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Nueces Delta Shoreline Protection Efforts Continue
Nueces Bay, TX- CBBEP has been involved in several projects that are working to combat the marsh loss happening in the Nueces Delta. The Program completed over 3,600 linear feet of breakwater that will protect the Delta shoreline from wave impacts in November 2023. Recently, the US Army Core of Engineers oversaw the beneficial placement of around 1 million cubic yards of new work dredge material from the Corpus Christi Ship Channel Deepening Project to build up the shrinking land mass and introduce new sediment to the Delta. CBBEP will be monitoring these placement areas to see how they change over time, and we will be ready to take any adaptive management steps that may be needed to help these areas become the thriving marsh habitat that was once part of the Nueces Delta shoreline.
September 2024
Mission River Delta Circulation Restoration
Bayside, TX- In 2016, acquired this tract at the end of Ermis Road in Bayside, Texas, bringing the total of protected land in the Mission River Delta to over 13,000 acres. This habitat consists of a mosaic of tidally influenced estuarine wetlands and shallow saltwater lakes with a riparian corridor running alongside the Mission River. Along the one roadway on the property, three culverts failed when they were destroyed by Hurricane Harvey in 2017, disrupting flow through the marsh and into the bay. Through the collaborative effort from CBBEP, Coastal Impact Assistance Program, USFWS Coastal Program, and Whooping Crane Conservation Association, these culverts are scheduled to be replaced and improved in the fall of 2024. By restoring the pathway to the bay, the hydrologic function of the estuary will improve and be able to further support the Aransas Bay complex.
August 2024
Rain Garden Construction in Baffin Bay Watershed at Sarita Elementary School
Sarita, TX- Given the growing concerns surrounding flooding, stormwater management, water quality and water availability, CBBEP is preparing to construct a raingarden made possible thanks to a generous grant from the Rotary Club of Corpus Christi and Rotary International. The rain garden being built at Sarita Elementary School in Sarita, TX will not only improve the drainage and water quality in the area, but also enhance classroom curriculum and science TEKS by providing hands-on, outdoor learning opportunities for students of all grade levels.
August 2024
Annual Packery Flats Summer Cleanup Removes 1,500 pounds of Litter and Debris
Padre Island, TX- Like birds on an annual migration, volunteers return to the tidal flats and marsh that make up the Packery Flats habitat to remove litter and debris twice a year. This piece of habit is special in more ways than one, both to those who call it home and the visitors passing through.
July 2024
First Boat Launch at the Newly Finished Chris Andrews Boat Launch
PORTLAND, TX – A new way to the bay has been added to the list of boat and kayak launch sites around the Coastal Bend, just in time for the summer season. Community members, Portland city officials, and project partners gathered at the edge of the Nueces Bay off highway 181 Tuesday afternoon at the opening of the newly constructed Chris Andrews Boat Ramp.
May 2024
CBBEP Awarded $10,000 Grant from Rotary Club of Corpus Christi at annual Harvey Weil Sportsman Dinner
SINTON, TX – Like an annual migration, conservationist and stewards convene at the Welder Wildlife every April for the Harvey Weil Sportsman Dinner. This is event is a treasure to the conservation community of south Texas as one of the few moments where folks from the many groups working in the Coastal Bend are able to come together under the large oaks and Spanish moss for an evening of celebration.
May 2024
Corpus Christi Hooks Recognize CBBEP as Community Leader
Corpus Christi, TX – As part of the CC Hooks Community Leaders Program, the Coastal Bend Bays & Estuaries Program was recognized for our work in the region protecting the bays and estuaries and serving the community. Along with this recognition came an invitation to each home game during the week to meet with fans, discuss our program mission, throw out the first pitch, and be the 50/50 Raffle Beneficiary!
May 2024
CBBEP Sponsors Student Awards at Texas Bays & Estuaries Meeting
Port Aransas, TX – Since 2011, the Texas Bays and Estuaries Meeting has provided a platform for researchers to gather in the same room, present their current works, and network with peers across a wide variety of environmental research focuses.
April 2024
Texas Plastic Pollution Symposium
Corpus Christi, TX – 6 th Annual Plastic Pollution Symposium, researchers gathered at Texas A&M University Corpus Christi to present their latest work on the impacts of plastics in the environment, alongside students from 5th grade to grad school.
March 2024
Black Skimmer Project Update – Coastal Collaborations
Corpus Christi, TX – The Black Skimmer is one of the most iconic birds of the Texas coast, a treat to watch as it flies along shorelines dragging its knife-like lower bill in shallow water hoping to encounter an unlucky fish. It is also one of the most severely declining waterbird species, having lost over 70% of its population in the past 40 years. The Coastal Bird Program has identified low nesting success as one of the problems most likely contributing to that decline. Over the past two breeding seasons, the Program has been looking closely at factors that may be causing nesting failures, such as tidal flooding, predation, and disturbance from human intruders on their nesting sites.
March 2024
Removing Invasive Brazillian peppertree in the Coastal Bend alongside the Texas Gulf Region Cooperative Weed Management Area
Corpus Christi, TX – The Texas Gulf Region Cooperative Weed Management Area (CWMA) was established in 2014 by the City of Port Aransas and initial partners the Texas A&M Forest Service and Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center. The mission of this CWMA is to address invasive Brazilian peppertree from Port O’Connor to Packery Channel on the Texas Gulf Coast. The Texas Gulf Region CWMA is a voluntary network of public and private stakeholders that are concerned with the management of Brazilian peppertree, now including representatives from state and federal agencies, local governments, nonprofits, academic institutions, and community members.
July 2023
Black Skimmer Conservation on the Texas Coast
Corpus Christi, TX – Black Skimmer is an iconic coastal seabird that can be found across the Texas coast. It nests on small islands and shell ridges in the bays. The species has declined by as much as 70% in the past 40 years, and they face multiple threats that continue to jeopardize their persistence in the state’s waters. Low reproductive success is considered one potential driver of the decline, and this project aims to better understand the factors limiting their success.
June 2023
Calallen Community Hears from Experts at 1st Nueces River Tidal Segment Stakeholder Meeting
Annaville, TX – One tried and true way
to go about gathering a south Texas crowd, offer a platter of good BBQ. Add in some community concern for environmental engagement and its moths to a flame. That was the key mixture for this convening of community members, city officials,
and scientific researchers to discuss causes for worry surrounding the current condition of the tidal segment of the Nueces River. As with many instances of declining water quality, many variables can contribute to the root causes,
making a collaborative solution between all stakeholders a must.
May 2023
Saving the Last Rookery Island in Aransas Bay
PORT ARANSAS, TX – Not many people pay attention to the small islands in our bay systems.
They’re too small and too low in elevation for people, but they are what colonial waterbirds call home and where they raise their young. These rookery islands are rapidly shrinking due to erosion from storms, increased vessel traffic
and rising sea levels. In particular, in the Aransas Bay system, there is only one viable island for colonial waterbirds left, known as Deadman Island – partly as a result of massive erosion caused by Hurricane Harvey in 2017.
April 2023
CBBEP Sponsors Student Awards at the 5
th Annual Texas Plastic Pollution Symposium
Inspiring and educating past, present, and future stewards of our natural resources is one of the greatest
rewards of the Coastal Bend Bays & Estuaries Program (CBBEP) efforts. Connecting communities with the knowledge necessary to properly care for our bays, estuaries, and all the life that resides in them would be impossible without
the continued field research. The Texas Plastic Pollution Symposium (TPPS) migrated up the coast from its previous home at the Mission Aransas National Estuary Research Reserve in Port Aransas, Texas this year for the first time
in its 5-year lifespan, trading the barrier island backdrop for green trees and low-hanging moss at the University of Houston – Clear Lake (UHCL).
April 2023
CBBEP Expands Up2U Litter Prevention Campaign to Target Illegal Dumping
Coastal Bend Bays & Estuaries Program (CBBEP) was recently awarded a $406,377 grant from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Trash Free Waters Program for an innovative new program designed to prevent bulk trash from reaching our waterways by targeting illegal dumping in Texas Coastal Bend watersheds. The project, called Up2U PLUS, will remove barriers (e.g., cost, accessibility) that can prevent correct disposal of illegally dumped items by providing disposal dumpsters, cleaning up existing dump sites, and improving community awareness of problems associated with illegal dumping.
March 2022
Causeway Rookery Island Restoration Project is Complete!
Coastal Bend Bays & Estuaries Program’s (CBBEP) Causeway Rookery Island Restoration Project is complete just in time for the 2022 colonial waterbird nesting season! The island, located just to the west of the Highway 181 Nueces Bay Causeway in Nueces Bay, has suffered from erosion for many years due to its exposure to wind and waves. This project will protect and enhance this critical rookery and is expected to support over a thousand pairs of wading birds and ground nesting birds each year!
March 2022
Packery Flats Winter Cleanup Removes 350 Bags of Trash!
Coastal Bend Bays & Estuaries Program’s (CBBEP) Packery Flats Winter Clean Up was a huge success, removing 350 bags of trash and harmful debris from intertidal and marsh areas, as well as along 2 miles of Highway 361 adjacent to Packery Flats Coastal Habitat. The event held February 5
th attracted 207 volunteers of all ages who contributed an astounding 621 hours of their time to remove trash from these critical habitats!
February 2022
Registration Now Open for Delta Discovery Programs!
Are you a teacher looking for an engaging field experience for your students or training on how to bring the outdoors into your classroom? Or are you a family looking to immerse yourselves in the wonders of our natural environment? You are in luck – Delta Discovery, the Coastal Bend Bays & Estuaries Program’s environmental education program, is open and accepting registration for all programs!
July 2021
Nesting Season for Coastal Birds Going Well Despite Challenges
Spring has
sprung, and summer is here! Which means It is nesting season for coastal birds, and CBBEP’s Coastal Bird Program is in the thick of it monitoring rookery islands and nesting areas from San Antonio Bay down through the Lower Laguna Madre. For the birds, nesting season is normally a tricky dance around the end of winter and seasonal high spring tides, but this year these little guys had to also deal with a record-breaking freeze and flooding rains. So how are they doing? We caught up with David Newstead, Director of CBBEP’s Coastal Bird Program for an update!
June 2021
Coastal Bend Bays & Estuaries Program Releases 2020 Environmental Indicators Report
Have you ever looked across the bay and wondered if it is safe to swim in? Or caught a fish and wondered if it was safe to eat? Or thought about how many fish are in the bay compared to 10 years ago? Well, environmental indicators can help answer those questions! Environmental indicators are specific, measurable markers that help assess the condition of the environment and how it changes over time, and the Coastal Bend Bays & Estuaries Program (CBBEP) has just released their
2020 Environmental Indicator Report for the Coastal Bend.
April 2021
Coastal Bend Bays & Estuaries Program Releases New Management Strategy for the Coastal Bend
The Coastal Bend Bays & Estuaries Program (CBBEP) is excited to announce the release of our updated management strategy for the bays and estuaries of the Coastal Bend, the
Coastal Bend Bays Plan, 2nd edition. This guiding document revises its predecessor and advances strategies for protecting clean water and healthy habitats in the 12-county area including all bays, estuaries, and bayous in the Copano, Aransas, Corpus Christi, Nueces, Baffin and Upper Laguna Madre systems.
March 2021
Egery Flats Restoration Project Complete!
The Coastal Bend Bays & Estuaries Program (CBBEP) has just wrapped up the Egery Flats Restoration Project! Funded by the National Fish & Wildlife Foundation’s (NFWF) Gulf Environmental Benefit Fund, U.S. Fish & Wildlife
Service, Texas Parks & Wildlife Department, and CCA Texas Habitat Today for Fish Tomorrow and CCA’s Building Conservation Trust, this project restored hydrology to the Egery Flats system, which will reduce salinity to enhance
over 600 acres of emergent marsh, submerged aquatic vegetation, and tidal flats.
November 2020
Project Removes 50 Metric Tons of Hurricane Harvey Debris on Lamar Peninsula!
The Coastal Bend Bays & Estuaries Program (CBBEP) is excited to report that our Hurricane Harvey Debris Removal project is complete! The project removed over 50 metric tons (275 cubic yards) of hurricane debris from critical
wetland habitats in the Holiday Beach community and the Newcomb Point Unit of Goose Island State Park on the Lamar Peninsula, Aransas County.
February 2021
3rd Annual Packery Flats Cleanup Removes 200 Bags of Trash!
Coastal Bend Bays & Estuaries Program’s (CBBEP) 3rd Annual Packery Flats Clean Up was a huge success, removing 200 bags of trash and harmful debris from intertidal and marsh areas, as well as along 2 miles of Highway 361! The event held October 3rd attracted 78 volunteers of all ages who contributed 234 hours of time to remove the trash from these critical habitats.
October 2020
NEW Video Tells the Story of Our Water in the Coastal Bend
We use water every day, but do you know where it comes from, and how it gets here? To find out check out our new video
The Story of Our Water in the Coastal Bend. The video aims to help Coastal Bend residents and visitors understand the water supply and how it is divided up among all the different users, including our bays and estuaries!
June 2020
CBBEP Receives EPA Grant for Up2U Litter Prevention Campaign
Up2U! Up2U! – Coastal Bend Bays & Estuaries Program (CBBEP) was just awarded a grant from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Trash Free Waters Program to expand the Up2U Litter Prevention Campaign to the six coastal counties
and ten watersheds within the Coastal Bend! The grant, in the amount of $422,857, seeks to cultivate a sustainable behavior-changing litter prevention program and includes distribution of Up2U litter bags, education and outreach,
and community cleanups.
May 2020
Cheniere Foundation Donates $100,000 to CBBEP’s Coastal Bird Program
The Cheniere Foundation has stepped up to support the Coastal Bend Bays & Estuaries Program’s ongoing efforts to protect coastal birds by contributing $100,000 to the Coastal Bird Program! The funds were used to support conservation
and management work on bird nesting islands in the Coastal Bend region.
April 2020
CBBEP Funds Public Access Improvements at Padre Balli Pollinator Habitat
Did ya hear the latest buzz? Nueces County recently put the finishing touches on their Pollinator Habitat at Padre Balli Park! The project was funded by the Coastal Bend Bays & Estuaries Program (CBBEP) and includes interpretive signage, benches, and ADA compliant parking and access.
March 2020
Nueces Delta Preserve Hosts 2nd Annual Family Star Party
Stargazers flocked to the Nueces Delta Preserve last weekend for Coastal Bend Bays & Estuaries Program’s (CBBEP) 2nd Annual Family Star Party! CBBEP’s environmental education program, Delta Discovery, partnered with the Corpus
Christi Astronomical Society (CCAS) to host the night time experience, which featured a lecture, guided nature walks, children’s activities, s’mores, and half a dozen telescopes set up for families to view the constellations. The
goal of the program is to introduce families to the wonders of the universe and inspire the next generation of astronomy enthusiasts, and it was a wonderful success!
January 2020
Ground Breaks on Nueces Bay Rookery Island Restoration!
The Coastal Bend Bays & Estuaries Program (CBBEP) is excited to announce that construction on the Nueces Bay Rookery Islands Restoration Project is underway! This project will protect and restore three critical rookery islands
in Nueces Bay, and when completed is expected to support hundreds of additional pairs of wading birds and ground nesting birds each year.
December 2019
Okploverfest Celebrates and Educates!
CBBEP’s Coastal Bird Program celebrates and educates with Okploverfest! A fun twist on the worldwide festival Octoberfest, the plover-themed event held earlier this month attracted bird and beer lovers alike in celebration of what we consider to be the
ploveriest corner of the continent! No place else in the world is as important as right here in the Coastal Bend for 8 of the 9 species of North American plovers, who use our coastal and inland habitats for feeding, resting, sleeping, preparing for migrations, and even nesting.
October 2019
2nd Annual Packery Flats Clean Up Removes Over 2,600 Pounds of Trash!
The 2nd Annual Packery Flats Clean Up was a huge success, removing trash and harmful debris from intertidal and marsh areas, as well as along 2 miles of Highway 361. The Coastal Bend Bays & Estuaries Program (CBBEP) and
the Coastal Bend Bays Foundation (CBBF) hosted the event to celebrate National Estuaries Week, a nationwide celebration of our bays and estuaries and the many benefits they provide to local communities.
October 2019
History Shapes the Nueces Delta Preserve
This year marks the 20th anniversary of the Coastal Bend Bays & Estuaries Program (CBBEP) becoming a non-profit organization! As we look back through the years, it’s hard not to reminisce about one of our biggest accomplishments, the acquisition and establishment of the Nueces Delta Preserve. It was the vision of CBBEP to create an area that could serve as a living laboratory where both wildlife, research, and education would flourish, and fresh water inflows from the Nueces River could be protected.
April 2018
CBBEP Hosts First Star Party at the Nueces Delta Preserve
Stargazers flocked to the Nueces Delta Preserve earlier this month for Coastal Bend Bays & Estuaries Program’s (CBBEP) first Family Star Party! CBBEP’s environmental education program, Delta Discovery, partnered with the Corpus Christi Astronomical Society to host the event, which featured a lecture, night hikes, arts and crafts, s’mores, and 7 telescopes set up for families to view the constellations.
January 2019
Rookery Island Cleanups Remove 8,000 Pounds of Trash and Debris
The fall and winter are packed with all things necessary to prepare rookery islands in the Coastal Bend for the next nesting season, including everything from installing nesting platforms and informational signage, to planting woody vegetation and exotic plant removal. One of the most important efforts, however, is the removal of harmful trash and debris, and this year the Cleanups removed 8,000 pounds of trash and debris!
December 2018
Packery Flats Clean Up Removes Over 2,000 Pounds of Trash
Packery Flats Coastal Habitat received a much needed deep cleaning earlier this month from volunteers who removed over 2,000 pounds of trash and debris from intertidal and marsh areas, as well as along 2 miles of Highway 361. The recreational hot spot on the backside of Mustang Island adjacent to Packery Channel has lots to offer in terms of public access to our bay, but the 1,000 acre protected area had seen cleaner days.
October 2018
Coastal Bend Bays & Estuaries Program Receives Grant for Brazilian Peppertree Removal
The fight against the invasive Brazilian peppertree (
Schinus terebinthifolious) in the Coastal Bend rages on! This year the Coastal Bend Bays & Estuaries Program (CBBEP) received a General Land Office Coastal Management Program (CMP) grant to address the problematic species in IB Magee Beach Park and a small portion of University of Texas Marine Science Institute property in Port Aransas.
September 2018
CBBEP Funds Public Access Improvements at the ARK
The Amos Rehabilitation Keep (ARK) at the University of Texas Marine Science Institute has been rehabilitating and caring for injured birds and marine animals since 1982, and soon they will be opening their doors to the public. The organization recently completed a host of upgrades that were funded by the Coastal Bend Bays & Estuaries Program (CBBEP) to facilitate public access. The enhancements including a new raptor enclosure, elevated decking around a sea turtle pool for public viewing, and walking paths with interpretive signage.
June 2018
Rookery Island Recovery Off to a Great Start!
It’s been 8 months since Hurricane Harvey made landfall in the Coastal Bend turning everything in its path upside down, if not washing it away. Although our bays and estuaries are resilient, initial reports on the status of our rookery islands were grim. High winds and tidal surge washed away protective signs and nesting platforms, killed native vegetation, heavily eroded the islands, and brought in large amounts of debris, setting back nearly 15 years of management progress on the islands.
May 2018
Egery Flats Restoration Project Will Soon Be Underway
The much anticipated Egery Flats Restoration Project will soon be underway! A favorite among roadside fishermen, crabbers, and birders, Egery Flats sits along the western edge of Copano Bay, near the mouth of the Aransas River. Though seemingly productive to the recreational user, the ecosystem has suffered greatly since the placement of Farm to Market Road 136 in 1945. The CBBEP received a grant from the National Fish & Wildlife Foundation’s Gulf Environmental Benefit Fund for the project that will restore hydrology and reduce salinity to enhance over 600 acres of emergent marsh, submerged aquatic vegetation, and tidal flats at Egery Flats.
December 2017
Delta Discovery Hosts First Homeschool Days!
Dozens of homeschoolers and their families came out to CBBEP’s Nueces Delta Preserve for Delta Discovery’s newest program, Homeschool Days! Designed to give homeschool families an opportunity to apply science curriculum to our natural environment, Homeschool Days uses guided discovery to connect students to the local ecology and habitats of the Nueces Delta Preserve.
October 2017
Habitats Recover Nicely After Prescribed Burn
Timing is everything when it comes to prescribed fires, not only for conducting the burn, but also the response and recovery of the environment. Nine days before Hurricane Harvey came ashore in the Coastal Bend, the Coastal Bend Bays & Estuaries Program (CBBEP) and The Nature Conservancy’s (TNC) had planned to ignite a 1,600 acre burn of coastal prairie habitat at the Nueces Delta Preserve.
October 2017
CBBEP is Discovering the Mysteries of the Black Skimmer
The Black skimmer has long been an iconic species along the shores of our beaches and bays, a sight to see sweeping across shallow waters, lower beak skimming just below the surface for a meal. They are striking, black and white plumage and bright orange and black beak, easy to pick out of a crowd. When they aren’t skimming though, they are fighting the many pressures that colonial waterbirds face, habitat loss from coastal development, human disturbance, and predators, just to name a few.
July 2017
Coastal Bend Bays & Estuaries Program Receives Gulf Guardian Award: The Coastal Bend Bays & Estuaries Program (CBBEP) was just awarded a Gulf Guardian Award from the EPA’s Gulf of Mexico Program for their Nueces Bay Marsh Restoration Project! Gulf Guardian Awards recognize and honor businesses, community groups, individuals and organizations that are taking extraordinary steps to keep the Gulf healthy, beautiful and productive. FULL REPORT. July 2017
Celanese Awards $150,000 for Baffin Bay Study: Celanese has stepped up again with another $150,000 for water quality monitoring in Baffin Bay! This is the second grant made by Celanese for a total of $300,000 over a six-year period toward marine research and water quality in the Baffin Bay ecosystem. Baffin Bay is a well known fishing hot spot, producing trophy trout and driving the economy in this isolated region of South Texas. However, in 2012-2013 the bay was plagued with water quality problems that set off a series of unfortunate events. FULL REPORT. July 2017
Volunteers Put Finishing Touches on Nueces Bay Marsh Restoration Project: The Coastal Bend Bays & Estuaries Program (CBBEP) has just wrapped up the final phase of the Nueces Bay Marsh Restoration Project! This last phase, funded by the Texas General Land Office’s Coastal Management Program, Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, Environmental Protection Agency, and Citgo, included an observation deck, interpretive signage, and series of volunteer planting events that offered the community a chance to leave their mark on the project, and that they did. FULL REPORT. VIDEO. May 2017
Matagorda Island Restoration Project Restores 2,300 Acres: The Coastal Bend Bays & Estuaries Program (CBBEP) is excited to announce the completion of the Matagorda Island Restoration Project. The project was funded by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service through a General Land Office Coastal Impact Assistance Program grant ($700,000), and Coastal Conservation Association of Texas ($70,000), and included 4 levee removals, 2 culvert repairs, and 1 new culvert, restoring water flow and circulation, improving water quality, and increasing wildlife abundance and diversity to 2,300 acres of emergent estuarine marsh. FULL REPORT. March 2017
CBBEP Purchases Whooping Crane Habitat in Mission River Delta: Whoop Whoop! The Coastal Bend Bays & Estuaries Program (CBBEP) has just completed the purchase of two properties totaling 981 acres in the Mission River delta for conservation. The acquisition is significant for the protection and recovery of the endangered whooping crane and includes approximately 13,000 linear feet of riparian belt along the Mission River, as well as a buffer around Mission Lake. FULL REPORT. December 2016
Thousands of Pounds of Trash Removed from Rookery Islands: As the summer draws to an end and our local colonial nesting waterbirds fledge their last offspring, the work of Coastal Bend Bays & Estuaries Program’s (CBBEP) Coastal Bird Program kicks into high gear. The fall and winter are packed with all things necessary to prepare the rookery islands in the Coastal Bend for the next nesting season. CBBEP biologists work diligently on the islands, tackling everything from installing nesting platforms and informational signage, to planting woody vegetation and exotic plant removal. One of the most important efforts, however, is the removal of harmful trash and debris. FULL REPORT. October 2016
Record Year for Delta Discovery: The 2015-2016 numbers are in and the Coastal Bend Bays & Estuaries Program’s (CBBEP) environmental education program, Delta Discovery, has had yet another record-breaking year! Seeing almost 10,000 formal students, 600 teachers, and over 1,000 others through various outreach events, the program is based at the Nueces Delta Preserve and offers classroom curriculum and on-site activities to introduce students and teachers in the Coastal Bend region to issues affecting the bays and estuaries, as well as the local ecology of the preserve. FULL REPORT. September 2016
Packery Flats Improvements Welcome Visitors: Nestled on the backside of Mustang Island adjacent to Packery Channel, Packery Flats Coastal Habitat is a little known gem with lots to offer in terms of public access to our coastal areas. The one thousand acre protected area boasts extensive intertidal habitats that are heavily utilized by fish and wildlife, and also have many features that are appealing to passive recreation. Previous efforts by the Coastal Bend Bays & Estuaries Program have constructed parking lots for public access, but a recent increase in the popularity of the Packery Channel area prompted the CBBEP’s Human Uses Implementation Team to prioritize additional improvements. FULL REPORT. VIDEO. June 2016
Coastal Bend Curlews Take Flight: Spring migration is a very exciting, very busy, time for the Coastal Bend Bays & Estuaries Program’s (CBBEP) Coastal Bird Program. After months of preparation, the program anxiously watches as Long-billed curlews depart for their breeding grounds, each outfitted with a piece of technology that will help provide answers to questions that have so far eluded scientist about this species. This work is part of an initiative called the Migratory Connectivity Project, led by the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute’s Migratory Bird Center. CBBEP’s Coastal Bird Program is a project partner and has been involved in tagging and placing satellite transmitters on 10 Long-billed curlews in the last few months – 9 in the Coastal Bend, and 1 very special bird in Georgia. Long-billed curlews are a highly migratory bird species that spends its winters on the warm shores of the Gulf Coast and southeastern United States, California, and Mexico, and migrates north to the grasslands of the Great Plains and Great Basin to breed. The satellite transmitters allow the birds to be tracked in near real-time, and provide important connectivity information including migratory pathways, locations of stop-over and wintering areas, and the similarity (or dissimilarity) among individuals. FULL REPORT. April 2016
Coastal Bird Program Joins Motus Network – Installs First Gulf Coast Array: Spring migration is upon us and the Coastal Bend Bays & Estuaries Program’s Coastal Bird Program is ready! Each spring highly migratory birds fly from their wintering grounds in the south to their Arctic breeding grounds, sometimes travelling up to 14,000 thousand kilometers one way. In the Central Flyway alone, billions of birds will fly from places as far away as southern Chile through Texas on their way north, stopping only to rest and recharge. The uniqueness and productivity of our bays and estuaries makes the Coastal Bend a prime location for these tiny travelers find nourishment, so many of the species we see on our beaches and tidal flats during this time are not actually Coastal Bend residents. FULL REPORT. February 2016
Partnerships Strengthen Nueces Bay Marsh Restoration: Partnerships continue to strengthen the Nueces Bay Marsh Restoration project as the Coastal Bend Bays & Estuaries Program (CBBEP) prepares to begin another round of enhancements at the 160-acre site near the Nueces Bay Causeway between Corpus Christi and Portland. This latest effort, funded by NOAA and the Texas General Land Office’s Coastal Management Program, Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, and the Environmental Protection Agency, will incorporate volunteer marsh plantings and public access improvements, including an observation deck and interpretive signage. FULL REPORT. VIDEO. January 2016
Nueces Delta Preserve Tops 10,000 Acres: Coastal Bend Bays & Estuaries Program (CBBEP) recently closed on the purchase of a 1,970 acre parcel of land in the Nueces River Delta, the final piece in a multi-year effort to acquire the entire 4,737 acres of what once was the Dos Rios Division of Wyatt Ranches. The acquisition of the ranch property nearly doubles the size of the Nueces Delta Preserve and creates more than 10,000 acres of contiguous conserved estuarine habitat for endangered and threatened wildlife species, protecting the fresh water flowing into Nueces and Corpus Christi Bays, and expanding environmental educational opportunities offered by CBBEP. FULL REPORT. January 2016
Partnering to Protect Wetlands and Public Infrastructure at Indian Point Park: Coastal Bend Bays & Estuaries Program (CBBEP), the Texas General Land Office (GLO) and the City of Portland have completed construction on the first phase of the project to protect Indian Point Park from shoreline erosion. Indian Point Park encompasses 55 acres and is a prime location for fishing, birding, and nature watching. This popular nature park is immediately adjacent to the City of Portland’s Sunset Lake Park. FULL REPORT. VIDEO. December 2015
CITGO Caring for our Coast Volunteers Create Wildlife Food Plot: Student volunteers from three area schools dedicated their Saturday morning to creating a wildlife food plot at the Coastal Bend Bays & Estuaries Program’s (CBBEP) Nueces Delta Preserve as part of CITGO Caring for our Coast – a yearlong program to promote environmental conservation and restoration through a series of volunteer and educational efforts. FULL REPORT. VIDEO. November 2015
Nueces Delta Preserve Celebrates Improvements: Improvements continue at the Nueces Delta Preserve as board members, program staff, contractors and engineers were on hand for a ribbon cutting ceremony to celebrate the completion of the new restroom facilities, a welcome addition that will benefit the almost 10,000 students and visitors to the preserve annually. Made possible by a private foundation donation, the building includes restrooms, showers, wash stations, and eco-friendly features such as a water bottle refill fountain, rainwater collection system, and a solar water heating system. FULL REPORT November 2015
Prescribed Fire Provides Enhancements at Nueces Delta Preserve: The Coastal Bend Bays & Estuaries Program (CBBEP) is looking forward to all the benefits of fire following a prescribed burn at the Nueces Delta Preserve earlier this month. With funding provided by Delta Land Services, M&G Chemicals, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and CBBEP, program staff worked with The Nature Conservancy’s burn crew to carefully plan and intentionally ignite over 800 acres of coastal prairie habitat. FULL REPORT October 2015
CBBEP Provides Boost for Texas Gulf Region Cooperative Weed Management Area: CBBEP joins local, state, and federal partners in providing support to the newly formed Texas Gulf Region Cooperative Weed Management Area (TGR-CWMA), to address invasive Brazilian peppertree (Schinus terebinthifolious) from Port O’Connor to Packery Channel on the Texas Gulf Coast. The CWMA seeks to prevent the spread and movement of the species by advocating for cooperative control amongst willing landowners and managers. FULL REPORT October 2015
Water Quality Group Documents High Nitrogen: Baffin Bay’s community-based Water Quality Monitoring Program established in 2013 gains momentum as water samples begin to paint a picture. Volunteers and scientists have wrapped up another year, and the first of a three year effort funded by Celanese to document water quality conditions in the Baffin Bay system. After analyzing the water samples, the group has made what they believe to be a critical finding when it comes to potential causes of brown tide, that concentrations of dissolved organic nitrogen in Baffin Bay are 3-fold higher on average than in other bay systems of the Texas coast. FULL REPORT October 2015