Cedar Bayou & Vincent's Slough

[Number_Five]

Just read that CCA dropped some funding for opening Cedar Bayou to the bay from the gulf and reconnecting it back with Vincent's slough. This could be really good for the Aransas / San Antonio bay complex's, creating another water inlet for exchange between the gulf and the Bay systems.

I thought that most of San Jose Island was privately owned for cattle ranching and such. I wonder how that will work out in the long run, or if it will even get done.

Anyway I though that was pretty interesting considering they've been trying to get this done for some time now. What do y'all think?

Five

[fultonswimmer]

Hope they can get some monies. It will cost around 6 million usd or so for the dredging and such. It can only be done when the whooping cranes are not in residence so that will influence the scheduling. Supposedly all the red tape and permits are in place but lack of funding is a biggee. St. Joe's is privately held but I think(just a wild guess) that since Perry Bass died the family is willing to work with authorities to get this done....as the situation relates to Vinson's Slough. I am no expert, just gathering info from guys who work the area, etc.
The cost will probably escalate some more by the time enough funds are raised.

[Im Headed South]

http://2coolfishing.com/ttmbforum/sh...d.php?t=396362

Latest I've heard is there's about 1.7 million secured at this point, the professional fundraiser that's about to start hunting for the funds feels like he will have a pretty good idea about getting the project funded 100% by the end of the year. Best case I'm hoping they are moving sand next April when the Cranes leave. Anyone can donate to the project by contacting the Office of Judge Mills in Rockport.

Mike

[Number_Five]

I think what is significant in this news is the inclusion of vincent's slough, without that part I believe past efforts have been short-lived as the bayou is so prone to silting in. I can tell you that I've never had the influence of the open bayou in my time fishing that area, and would be extremely curious to see what the overall effect would be.

Spalding may just turn into one of the hottest spots out there, and it's pretty good now.

Five

[Bull Red]

It can't happen soon enough for me.

[Sow Trout]

I'm glad the CCA is finally stepping up.

[Snookered]

well, an update from where I stand, the professional fundraiser has been hired and is on the job....the judge and a few other folks had a meeting yesterday with the heads of a program that may be funneling a lot of money into projects around the mid-coast....initial reports are that the presentation/meeting went well....

so, the wheels are spinning, but these things do take a little time....
snookered

[Number_Five]

Well at least its started. It seems all the funding and politics seems to take the longest. Once they get the go ahead I can see construction being pretty quick.

Let's just hope it gets done and we all can enjoy the fruits of this process.

Five

[Won Mo Kasst]

Eff the CCA... they are in the Bass family back pockets of donation. The Bass family owns San Jose island, and Perry Bass had those passes filled in with YOUR tax dollars. This was all before his previous efforts of closing the pass on his own failed. The Bass family wants the passes close so that their cattle can have access to all parts of their ranch. Also, parts of their ranch are not even THIER land. When Perry Bass got the passes filled in, the high high-tide of the massive estuary fell... thus, creating more land for him. Imagine if you lived on a lake, and your neighbor filled half of the lake in from his water line property... does this "new" land now become his. NO! He stole it, just like the Bass family stole public land and destroyed a wonderful resource. The permits to open the passes exist. The money to open them is there... but the Bass family keeps holding the process up.

Here is a letter the Bass family lawyers wrote to hold up the process last time we got close to opening the passes...

"J.Dean:
The following letter is from the private land owner on San Jose Island. Although the public comment period for the permit closed in mid March, the CORPS not only accepted this letter in mid August, they are REQUIRING us to respond to a private citizen that missed a deadline by months.

First, a quote from the CORPS requiring us to respond:
Quote

The concerns raised in the letter must be given full consideration before we can make a final decision on your application. We need your information to address each of the concerns/issues raised over the proposed project. For your information, in my phone conversation today with Ms. Patricia Meadows of Kelly Hart and Hallman LLP, she explained that the owners of San Jose Island strongly recommend the prohibition of boat passage to the Gulf of Mexico to prevent disturbance of sensitive areas with faster and louder boats. You may submit additional information or revise your plans to help resolve the issues. You may also rebut the issues made or request a decision based on the existing record. We must hear from you within 30 days from the date of this letter, otherwise your application will be withdrawn.

The letter from the private land owner.
Quote

KELLY HART & MAILMAN LIP
PATRICIA F. MEADOWS

Mr. Casey Cutler
Chief, Policy Analysis Section
Ms. Denise Sloan
Regulatory Project Manager
U. S. Army Corps of Engineers, Galveston District
P. 0. Box 1229
Galveston, TX 77553-1229

Re: Permit Application No. SWG-2008-00813 submitted by Save Cedar Bayou, Inc.

Dear Mr. Cutler and Ms. Sloan:
This letter is submitted on behalf of our clients, the owners of San Jose Island, regarding the revised project plans submitted by Save Cedar Bayou, Inc. for the restoration of the hydraulic connection between Cedar Bayou and the Gulf of Mexico.

As we have stated in a previous submission to the Corps, the owners of San Jose Island support the goal of enhancing fish and fish larvae migration by establishing a strong and long lived hydrological connection between the Gulf of Mexico and Mesquite Bay. The revised project plan removes the ebb shoals component of the project and replaces it with disposal of a large volume of relocated and dredged sand in two placement areas on San Jose Island, with a significant portion on private land above the mean high-high tide line. This appears to be a better plan than the previously proposed offshore disposal delta because the beach placement areas may diminish the possibility of re-closure of the dredged channels. However, the owners are concerned that the locations of the placement areas and the construction staging area and truck haul route encroach significantly onto privately owned land The owners are prepared to negotiate in good faith for a temporary construction easement and for a permanent easement for the placement of this relocated and dredged material on their fee land.

The owners of San Jose Island recognize that the proposed project will result in adverse impacts on their ranching operations. These include inhibiting vehicular access along the beach to the northern-most portions of San Jose Island due to the placement of the spoil banks, particularly during and for some period following construction, and permanent severing of vehicular access to their upland ranch land between Cedar Bayou and Vinson Slough due to the dredging of Vinson Slough. While the owners support the stated goals of the project, they wish to seek a mutually agreeable means of mitigating these impacts.

We would also like to reiterate a point made to the Corps in 2006: Following previous dredging projects, boats accessing Cedar Bayou from Mesquite Bay have been prohibited from passing beyond a posted point approaching the mouth of Cedar Bayou, and through passage to and from the Gulf of Mexico has been prohibited. The owners of San Jose Island strongly recommend that these same prohibitions be incorporated into the planning of the present project with respect to both Cedar Bayou and Vinson Slough, and that these rules be explicitly incorporated into the approvals from the Corps of Engineers and TCEQ.

Thank you for your work on this important project."

The Bass family donates a ton to CCA to keep the redfish stocking program going, which is just a sheety bandaid. Those stupid stocker redfish are ****. Small schools of 16-22 inch redfish running, around... you hardly ever come across the big bruisers that my dad his friends talk about. The massive loads of big trout are no longer there. All because the resource no longer produces the amount of bait fish, shrimp, crab, and other life needed to support those predators. You want tarpon to school up again? Open the pass, revive the estuary... You want more big trout, and tons of redfish? Open the pass, revive the estuary... It will return in no time.

Want to help? Spread the word about the Bass family corruption. Visit your local CCA chapters and force them to do something. Tell TPWD to do something. I for one, cannot stand the CCA. I will never participate in their tournaments again. They do nothing. I don't want their stocker **** redfish, that cost millions of dollars just to be starved in the bay, because there isn't enough prey for them. I just want the resource to be like it was, before the passes were illegally closed and the estuary died.

I know this looks like a lot, but please take the time to read it. Get informed, and take action.

[Won Mo Kasst]

The money CCA "donated" was just to keep their image up, and to keep members happy. If the money used to raise those cloned, stocker redfish were put toward opening the passes... well, we wouldn't be here having this discussion. TPWD puts our fishing license dollars in a bank account that is never touched, just so we can "balance" the state budget(http://www.chron.com/sports/article/...ng-2078600.php). Like I said, the money is there... the permits are there, but neither organization will do anything because of the Bass family influence. They donate money, sit on boards for both organizations, and will do everything to keep those passes closed.