Bad news in west bay!!!!!!

[WestEndAngler]

Here's a map of how I saw it.

The red circled area that comes into West Bay is where the color change was from the dredge working.

[TxAdam]

This is truly terrible. Doesn't make sense they are spending money rebuilding and planting grass on the south shoreline, and destroying it on the north shoreline!! I know where they are dumping it is technically labeled a "spoil area" but can't there be exceptions? On the other side of the ICW, is that all private land? Seems like they could dump the spoil **** into some stagnat marsh instead of onto the only thriving grass flat in galveston bay!!!

Exactly what I was thinking. Does it have to be dumped back directly into the water? Why not line the output hose up to the center of the already existing spoils and dump it on the top? I'm far from any kind of eco-engineer, but there has to be a better way to do this.

Like many on here, I like to keep West Bay my little "secret" spot. I do love bragging, though, about the pristine waters we have developed and the grass that is slowly evolving G'town into a well-respected fishery.

This has to be stopped.

[SUPER SPOOK]

OMG! what are they thinking,that was a good spot to fish.

[Tidalguide]

Right next to the toxic ponds there. Perfect. I will get some video of this as well this weekend.

[kenny]

I've emailed several contacts at the GLO to try and stop this, or move the spoils area. Call & email Jerry Patterson and everyone at the GLO in the Coastal division. Also contact TP&W asap.

[JT]

Are you sure its going to cause permanent damage? I cant imagine this type of work happening without about 1,000,000 studies from A-Z having taken place.

The quickest way to get (at least heard)it to be stopped, would be to come up with some $$$ and hire one of those politically connected Austin Law firms. What about CCA?

[Ibtsoom]

Under NEPA (National Environmental Policy Act) any federal nexus -- DOT, COE, Beaureau of Land Management, etc has the ability to force an EIS -- Environmental Impact Statement to be prepared ( 1 to 2 year process ) that would stop work. Not sure how this applies when the federal nexus is the one doing the work. I fear that there's a lot of nothing that can be done at this point. COE is the governing body for most all wetland impacts in the state.

[kenny]

Are you sure its going to cause permanent damage? I cant imagine this type of work happening without about 1,000,000 studies from A-Z having taken place.

The quickest way to get (at least heard)it to be stopped, would be to come up with some $$$ and hire one of those politically connected Austin Law firms. What about CCA?

When they dredged and lengthened to geotubes in Snake Island cove, they covered up most of the shell off the end and to the East of the reef. SOBs

[Ms Addicted]

I've forwarded to TPW to the attention of the game wardens, I dont know who to send information to but that seemed to be a good one to contact along with the others that have been mentioned in previous posts.

This is horrible, very distressing!!!

[WestEndAngler]

When they dredged and lengthened to geotubes in Snake Island cove, they covered up most of the shell off the end and to the East of the reef. SOBs

The winds over the weekend were going right down West Bay. I watched the dredge work for 15 minutes & pulled up right near the discharge I let my boat drift with the current & it pushed me right on top of the shell reefs covering the the n shoreline near the banks west of the discharge. The reefs, were silted over & last weekend they were clearly visible. I have also noted the entire grass beds were covered with a fine silt in the entire area.

[WestEndAngler]

I've forwarded to TPW to the attention of the game wardens, I dont know who to send information to but that seemed to be a good one to contact along with the others that have been mentioned in previous posts.

This is horrible, very distressing!!!

I sent Art Morris an E-mail too.

[Gater]

Grass

I have made several phone calls this morning. IMHO the 3 most important calls you can make are to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (David Hoth 281-286-3899) National Marine Fisheries (email rusty.swafford@noaa.gov-he is off until after the 1/1/12 but is checking emails) and the Corps of Engineers Galveston (766-3899 not a direct line but asked to speak to the person in charge of dredging projects)

Not positive but I believe the only agency that can shut a Federal agency down is another Federal agency so the above 3 would be a good place to start. Remember, this could be something that was simply missed so keep your phone calls and emails civil, it goes a long way.

By the way, the USFWS did say even though this is more a NMFS issue they would send a biologist to investigate. For what it's worth the person I spoke to at the Corps said they would pass the info the people in charge of the project.

gater

[Gilbert]

is this a COE project? If so, there plans should be available online and it should have where the dredge material is supposed to go.

[WestEndAngler]

I just got off the phone with USACE I have forwarded an e-mail to someone who is looking into the project for us.

[Gilbert]

GULF INTRACOASTAL WATERWAY, TEXAS, GALVESTON CAUSEWAY TO BASTROP
BAYOU, IN GALVESTON AND BRAZORIA COUNTIES, TEXAS
Dredge Jonathan King Boyd (RLB Contracting) commenced maintenance dredging of the GIWW near
mile marker 370 on September 16, 2011. Dredging continues westward with material being placed in
Placement Area 64. A barge restriction is issued between mile markers 370 and 374 due to double-wide
barge interference with dredging operations. This reach of the GIWW is restricted to single-wide barges.



this is what I found for the dredging in that area.