponsors trip's and hopefully the north texas group is organizing some also. It took an act of the legislator's (rigs to Reefs SB5 )1989, plus over thirteen years, plus 4 million to get the clipper down. Mr Shively and I would love to sink more, hopefully not as costly, but you are on right on reefhound, when you say it won't happen without the dive community support and a desire to make it happen. Thanks for your commitment to improve texas diving

 

[Cyprian]

well said reefhound, divers should take advantage of chum club trips, The Laredo club also sponsors trip's and hopefully the north texas group is organizing some also. It took an act of the legislator's (rigs to Reefs SB5 )1989, plus over thirteen years, plus 4 million to get the clipper down. Mr Shively and I would love to sink more, hopefully not as costly, but you are on right on reefhound, when you say it won't happen without the dive community support and a desire to make it happen. Thanks for your commitment to improve texas diving

If you are referring to us (North Texas Dive Society), then yes sir we are working on gulf trips and also working with a gentlemen at a local dive shop who has a boat he is prepping for charters out of Galveston.

I also need to get off my backside and get with Reef Hound and the CHUM group and start helping promote gulf diving. That said, RH, whenever you get time....shoot me a PM and let me know some ways (besides taking charters) that we can help. Petitions, flyers to local LDS', etc.

Safe dives,

Cyp