For Immediate Release
Contact: Felicia Griffin
Port of Houston Authority
Office: (713) 670-2644
Cell: (713) 594-5620
e-mail: fgriffin@poha.com

HOUSTON, TEXAS (March 29, 2003) – The grand re-opening of Galveston Bay’s Redfish Island was celebrated today in a special ceremony called “Life Returns to Redfish: A Promise Kept” at the Port of Houston Authority Cruise Terminal. The Port of Houston Authority (Port), United States Army Corps of Engineers (Corps) and the Beneficial Uses Group (BUG), all of which worked together to restore the island, hosted the festivities which included speakers, educational displays of the project and a chartered boat ride to the island.

During the event, the trio announced that Redfish Island, once a popular boater destination that disappeared more than a decade ago due to subsidence and erosion, is officially ready to host both boaters and wildlife. Reconstructed as a direct result of bay-user input, the six-acre island will provide safe boater anchorage and habitat for birds and oysters.

“A vital part of Galveston Bay boater culture has been restored and its completion is a source of pride for the Port Authority, the Corps and the BUG. We listened to public input, we made a promise, and today we deliver Redfish Island,” said Jim Edmonds, Chairman of the PHA Commission. “Redfish Island is a tremendous milestone in our continuing efforts to make the bay environment better and safer for everyone.”

Requests for the restoration of Redfish Island stemmed from boaters who wanted an anchorage that offered protection as Redfish Island had more than a decade ago -- away from ship wakes, prevailing winds and much of the commercial boat activity in that part of the bay. The Port, Corps and BUG took on the task to restore the island as part of a larger plan to make environmental enhancements to the Bay with material dredged from the Houston Galveston Navigation Channel expansion project. The 50-year environmental project is the largest undertaking of its kind in the country.

“After so many individuals and groups requested that Redfish be restored, we are delighted to officially unveil the island today,” said Col. Leonard Waterworth, Commander of the Galveston District Corps of Engineers. “It is our sincerest hope that over the duration of our 50-year project bay users will continue to enjoy the amazing bay features we are creating as much as they are enjoying Redfish today.”

Construction of Redfish Island was a substantial task. The restoration involved carting 140 barge loads of stone to the middle of the bay, placing more than 206,000 tons of limestone on the bay bottom to create the island and then covering a small area at the north end, as well as the inner edge of the island, with 3,000 tons of shell and shell hash. Rocks used to construct the island range in size from several ounces to as much as 1,600 lbs each. The entire process, which began in June 2002, took just three months.

Birds found the island during the construction phase of the project and will have a permanent spot on the north end of the island. The island’s new 1.4-acre bird habitat will attract barren-ground nesters such as the least tern, black skimmer, gull-billed terns, Forster’s tern, Sandwich tern and royal tern. A 1,000-foot rock dike on the opposing end of the island will provide approximately 40 acres of safe anchoring for boaters. Small “cereal” stone was placed along the channel side of the island for oyster habitat.

“We appreciate the Port, Corps and BUG for going above and beyond our expectations by restoring Redfish for us,” said Captain Gene Schwantes, Windward Sea Venture Enterprises. “Recreational boaters now have an easily accessible, great destination point where they can safely anchor and fully enjoy one of the greatest attractions we have in this area -- Galveston Bay.”

Through their environmental work, the Port, Corps and BUG are making a better bay. In addition to Redfish Island, Goat Island in Buffalo Bayou will be partially restored. They are also creating approximately 4,250 acres of inter-tidal salt marsh and constructing an underwater berm in the Gulf of Mexico to enhance fish habitat and creating access channels and anchorages for recreational boaters. A six-acre bird nesting and habitat island, Evia Island, was constructed in 2001. Most of the improvements to the Bay are all made with materials dredged during the current expansion and future maintenance of the Houston Ship Channel.

The Beneficial Uses Group was formed in 1990 by the Port and Corps to determine environmentally responsible uses for materials dredged during the expansion of the Houston-Galveston Navigation Channels project.

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