For Immediate Release
Contact: Tiffany Heikkila or Catherine Rogan
Hill and Knowlton, Inc.
713-752-1900

GALVESTON, TX (June 19, 2002) - Although Redfish Island vanished from Galveston Bay more than a decade ago, the island is reemerging. The Port of Houston Authority (Port) and the US Army Corps of Engineers (Corps) together with the Beneficial Uses Group (BUG) began implementing their plan to rebuild four-acres of Redfish Island on June 6, 2002. The island will ultimately serve as a bird habitat, safe boater anchorage and will also include an oyster reef.

"The Redfish project is a win-win situation in which environmentalists and boaters, both recreational and commercial, all benefit," said Port Commissioner Jimmy Burke. "The BUG, the Port and the Corps are not only doing what is environmentally best for the bay, but also what's best for Bay users. Restoring the island is helping us reach our goal of making Galveston Bay better for everyone."

While developing a larger-scale plan to create wildlife habitat in Galveston Bay, the Port, Corps and BUG repeatedly heard that bay users wanted Redfish Island restored. The groups decided to include the restoration as part of their overall plan to create habitat in Galveston Bay, most of which is formed with material dredged during the deepening and widening of the Houston-Galveston Navigation Channels (HGNC) project. Redfish is being constructed of crushed limestone.

Upon the island's completion in the fall of 2002, Redfish Island will once again provide boaters an anchorage safe from ship wakes, prevailing winds and away from much of the commercial boat activity in the bay.

"We are very appreciative to the Port, Corp and BUG for going above and beyond the initial bay plan to further enhance the environment and safety in Galveston Bay," said Captain Gene Schwantes, owner of Windward Sea Venture Enterprises and founding member of BaySmart, an organization which provides Galveston Bay-related educational experiences to the general public. "Recreational boaters on the east side of the channel who are not comfortable with converging into commercial traffic in Galveston Bay will now be able to anchor at Redfish Island, avoid crossing the ship channel, and enjoy the bay more than they have for the past decade."

Restoration of Redfish Island is only part of the BUG's plan for Galveston Bay, which also includes:

• Construction of 4,250 acres of saltwater marsh to partially restore lost wetlands acreage;
• Construction of a six-acre bird-nesting island;
• Construction of a near-shore underwater berm to provide topographic relief, essentially an irregular surface, for fishery habitat; and
• Partial restoration of Goat Island at the downstream end of Buffalo Bayou

In addition to the construction of Redfish Island in the middle of the bay, the deepening and widening of the Mid Bay section of the HGNC project is currently taking place and will continue until mid 2004. Levees will also be built for a new marsh and upland site in Mid Bay in early 2003. Bay users should be aware of dredges and underwater dredge pipelines, indicated by yellow buoys, in the construction area.

The BUG is a coalition of local, state and federal government agencies. It was started in 1990 as a subcommittee of the Interagency Coordination Team (ICT). The ICT was formed to address environmental concerns expressed during the study phase of the HGNC project. The BUG's focus was to determine environmentally responsible uses for materials dredged during the expansion of the HGNC. For more information about the BUG project visit our website at www.betterbay.org.

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