Artificial Reefs in Texas - Stand up and be counted

[outback]

Artificial reefs - let TPWD know!!!!

CHUM are kicking off a campaign to support the efforts to locate an artifical reef in the Houston/Galveston area, and we'd like to encourage Swampers to join in.

We need the Houston dive community’s support to lobby the Texas Parks & Wildlife department in an attempt to get an artificial reef, be it the Texas Clipper or a future ship in the Houston/Galveston area.

Currently, plans are to sink the Texas Clipper near Brownsville/South Padre. This however, is not set in stone. The main reason that South Texas was selected is they have done a better job lobbying the powers that be for the ship. When you look at the population differences between the Valley as compared to the greater Houston area, I’m appalled that Houston can’t pool the resources to secure a ship along the upper Texas coast. I can tell you, as an officer of the club, that one of the first things I am asked when talking to people about local diving is “where is there to go diving around Houston, anyway?”

That said, we need a two-pronged approach to let TPWD know that we are serious about having a wreck that can be dived out of Houston/Galveston.

The single most important thing that each of us can do is to write letters/emails to the people in charge of TPWD letting them know where we stand. The letters should:
1) express demand in the greater Houston area for an artificial reef
2) state why we need a ship in this area
3) talk about the number of divers in the area and the interest it would generate

Here is the email & snail mail contact information for Texas Parks and Wildlife:

TPWD Headquarters Artificial Reef Program Staff:

Larry McKinney - Director
TPWD
4200 Smith School Rd.
Austin, TX 78744
larry.mckinney@tpwd.state.tx.us


Dale Shively - Coordinator
TPWD
4200 Smith School Rd.
Austin, TX 78744
dale.shively@tpwd.state.tx.us


Paul Hammerschmidt
TPWD
4200 Smith School Rd.
Austin, TX 78744
paul.hammerschmidt@tpwd.state.tx.us

Dickinson Marine Lab Artificial Reef Program Staff:

Doug Peter
TPWD Artificial Reef Program
1502 FM 517 East
Dickinson, TX 77539
douglas.peter@tpwd.state.tx.us

John Embesi
TPWD Artificial Reef Program
1502 FM 517 East
Dickinson, TX 77539
john.embesi@tpwd.state.tx.us


Please, please, please, take 15 minutes and write an email and a letter to each of these people letting them know we need an artificial reef ship in the Houston area.

For those of you on other forums and in other clubs, please cut and paste this information and pass it around. If we do not step up and make our voices heard, we will never get an artificial reef that can be considered a local dive.

Feel free to PM me with any questions.

The second part of our approach is outlined in the linked thread http://www.chumclub.org/forums/showthread.php?p=9633#post9633


Thanks for your support!!

 

[MichaelBaranows]

The main reason isn't that it has been lobbied to be placed in Port mansfield that is also the be location to be the required depth and also not get silted over as fast. Galveston is so swallow that to get to water deep enough to sink and still have the required 50' clears would be much farther offshore that the 17 miles at Port Mansfield. I am not say that I don't want it closer to me Matagorda would be perfect but I don't think they are going to change the plan they already have.

 

[outback]

The main reason isn't that it has been lobbied to be placed in Port mansfield that is also the be location to be the required depth and also not get silted over as fast. Galveston is so swallow that to get to water deep enough to sink and still have the required 50' clears would be much farther offshore that the 17 miles at Port Mansfield. I am not say that I don't want it closer to me Matagorda would be perfect but I don't think they are going to change the plan they already have.

Yep, if it were placed in Galveston it would have to be further offshore, but there may be some leeway for this to happen. The second point we want to try and make is that, even if the Clipper goes away, Houston as a large dive market could really use somewhere to dive in the local environs, and to wake the powers that be up to the potential for future wreck placement.

 

[Cudabait]

Outback,

I don't know how long you've been involved with this effort, but all effort is good effort as far as this matter is concerned. I can put you in touch with some folks who have been active and quite vocal with the state people. The state of Texas just does not seem to get it! The most recent thing seems to be their refusal to do anything with the bridge remains from the Galveston Causeway. Also, we're not in this alone. There is a huge contigency from the recreational fishing community that has high interest. They also collectively spend a lot more money on the economy than the recreational diving community. I'm all for it. Just let me know if you wish to contact some of these other interested people....maybe you already have. Go get em!!

Regards,

 

[outback]

Cudabait - sounds good. We've just recently gotten involved with this, so any other contacts you can send me would be useful - PM probably best.

Cheers!

 

[chairmanTARAC]

Did Texas Parks and wildlife ask for clean up volunteers? Thanks for your support.

 

[Debraw]

I sent an email Monday evening but have not heard anything back yet. I also sent an email last night as a follow-up. I read the Evironment Assessment that commented on the sinking of the Clipper for fisherman and divers. They are lumped together as this site being a benefit for both. When you combine fishing and diving we call it spearfishing. When they combine it in the assessment they mention party boats, fishing boats and dive charters. Exactly how many fisherman will be allowed on this site and for that matter how many divers? I picture divers weaving in between dangling fishing lines or worse getting clocked in the head when they ascend to the surface. I also read that 15 people showed up to approve this decision of it being sunk off the coast of Brownsville. Was that the public hearing? I must have missed my letter from the Texas Parks and Wildlife. Why weren't letters or notices sent to all the dives shops in Texas of this was a plan that was supposed to benefit divers? Were letters sent to tackle stores/fishing boats, etc.?

 

[Debraw]

I just received a call from a guy at the TPWD. Turns out this is a done deal on the location of the Texas Clipper. There is serious head way to be made with the EPA though on the sinking. This is something that may or may not even happen at this point. If the EPA doesn't approve it soon we may be discussing a mute point. I was dissapointed to hear that the committee was supposed to have made an effort to contact the local dive shops to have them participate in the discussion and they simply did not do it. It would have been easy to pass the word around, it's not like we are completely unaccessible.

A 3.8 million dollar project should have generated a lot more discussion.

At this point a ship is better than no ship. I would hope that if there is another project soon or in year's to come more publicity and discussion will be generated.

 

[daniel f aleman]

Off South Padre is a perfect location for that ship, its success as a reef can only spur more efforts like her up the coast. There are plenty of scrap ships awaiting sites.

 

[chairmanTARAC]

Debraw, I have been working on this for over 20 years. With many meetings from around the state and participation from many divers , clubs., You are correct, The most important point, to get more vessels is support from the dive industry.You also might want to ask your contact at TPWD why it is going to cost 3.8million