Bad news in west bay!!!!!!

[Robalo]

When they worked down by Alligator Point, they farged up my fishing for weeks and silted the area pretty darn good and that was over some grass and definately over live oyster reefs. Wait til they get to Mecom's Cut area and Greens Cut!

[JimG]

So I guess we did know about it...

Off soapbox...

[WestEndAngler]

Like Robalo said you'd think they'd have common sense!

[Robalo]

Common Sense and Gummint is like Obama being a cost-conscious, economy saving hero-aint gonna happen.

If ya ever hear the following words: "Hi, I'm from the Government and I'm here to help you." ya may as well drop your pants and bend over.

[Robalo]

I do have this to say and I firmly and honestly believe this:

BECAUSE OF YOU ALL AS AN INFORMED, EDUCATED GROUP THAT QUESTIONED THE ACTIONS AND DEMANDED EXPLANATIONS, IT IS MY BELIEF THAT THE NEXT DREDGE DISPOSAL PROCESS WILL GET THE SCRUTINY AND INPUT BY STATE AGENCIES SUCH AS THE GLO AND TPWD AS WELL AS STEWARD GROUPS SUCH AS THE GALVESTON BAY FOUNDATION AND THERE WILL BE LITTLE IMPACT ON GRASS AND OYSTER BEDS IN ANY FUTURE DREDGING MAINTENANCE OPERATION ON THE ICW.

That is something accomplished by EACH OF YOU!!! We should all be thankful that we have the right to VOICE our thoughts/opinions and they are heard!!!

I am very proud of all the FWE Members and especially Coe. Thank you all for standing up and taking action-no matter what happens regarding this operation, you can be assured the next time, it will be scrutinized!! WTG!!!!!

I deal with Wetland permits/mitigation and the C.O.E. in my work and I know the processes of COE Permits to some degree-state agencies are asked for input-because of all the voices and inquires and questions made by all of you, I know the State will not just brush off the next time the COE files a notice of proposed dredging. Thank you all-ya done good!!

[Lori77563]

I just read the PRP and it states that the potential for failure or controversy are considered minimal, I certainly hope we are making that a bad assumption.

Their environmental reviewer appears to be Andrea Catanzaro 409-766-3035, andrea.catanzaro@usace.army.mil
Environmental Lead CESWG-PE-PR and I have not found anyone else that reviewed it and we all know that publishing for public comments can be severely under published .

While we may not be able to stop it THIS TIME we need to insure that it does not happen again. I do not know what steps we need to take that in the future the COE "review" includes concerned organizations (such as TPW, GBF, CCA and WEA). Surely we have some legal expertise in our group that would be willing to assist in this. Maybe WEA should have an action committee for issues such as this.

[Robalo]

I believe that the shitstorm created by the public outcry has woken up various State Agencies as well as the groups such as the G.B.F. and maybe even that giant that lost its original purpose and idealogies-the C.C.A.

COE Proposals are sent to various State and Federal Agencies that may be affected by the Proposal for review and comment-that is required by law and those agencies are supposed to furnish any comments or objections during the review process. Likely this proposal hit the agencies and they rubber stamped it believeing the conditions had not changed since the last maintenance dredging. Because of our outcry, I believe that any future proposals will not be pushed aside and rubber stamped-I doubt the TPWD and GLO like having 100s if not 1000s of calls and complaints!!

It is a good idea Lori suggests. We should monitor the COE website for upcoming events/proposals and make our voices heard if we see something that may impact the quality of our fishery. Monthly review would likely suffice and any one of us can do that on their own-some have better insight to the site and persons involved, as evidenced by Gater (WTG!) and even GILBERT!

[WestEndAngler]

Galveston Bay Foundation may take a stand...

Coe, we’ve been working on this all week and have talked to multiple agencies about it. You've probably seen the Corps' response to this at this point:

http://www.swg.usace.army.mil/items/newsreleases/News%20Release%20121103%20-%20USACE%20Galveston%20District%20PA63%20Seagrass.pdf

We are evaluating their response and trying to determine if their efforts to re-nourish the island justify the significant impacts to seagrasses in the area. I think it is fair to say that all the natural resource agencies, including Texas Parks & Wildlife, U.S. Fish and Wildlife, and National Marine Fisheries Service are trying to determine what the ultimate impacts will be here and whether the Corps should pursue an alternate method of disposal.



We are prepared to file a lawsuit to stop this if necessary, but we are still evaluating the situation and the Corps response. I will keep you posted.



Bob Stokes
President
Galveston Bay Foundation
17330 Highway 3
Webster, TX 77598
281.332.3381 x211

https://www.galvbay.org

bstokes@galvbay.org

[Robalo]

Just got this from the GBF. I offered up pictures and Video to the GBF (I hope that's OK Coe?).


Jerry, we’ve been working on this all week and have talked to multiple agencies about it. You've probably seen the Corps' response to this at this point:

http://www.swg.usace.army.mil/items/newsreleases/News%20Release%20121103%20-%20USACE%20Galveston%20District%20PA63%20Seagrass.pdf

We are evaluating their response and trying to determine if their efforts to re-nourish the island justify the significant impacts to seagrasses in the area. I think it is fair to say that all the natural resource agencies, including Texas Parks & Wildlife, U.S. Fish and Wildlife, and National Marine Fisheries Service are trying to determine what the ultimate impacts will be here and whether the Corps should pursue an alternate method of disposal.

We are prepared to file a lawsuit to stop this if necessary, but we are still evaluating the situation and the Corps response. I will keep you posted.


Bob Stokes
President
Galveston Bay Foundation
17330 Highway 3
Webster, TX 77598
281.332.3381 x211

Celebrating 24 years of preserving, protecting, and enhancing the natural resources of Galveston Bay. (1987-2011)

Below is my email to the GBF (I cc'd Shannon Tompkins at the Chronicle also-I deleted the email addresses-just an FYI)


Subject: C.O.E. Dredging in West Bay

The C.O.E. is conducting a Dredging Operation in West Galveston Bay and is dumping the dredge material directly over sea grass beds, destroying the sea grass which has taken years to grow and flourish. It is being destroyed without any concern by the Corps of Engineers at this time and they also are silting over live oyster reefs in the immediate vicinity. The Corps operation is part of ongoing maintenance of the ICW. The project is:

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.

My concern is that the Corps can easily find disposal site for the dredge material without impacting the sea grass and destroying what little sea grass exists in the West Galveston Bay Complex. Is there any action that the Galveston Bay Foundation can take towards protecting the grass beds? I and others sharing concern over the dumping of dredge materials on the grass beds have contacted the COE and so far it appears to be of no avail.

Thank you and I hope that the GBF can use some of its resources to address this issue.

[Robalo]

Whoops-we got the same response Coe. Sure is nice though. I believe my company is a member/supporter of the GBF as well-I was the designee (I know we were last year and think we continue to support them).

[WestEndAngler]

If they help lead this charge I will be supporting them through FishWestEnd.com as well

[shallowist]

From what I can tell you ragarding things that I have learned this week. We probably don't have a better organization to give support to. The Galveston Bay Foundation is likely the only reason that we have grass in West Bay, that could seed in that North Shore. I can say with some certainty now, that I will be doing a lot more to support their efforts in the future.

Unfortunately, during the course of phone calls and conversations regarding this issue, I had to hear about numerous other areas around our bay system and I'm sure more than we care about that are in other Texas bays, that need our help. I'm enthusiastic to hear that there is a group that holds the health of our bays as high as the angling polulation.

[Gater]

I believe that the shitstorm created by the public outcry has woken up various State Agencies as well as the groups such as the G.B.F. and maybe even that giant that lost its original purpose and idealogies-the C.C.A.

COE Proposals are sent to various State and Federal Agencies that may be affected by the Proposal for review and comment-that is required by law and those agencies are supposed to furnish any comments or objections during the review process. Likely this proposal hit the agencies and they rubber stamped it believeing the conditions had not changed since the last maintenance dredging. Because of our outcry, I believe that any future proposals will not be pushed aside and rubber stamped-I doubt the TPWD and GLO like having 100s if not 1000s of calls and complaints!!

It is a good idea Lori suggests. We should monitor the COE website for upcoming events/proposals and make our voices heard if we see something that may impact the quality of our fishery. Monthly review would likely suffice and any one of us can do that on their own-some have better insight to the site and persons involved, as evidenced by Gater (WTG!) and even GILBERT!

Robalo you are exactley right. Just to mention for future reference, there is a Texas Seagrass Conservation Plan to deal with issues like this. The three Stae agencies that developed and oversea this plan are the TP&WD, TGLO, and TNRCC which I think now is the TCEQ. The TGLO is charged with managing State public submerged lands where seagrass grows, the TNRCC/TCEQ is in charge of regulatory authority to enforce water quality programs. The TP&WD and TCEQ are the State agencies charged with reviewing Sec 404 permit impacts or 401 water quality certification for coastal areas.

In their own plan it is mentioned that" Recent declines in seagrasses of Galveston Bay and some coastal bend regions has led to a consensus that concerted planning and actions are needed to address seagrass problems and to promote effective conservation and management soloutions.

IF THERE IS CONCERN ABOUT THE DECLINE OF SEAGRASSES IN THE GALVESTON BAY SYSTEM HOW DID THIS GET BY!


The TP&WD group I talked with are just as upset with this as we are. However it seems to me with a plan in place, and in reading the statement above in bold, and with three State agencies in charge of overseeing our seagrass plan, someone dropped the ball. For whatever reason this got overlooked, now is not the time to accuse anyone but to make sure all agencies stay on top of this thing. After all the attention this thing is getting from so many different agencies you bet it won't happen again.

Glad to see the response from the GBF, thanks for getting them involved.

Gater

[GoldSpoonGeneral]

this makes me a little sick considering this is by far my favorite area to fish just because of how awesome it i caught my first ever redfish while wade fishing this area.



what the area used to look like. see if you can find the stingray

[Lori77563]

Has any of the video been sent to local TV?

There are other locations (such as the Flower Gardens NMS) that have an advisory group comprised of concerned groups (recreational and commercial fisherman, other citizens, environmental, etc). Maybe we (or CCA if they were doing their job) should push for an advisory board that would have input for situation like this or any other (such as new developments) that come along.