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

GALVESTON, TX (Oct. 1, 2002) - Galveston Bay's "living laboratory," a 220-acre man-made, inter-tidal salt marsh, is now more accessible to both humans and marine life, thanks to a newly built boardwalk and other enhancements to the marsh that provide better accessibility throughout the area.

The boardwalk was designed to enable the Port of Houston Authority (PHA), U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Corps) and the Beneficial Uses Group (BUG) to study developments within the marsh more easily. Visitors also have guided access to the boardwalk and can view the marsh and marine life first-hand.

Recently, a breech was cut in an outside levy and additional tidal channels were constructed in order to create more passageways for aquatic species to enter and leave the marsh. These improvements, plus the creation of additional ponds, have proved very successful. In the short time since the improvements were made, the BUG has observed extensive usage by fiddler and blue crabs and an increase in bird activity, including species not seen prior to the enhancements. The improvements were made possible due to a grant from the Texas General Land Office, with matching funds from the PHA.

"We look forward to the general public having better access to the marsh thanks to the new boardwalk," said Port Commission Chairman Jim Edmonds. "The Gorini Marsh is a great learning tool for scientists and we will now be able to bring the general public to the marsh now share that knowledge first hand. The Port of Houston and the Corps of Engineers are please that we can now bring people to see nature at a closer range."

The "living laboratory," known as the Gorini Marsh, was completed in 1995. Significant information about the construction and development of large man-made marshes has been gained through studies of the Gorini Marsh. The PHA, Corps and the BUG are applying this information as they create new marsh sites.

The Gorini Marsh is part of the BUG's plan to oversee the beneficial use of material dredged from the Houston-Galveston Navigation Channel (HGNC) for 50 years. The overall plan includes the construction of 4,250 acres of salt marsh to partially restore lost wetlands acreage; construction of a six-acre bird-nesting island; construction of an underwater berm to provide topographic relief for fishery habitat; and restoration of Goat Island in Buffalo Bayou. These facets of the project are created entirely with material dredged from the expansion and maintenance of the HGNC.

The BUG plan also includes restoration of the popular boater destination, Redfish Island in Galveston Bay; and construction of access channels and anchorages in mid- and lower Galveston Bay.

To date more than 500 acres of marsh and other wildlife habitat have been constructed in the bay. By 2020, approximately 2,500 acres will be constructed with the remaining acreage being built by 2050.

The BUG is a coalition of local, state and federal government agencies. It was established 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 Houston-Galveston Navigation Channel project. The BUG's focus is 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.

For media tours of the Gorini Marsh or other parts of the BUG project, please call Catherine Rogan: 713-752-1900.

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