MATAGORDA ISLAND UNIT ARANSAS NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE
Matagorda Island, Texas
ANNUAL NARRATIVE REPORT
Calendar Report 1987
U. S. DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Fish & Wildlife Service
NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE SYSTEM MATAGORDA ISLAND UNIT, ARANSAS NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE
Matagorda Island, Texas
ANNUAL NARRATIVE REPORT
Calendar Year 1987
L/t /AJ- sJnM Refuge Manager Date Project Leade Maragorda Island Unit Aransas NWR
Refng^ Supervisor Review Date Date
INTRODUCTION
On December 9, 1986 the lower 2330.36 acres of Matagorda Island were added to the National Wildlife Refuge System
The northern portion of the island is comprised of both federal and state lands. Under an agreement between the Texas General Land Office (GLO) and the FWS, the northern portion of the island is currently managed by the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) as the Matagorda Island State Park and Wildlife Management Area, a unit of the NWRS. The Wynne Ranch on the southern 1/3 of the island is the last privately owned tract. Once the final purchase is completed, the entire 38 mile-long barrier island will be under federal and state management.
The purchase of the lower 11,502 acres of Matagorda Island provides and protects critical coastal parairie and wetland habitats for hundreds of plant and wildlife species. Most notables include the endangered whooping crane, brown pelican, peregrine falcon, and thousands of wintering waterfowl, migrating and breeding shore and wading birds, and 4 endangered species of sea turtles.
Matagorda Island is a 55,000 acre island, one of the seven large barrier islands located off the mid-coast of Texas. It is located in Calhoun county, approximately 9 miles southwest of Port O'Connor and 48 miles southeast of Victoria. The island is 36 miles long and varies between ^ to 4 miles in width. . Matagorda is between 7-15 feet above mean sea level and is bounded on the southeast by the Gulf of Mexico and to the northwest by Espiritu, Santo, San Antonio, and Mesguite Bays. Matagorda is separated from San Jose Island to the south by Cedar Bayou.
Matagorda's location in the southern portion of the Central Flyway adds to its importance as a wintering area for thousands of migrating birds. The island's wetlands serve as resting, feeding, and breeding sites for many species of shore and wading birds. The uplands provide habitat for several raptor species and grassland wildlife species, including caracara, white- tailed hawk, sandhill crane, quail, white-tailed deer, coyote, and badger.
This is the first annual narrative report for the Matagorda Island Unit of Aransas NWR, and as such, will set the stage for describing the island's resources as well as the activities for 1987. Emphasis will be placed on the activities for the lower portion of the island, known as Matagorda Island Unit. TPWD and FWS activities conducted on the northern portion, known The late Toddie Wynne/ Jr. and Chuck Cook/ Texas Nature Conservancy/ make a final review of the Wynne Ranch Facilities inventory. BG
Final departure of the Star Brand personnel/ livestock/ and equipment. BG as the Matagorda Island State Park and Wildlife Management Area (MISPWMA) will be included.
For clarity's sake: MINWR = Matagorda Island Unit of Aransas NWR = former Wynne ranch = south side
Matagorda Island State Park fi, Wildlife Managment Area Matagorda Island is managed as a subunit of the Aransas NWR which is located 6 miles east across Mesquite and San Antonio Bays. Aerial view of the Wynne Ranch complex. Left of center: Hangar# maintenance shops# St stables. Center: Servant's quarters# ranchhouse# pilot house, & generator building. Right of center: Clubhouse & foreman's residence. JC I PAGE INTRODUCTION TABLE OF CONTENTS A. HIGHLIGHTS I B. CLIMATIC CONDITIONS 1 C. LAND ACQUISITION 1. Fee Title 2 2. EaeementE 2 3. Other NTH D.PLANNING 1. Master Plan NTH 2. Management Plan..... 3 3. Public Participation NTR 4. Compliance with Environmental Resource Mandates 3 5. Research and Investigations 4 6. Other 4 E. ADMINISTRATION 1. Personnel... 4 2. Youth Programs 6 3. Other Manpower Programs 6 4. Volunteer Program 6 5. Funding..... 7 6. Safety 7 7. Technical Assistance.... 8 8. Other Items 8 F. HABITAT MANAGEMENT 1. General 8 2. Wetlands 14 3. Forests NTR 4. Croplands NTR 5. Grasslands '. 15 6. Other Habitats 15 7. Grazing 20 8. Haying NTR 9. Fire Management 22 ' i HABITAT MANAGEMENT (Cont.) 10. Pest Control NTH 11. Water Rights NTR 12. Wilderness and Special Areas 22 13. WFA Easement Monitoring NTR G. WILDLIFE 1. Wildlife Diversity 22 2. Endangered and/or Threatened Species 22 3. Waterfowl 27 4. Marsh and Water Birds 27 5. Shorebirds/ Gulls, Terns, and Allied Species 29 6. Raptors...... 31 7. Other Migratory Birds 31 8. Game Mammals... 31 9. Marine Mammals...... 31 10. Other Resident Wildlife 31 11. Fisheries Resources ....33 12. Wildlife Propagation and Stocking NTR 13. Surplus Animal Disposal NTR 14. Scientific Collections 33 15. Animal Control ...NTR 16. Marking and Banding NTR 17. Disease Prevention and Control NTR H. PUBLIC USE 1. General 33 2. Outdoor Classrooms-Students NTR 3. Outdoor Classrooms-Teachers NTR 4. Interpretive Foot Trails NTR 5. Interpretive Tour Routes NTR 6. Interpretive Exhibits/Demonstrations NTR 7. Other Interpretive Programs 35 8. Hunting...... 37 9. Fishing. 37 10. Trapping NTR 11. Wildlife Observation..... > NTR 12. Other Wildlife Oriented Recreation ..37 13. Camping. 37 14. Picnicking. 15. Off-Road Vehicling 37 16. Other Non-Wildlife Oriented Recreation... ..NTR 17. Law Enforcement 40 18. Cooperating Associations ...NTR 19. Concess ions NTR ii I. EQUIPMENT AND FACILITIES 1. New Construction NTR 2. Rehabilitation ...41 3. Major Maintenance NTR 4. Equipment Utilization and Replacement 41 5. Communication Systems 43 6. Computer Systems.. NTR 7. Energy Conservation 43 8. Other 43 J. OTHER ITEMS 1. Cooperative Programs 47 2. Other Economic Uses NTR 3. Items of Interest 50 4. Credits 51 K. FEEDBACK 52 Bird Checklist ( iii A. HIGHLIGHTS On December 9 1986/ NWRS adds 2331 acres to its ranks with the purchase of the southern portion of Matagorda Island (Introduction and C.1). Approval granted for purchase of second parcel on December 22 (C. 1). First Refuoe Manager for Mataaorda Island NWR reports to island on May 30 (E. 1). Cedar Bayou channel reopened (H.6>. Nature Conservancy outing on November 1 brings over 200 people to the refuge Just about everything that happened on the refuge was a highlight (read report). B. CLIMATIC CONDITIONS Matagorda's climate is classified as humid subtropical. The Gulf of Mexico and its associated warm/ moist air masses dictates the maritime climatic conditions. Summer daytime temperatures are lower than inland areas while the reverse holds true during the winter months. Winds are prevalent from the southeast and south-southeast. Strong northerly winds transport colder air masses during the autumn and winter months. Southeasterly winds during the autumn and winter often shroud the island and neighboring bays with thick fog. The weather on MINWR from May to year's end displayed the complete array of weather patterns for a barrier island; hot/ cold/ wind/ rain, hail/ sleet/ water spouts/ clouds/ and fog. Summer temperatures started with a vengeance in June with daytime readings of low to mid 90s. Several downpours innundated the island in early June. Precipitation subsided greatly until September. Nighttime lows rarely dipped below the raid-705 for the summer. The somewhat constant southeasterly breezes kept the conditions at a tolerable level for island folks. July's hottest temperature was 95/ the lowest 72. Rainfall for July was 3 inches. No measurable rainfall occurred in August. ( September started hot/ but by mid-month the northerlies initiated a cooling trend. Daytime temperatures fell to a very comfortable 70-80s range with evening temperatures going below 70. On September 30 a cold front brought the mercury down into the 60s. Rainfall for the month totalled 4 inches. Temperatures remained mild for October. The month's high was 88 on the 26th/ the low was 74 on the 22nd (daytime). A torrential rainstorm on the 23rd added 3.5 inches of precipitation to our rain gauge. Mild temperatures prevailed into November, November's weather turned wet/ cold/ cloudy/ and foggy. Temperatures for the most part remained in the high 50s and 60s. Two major rainstorms brought 1.25 inches to the island. Wind gusts up to 40mph occurred on the 19th. December's weather kept the island folks guessing from one day to the next. Several cold northerlies blew in, but just as many southeaster!ies came by/ bringing warm/ moist air. The daytime temperature on Christmas Day was 77. The next day temperatures dipped into the 40s. The final days of the year were characterized by strong northerly winds/ rain/ and cold weather/ temperatures dipping into the 30s. C. LAND ACQUISITION 1. Fee Title The 11/502 acre Wynne Property was purchased by the Texas Nature Conservancy for $13 million. The Conservancy/ upon receipt of a notice of intent to purchase from FWS/ leased the property to FWS for management until completion of the acquisition. The southernmost 2331 acres was purchased for $3 million in FY 87 by FWS. Monies were allocated from Land and Water Conservation Funds with intent to manage the property as an addition to Aransas NWR. Approval of the FY 88 budget by President Reagan on December 22/ 1987 resulted in appropriating $5 million to purchase a second tract totalling 3657 acres. The final acquisition of the remaining 5515 acres should be completed by December 1988. 2. Easements With complete acquisition of the Wynne property by FWS/ the total acreage under federal ownership on Matagorda Island will be 30/502 acres. The island's northern 19/000 acres of uplands were declared excess by the U.S. Air Force in 1975 and were transferred to the Department of Interior to be managed under the NWRS. From 1975-1982 the issue of federal versus state management of public lands on Matagorda Island was tossed back forth among state, federal, private, and media groups. The issue was finally resolved by the signing on December 8, 1982 of a M0A between the Department of Interior and the State of Texas for the managment of the Matagorda Island State Park and Wildlife Management Area (MISPWMA), a unit of the NWRS. The FWS and Texas General Land Office (GL0) exchanged easements for the 19,000 acres of federal lands and 24,893 acres of state wetlands and Gulf lands. The entire package was suseguently turned over to TPWD for management pursuant to the terras of a 5-year "Matagorda Island Conceptual Plan." The state's annual operation plan must be approved by both FWS and Texas GL0. TPWD is required to adopt and implement the management principles, goals, and objectives set forth in the NWRS Manual in managing all publicly owned lands within the MISPWMA. 1 2 The state of Texas has now expressed interest in seeking total nianageiuent of the island by arresting management authority of the Wynne Property from FWS. The issue has yet to be resolved at the time of this report. D. PLANNING 3. Public Participation Representatives from several Texas state and private conservation organizations met at MINWR from November 5-7 to meet with selected Texas Parks & Wildlife Commissioners. The objective of the meeting was to discuss with the commissioners various state environmental issues, including future management of Matagorda. Fifteen personnel representing the Nature Conservancy/ National Audubon Society/ Sierra Club/ Wildlife Society/ Texas Office of Endangered Species, Texas Conservation Foundation, and the Texas Recreation and Parks Society attended the meeting. In a spirit of cooperation the refuge provided transportation to and from the island for the environmental contingency. RM Clark also took the group on a tour of the new refuge, discussed the FWS's goal and objectives for the new acquisition, and took the group on a tour up to the island's north side. RM Clark attended all meetings. The topic of future management of MINWR was not mentioned by the commissioners until one environmental representative finally brought up the issue for discussion before the meeting adjourned. No strong committments were made by the commissioners on whether the state or federal government should manage the refuge. However, the issue of grazing on the island's north side was discussed. The general concensus among both environmental groups and the commissioners was that grazing should probably be phased out. 4. Compliance with Environmental Mandates The Regional Office received word about an increase in barrels containing hazardous waste washing up along Matagorda's shore. To assess the situation RM Clark and Volunteer Rappaport conducted a beach survey on November 24 to census the lower 9 miles of the island. No major problems were found. The most noticeable items were spent pressurized cylinders of refrigerant and empty 55 gallon barrels. The International Treaty for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships, a treaty signed by several nations, including the United States, will substantially curtail dumping of plastics into international waters, including the Gulf of Mexico. Debris on Matagorda Island's beaches is horrendous at times. Maybe the beaches along the Texas coast will now become less hazardous and more attractive to man, fowl, and beast. 3 ' 5. Research and Investigations "Analysis of Vegetation Monitoring from Matagorda Island Wildlife Management Area." As part of the HOA between FWS and TPWD/ the effects of graz ing on plant communities on the MISPWMA were monitored by TPWD beginning in 1984. Preliminary analysis were completed in 1987; however, the results to date do not yield any startling conclusions one way or the other. "A Survey of Beach Invertebrates at Matagorda Island, Texas." On November 14 a team of Texas ASiM researchers under the auspices of Dr. Mary Wickstem collected beach invertebrate samples along a belt transect on the refuge's gulf shoreline. The study's objective is to compare sandy beach biota at Matagorda with Padre Island National Seashore. The comparisons will determine whether or not conditions previously reported at Padre Island are indicative of undisturbed beaches. The results will help develop recommendations for beach traffic regulation and restoration of eroded areas along Texas beaches. The site on Matagorda is sampled quarterly. The first sample showed species composition, numbers, and distribution from the foredunes to the low water mark are similar to those found at the National Seashore. This study is a cooperative venture supported in part by the Nature Conservancy, Texas ASM, and the refuge. MINWR NR 86 "Documenting Habitat Changes in Absence of Grazing on MINWR." To monitor response of upland vegetation in the absence of grazing, the refuge established several photo points throughout the refuge. Robel pole readings and plant clippings were also taken to document annual changes in the plant communities. Photos and Robel readings will be made quarterly while the clippings will be taken once during and after the growing season. See H.7. 8. Other Items Portions of the Wynne Ranch still owned by TNC are managed as an addition to Matagorda Island Unit, Aransas NWR under a lease agreement with TNC. The lease permits FWS to protect, post, and manage these parcels as a unit of the NWRS. TNC still retains access and use of these parcels for hunting, fishing, birdwatching, etc. No economic activities such as grazing or mineral development are permitted during the acquistion phase. E. ADMINISTRATION 1. Personnel Following the December 1986 purchase agreement signing, Wynne ranching operations were phased out during the early months of 1987. Actions accelerated in early April when Aransas refuge was requested by Mr. 4 Wynne to have sorneone present on the island 24 hours per day/ 7 days a week to ensure protection of the generous donation of furnishings and equipment made to TNC and FWS by Mr. Wynne. Aransas personnel were detailed to the island in 2-4 day shifts through and following the withdrawal period until the arrival of the new Unit Refuge Manager. Aransas personnel continue to provide some weekend and other coverage as the need arises. The first Refuge Manager for MINWR arrived on May 26. Jim Clark/ formerly Assistant Refuge Manager at the Yukon Flats NWR in Alaska/ was selected for the position and began his island tour on May 30. Aransas NWR MW Mickey Harris was officially reassigned to the island's program in June, Mickey has 15 years of working experience on Matagorda, dating back to his employment with the Air Force on the island's north side. The temporary biological technician position was filled in August by Chad Karges. Chad transferred from Buffalo Lake NWR where he served as Bio. Aid. Both RH Clark and BT Karges reside on the island. MW Harris "coramutes" to work several days a week from Aransas. Personnel Refuge Staff 132 1. Jim Clark, Refuge Manager, GS-ll, PFT 2. Mickey Harris, Maintenance Worker, WG-B, PFT 3. Chad Karges, Biological Technician, GS-5, TFT i 5 ; Nature Conservancy Staff 4. Joyce Richards/ Clubhouse Manager 5. Joe Richards/ Groundskeeper 6. Norman Von Heuvel/ Barge Operator Volunteers 7. Matt Smith <6-1 to 7-29) 8. Brad Smith (6-20 to 7-05) 9. Jamie Rappaport 10. Charles Clark 11. William "Boots" Stridel 2. Youth Programs The Aransas NWR YCC camp came over to the island from July 14-15. Under the watchful eyes and caring supervision of RM Goddard and Co-op student Ellis/ the enrollees completed several work projects. The enrollees did a major cleanup of the ranch house and some rehab work on the boat house pier. Mike Goddard's wife/ Cindy/ volunteered in supervising the enrollees. 3. Other Manpower Programs An interesting situation exists at MINWR. The Nature Conservancy maintains the clubhouse facilities at the ranch for entertaining clientele, guests, etc. The Conservancy hired a husband-wife team, Joe & Joyce Richards, to serve as groundskeeper and clubhouse manager for the facilities. An agreement was made between the FWS and the Conservancy to have RM Clark serve as "J&J's" supervisor. RM Clark oversees their daily activities and assists in resolving conflicts concerning work schedules, vehicle use, visitors, etc. So far, so good. We are blessed with a rather cooperative working relationship between all the island staff. Considering the different backgrounds and personalities of the staff, the situation on the island could be rather difficult. The Conservancy also hired Norman Von Heuvel as the barge operator. Norman also provides assistance in procuring supplies, repairing equipment, and maintaining Conservancy vehicles. Joe, Joyce, and Norman were all previous employees of Wynne Ranch. 4. Volunteer Program t The refuge's first volunteer reported for duty on June 1. Matt Smith, a former YCCer at Aransas, volunteered his services for most of the summer. Matt did a variety of chores for the refuge. Most were maintenance and groundskeeping in nature, although he did conduct some valuable roadside deer surveys and beach surveys. Matt's father. Brad, volunteered for a couple of weeks in June and July. This father- son team assisted in inventorying equipment and facilities, cleaning vehicles, painting the manager's residence, performing scheduled vehicle maintenance, and patrolling Cedar Bayou. Matt and Brad both displayed a tremendous case of "Take Pride in America." Thanks is extended to both for their support and unending willingness to help our program. 6 Jamie Rappaport/ Project Leader for the Army National Guard's Natural Resources Program, volunteered on several occasions. Jamie assisted in conducting beach and marsh surveys, typing reports, and serving as a goodwill ambassador for the refuge. Many refuge personnel from Aransas and other area refuges volunteered their time to stay at MINWR so island staff could visit the mainland during weekends. These people provided a valuable service by maintaining the facilities and serving as law enforcement authority for the refuge. Their willingness to help us out are greatly appreciated. With two full time refuge employees residing on the island and another travelling over just about every day, we are better able to handle movements of island staff on and off the refuge. 5. Funding The management of MINWR is a subactivity 6. Safety The island staff inventoried safety equipment available on the island. Subsequent procurements of safety equipment were made. The staff also inspected the compound for existing and potential safety hazards. Many of the facilities on the refuge are outdated, "gerry- rigged", etc. Add in the everyday possibility of running into the island's rattlesnake population and well, you get the idea. Safety is emphasized quite a bit. Extreme care is taken to avoid heat stress and exhaustion during the hot summer months. All vehicles were equipped with first aid kits, flashlights, and fire extinguishers. A first aid station was established and equipped at the clubhouse. The refuge's Mon Arch boat was furnished with PFDs, fire extinguisher, and first-aid kit. Smoke detectors were installed throughout the clubhouse, pilot house, ranch house, and the manager's residence. The ranch electrical system was inspected on September 17 by a local electrician, A few minor repairs were made, but surprisingly, no major safety problems were discovered. The most important change will be switching from the present two wire system to a three wire arrangement. No lost-time accidents or injuries occurred this year. The opportunities are here, but we watch out for each other. Another safety precaution taken seriously is knowing the whereabouts of everyone, even during nonworking hours. All visitors are briefed on safety precautions and location of first aid supplies. All visitors must report their arrival, time of departure, and planned activities to the refuge staff. 7 1 7. Technical Assistance With the Nature Conservancy hosting several forays to the island# the refuge staff assisted in setting up a variety of field trips# reconimending logistical arrangements# and conducting refuge tours. The refuge staff spent considerable time assiting the Conservancy plan and implement the Conservancy's annual outing which was held at MINWR this year (See H.7). The refuge also provided recommendations for hunting procedures on Conservancy land. RM Clark was detailed back to his old duty station# Yukon Flats NWR, Alaska# in July to assist in completing a wilderness prescribed burn project. On September 19 Aransas NWR & MINWR personnel participated in the annual beach cleanup on the north side of Matagorda. Over 300 volunteers boated to the island and cleaned two miles of beach front. The Aransas refuge also donated a dump truck to help load the debris for transport to the mainland. 8. Other Items The refuge staff is responsible for maintaining liason and monitoring activities of the TPWD personnel on the north side of the island. Many trips were made up north to inspect activities# discuss items of mutual interest# and to maintain a espirit de corps. The refuge also maintains a bunkhouse and generator building on the north side. F. HABITAT MANAGEMENT 1. General In many respects Matagorda Island is typical of Gulf coastal barrier islands. From the Gulf Coast across the island to San Antonio Bay# the major physiognomic features are: beach# foredunes# dune ridge# barrier flats (grasslands)# and bayside marshes and tidal flats. Unlike many Gulf coastal barrier islands# Matagorda is characterized by a series of beach ridges and swales incorporated into the barrier flats. Matagorda is in the accretion stage# so each ridge represents the position of a previous shoreline formed during the earlier development of the island. ! From the dune ridges into the barrier flats are many natural depressions and ponds. The salinity regime in these interior wetlands vary from fresh to saline. Some ponds on the island were excavated for livestock watering. The refuge has 41 livestock ponds# 15 natural ponds (swales)# 6 artesian wells# and 6 windmills. The general vegetation on Matagorda Island is representative of Gulf coastal barrier islands. The foredunes are sparsely vegetated with morning glory# beach tea# and sea oats. The dune ridge is vegetated with marsh hay cordgrass# beach evening primrose# beach croton# sea oats# Gulf dune and brownseed paspalum. The barrier flats contain a variety of floral communities# all within the grassland community complex. Gulf cordgrass forms the climax over much of the island's interior with seacoast bluestero occurring on the more lowland sites.^ 8 A cross section view of the island's physiograhic regions: Beach fronting the Gulf of Mexico. The island's beach serves as prime wintering habitat for many shorebird species/ including the piping plover. Brown pelicans and several tern species frequent the coastline during the summer. JC The Texas coastline is a receipent for a variety of paraphernalia from the Gulf. KS 9 Immediately behind the beach front lies the smaller foredune region and the we11-developed dune ridge community. Foredune vegetation includes sesuviura, morning glory, & beach croton. The dune ridge community includes sea coast bluestem, paspalum sp., sea oats, & western ragweed. JC Aerial view of the island's barrier flats community. Mesguite Bay is in the background. JC Gulf & saltraeadow cordgrass/ seacoast bluestero/ & Gulf dune paspalum are a few of the grasses occurring in the barrier flats. JC Aerial view of Matagorda's extensive bayside marshes. The Gulf of Mexico is in the background. JC Saltraarshes and tidal flats characterize the bayside marsh community. Wetland plants include glasswort/ saltwort/ shoregrass/ saltgrass/ and sea ox-eye daisy. JC < 12 1 The levee system constructed by the former owners enclose many tidal wetlands. Culverts were installed to allow tidal exchange. JC "Stilt Flats", a wetland located within the levee system. These enclosed wetlands are used by wading birds, shorebirds, and waterfowl. JC 13 Some of the barrier flats were converted to coastal bermuda grass to increase livestock forage. Bayside wetland communities are comprised of smooth cordgrass/ shoregrass, saltgrass, coastal dropseed# saltwort/ and glasswort. Woody species on the island are limited to scattered groves of mesguite/ bacaharis/ salt cedar/ McCartney rose/ and an occassional yucca. Prickly pear cactus is common throughout the island. No habitat management occurred on MINWR this year. As acguistion progresses/ efforts will be directed to developing habitat management plans. Cattle grazing occurs on the north side and TPWD uses prescribed burning to maintain grassland communities on the widlife management area. R-2 Pilot Winship and Coastal Biologist Neaville completed an aerial infrared photography project for the island. The finished product should be in our eager hands by early 1988. These photos will be a blessing for habitat management planning. At present we only have some faded black and white aerials taken in the early 70's. The infra- reds will give us a much better perspective on what's out here. 2. Wetlands MINWR has 41 freshwater ponds which were excavated for livestock watering. These wetlands provide habitat for the American alligator and a variety of wading birds and waterfowl. No managment of water levels occur on these ponds. The refuge has 15 natural ponds located between the dune ridge and barrier flats with a few along the bayside. No water level manipulation occurs on the tidal wetlands, either on MINWR or on the state-owned tidal wetlands. Potential does exist for salt-marsh enhancement on MINWR to benefit whooping cranes, waterfowl, shore and wading birds, and marine organisms. The previous owners, managing for optimum livestock use, constructed dikes across many of the bayside tidal wetlands bordering the ranch. The intent for all practical purposes was to dry up the low lying tidal guts, create a freshwater environment, and increase livestock forage . An eventual lawsuit against the previous landowners was initiated by the Texas GLO. GLO contended the levee system had illegally cut off tidal interchange of state-owned wetlands. The issue was ^resolved in a court settlement whereby the previous owners and GLO reached an agreement on title to the land behind the levee system. At the time of the settlement, the previous owners installed culverts in the dike to allow tidal interchange. The present boundary is a result of the court settlement. The wetlands within the inner levee system are owned by the Nature Conservancy and FWS. Bird use within the levee system has been outstanding since the levee was breached with the culverts. Wintering waterfowl use these wetlands extensively, and wading and shorebird use is nothing short of spectacular during all times of the year. From all appearances movements of blue crab, shrimp, flounder, mullet, and redfish through the culverts are continuing. When shorelines are exposed, several shorebird species feed on the flats. 14 Whooping cranes also use areas within the levee system. A few adults and family groups have established territories within the levees. Whooping crane use of these wetlands is anticipated to increase as the population expands. These wetlands are one of the three prime expansion use areas for whooping cranes. With adjacent state-owned marshes receiving heavy, uncontrolled hunting pressure and increased air boat traffic, these leveed wetlands become more critical for the cranes. 5. Grasslands TPWD uses prescribed burning to manage grasslands on the island's north side. In December the state treated 600 acres of gulf cordgrass. Grazing is also permitted on the north side (See H.7>. The Wynne property was grazed during private ownership, but after the acquisition of the ranch by TNC, the cattle were removed in April 1987. Grazing will be evaluated as to its suitability as a future management tool on the island. Use of prescribed burning on MINWR will be a prime habitat management tool. Prescribed burning on the north side provides feeding sites for wintering sandhill cranes and Canada geese. With the large number of sandhills wintering on MINWR, prescribed burning within the grasslands will definitely be attractive to the cranes. The refuge is planning to proceed next year with development of a fire management plan and a prescribed burn plan. 6. Other Habitats Matagorda Island has 3,250 acres of Gulf beach shoreline. These state lands extend from mean high tide to 1000 feet offshore. The Matagorda Island Cooperative Management Agreement places these lands under additional protection of refuge regulations. No active management of the shoreline is done except for enforcing trespass regulations, patrolling for hazardous materials and illegal drugs, and conducting widlife surveys. Reopening of Cedar Bayou was the major habitat enhancement project on Matagorda Island this year. Separating Matagorda Island from San Jose Island, the bayou is a natural tidal passage about 3 miles long and 200 feet wide. When open, the bayou provides a water exchange point between the Gulf of Mexico and the San Antonio Bay system. Cedar Bayou also provides a free-flowing waterway for marine life such as post larval and juvenile shrimp, blue crab, and several finfish species to migrate to nursery grounds withift San Antonio and Mesguite Bays. These marine organisms are prime food resources for many species of estuarine wildlife, including the whooping crane. Cedar Bayou has a long history of closures and reopenings. The bayou was first dredged in 1939 and remained opened until a drought in 1955 caused a closure. Dredging occurred again in 1956 and 1959. In 1979 TPWD closed the channel to prevent the Mexican Ixtoc I oil spill from 15 i The Cedar Bayou dredging project resulted in a 60 foot wide and 6 foot deep channel to the Gulf of Mexico. JC The final cut was made the day after this photo was taken. The Gulf of Mexico is in the background. JC 16 entering the San Antonio Bay system. High tides caused by Hurricane Allen in 1980 reopened the channel/ but sand deposition closed the cut in 1985. The bayou's closure affected local recreational fishing opportunities and the 1987 flooding of the Guadlaupe River drastically reduced salinites in San Antonio and Mesguite Bays# causing a massive dieoff of oysters. The local oyster industry fell on very hard times. In January 1985 local citizens formed a task force, "Save Cedar Bayou, Inc.," to raise funds to reopen Cedar Bayou. Expenses to dredge and remove 300,000 cubic yards of sand was estimated at $465,000. Private donations to the cause amounted to $105,000 while the remaining $365,000 came from Wallop-Breaux funds (through TPWD with assistance by FWS-Federal Aid). Dredging preparations began in earnest by mid-July 1987 with construction of spoil disposal sites near the entrance of the cut (bayside) on San Jose Island and at the mouth of the cut (Gulf side) on Matagorda Island. Dredging started on July 29. The main channel's depth was increased to 6 feet, with the dredge cutting a swath 60 feet wide in the channel. The final cut into the Gulf occurred on September 19. PL Giezentanner, RM Clark, and RC Fraiser along with 50 local citizens witnessed the historic occasion. All dredging operations ceased on September 26 with all equipment removed from the site the next day. Since Cedar Bayou is a natural fish passage, a 1940 state law prohibits all boating activity within 2800 feet from the mouth. Signs notifying the public of boating restrictions were posted by state game wardens. Prior to posting boating activity occurred within the cut on a regular basis. So far the public has abided by the regulations, though some of the fishing public still complains about walking a 1/Z mile to reach the Gulf. Designated camping is permitted on the refuge side while ATV use is strictly prohibited. Most public use at Cedar Bayou occurs during the weekends with daily numbers ranging anywhere from 6 to 60 visitors. Most public use activity is fishing. Some camping occurs on Matagorda, but most of the public prefers to pitch their tents on the San Jose side. Public use drops dramatically by November. The only access to Cedar Bayou is by boat. t As expected, the cut is moving in a southerly direction. The refuge side is accreting land at the mouth, but is losing ground at the channel's entrance. By late October the channel migrated to and started eating at the spoil site. Boundary'signs and the refuge camping information sign had to be removed and reposted to prevent them from washing away. The cut attracts a variety of shore and wading birds. Brown and white pelicans, double-crested cormorants, American avocets, sanderlings, ruddy turnstones, seraipalmated, snowy, piping, and black-bellied plovers, dunlins, willets, long-billed curlews, Caspian, royal, and 17 i Local citizens boated over to Cedar Bayou to celebrate the opening. The waters of the Gulf of Mexico and Mesguite Bay met again on September 19/ 1987. JC The last vestige of sand blocking Cedar Bayou from the Gulf is removed. JC 18 Aerial view of Cedar Bayou. Matagorda Island is to the right S St.Jose Island is the land mass left of the old channeKtop left). JC Cattle grazing on the Matagorda Island State Park & Wildlife Management Area. JC 19 ; forester's terns^ and great blue herons frequent the site, especially during low tide. During low tide the mouth of the cut is a huge exposed sandflat. Not only are birds attracted to the cut, but the U.S. Customs Service notified the refuge that the channel is now used as an exchange point for drug trafficing. On the refuge side Customs agents found a flare pole used to signal offshore boats. Once the "coast" is clear, the runners signal the boat in the Gulf via the flare tube. Most drug activity occurs at night during the the winter when recreational fishing at the bayou is practically nonexistent. 7. Grazing Cattle grazing on Matagorda Island is presently permitted on MISPWMA. Prior to acgusition by TNC, the Wynne Ranch was managed and operated as a cattle ranch (Star Brand). All livestock were removed April 22, 1987. Photo points were established to monitor response of the upland vegetation following removal of cattle from the Wynne Ranch. Robel pole readings and plant clippings were also taken. Photos and Robel readings are made quarterly while the clippings are taken once during and after the growing season. The first photos and Robel readings were made in September and October. Clippings were collected in early December. Coastal Biologist Neaville assisted in developing the monitoring program. Grazing on MISPWMA is conducted under one permit. The grazing permittee, a previous landowner on the island prior to the Air Force ownership, grazes cattle on 9,924 acres within a two pasture setup. The grazing plan allows 583 animal units. An aerial survey by TPWD on October 30 counted 738 cattle units and 7 horses (each counts as 1.5 ADs); 165 units over the permitted number. The permittee was notified to remove the excess livestock. By year's end the permittee sent a letter to the Regional Office contesting the results of the survey. Part of this discrepancy arises from a dispute over the age a calf becomes an AUM and a cattle operation with year- round calving. From November 11-12 PL Giezentanner, RM Clark, DARD Klett, and Refuge Supervisor Hawthorn met with several representatives of the TPWD, General Land Office and Soil Conservation Service Presently, the permittee's livestock are concentrating within the pastures and are not disbursing, causing heavy spot grazing. The permittee expressed interest in leasing the lower two units, which were previously grazed by the Wynne Ranch livestock. After observing the grazing leases the next day, the group agreed that the present cow- 20 Coastal Biologist Jim Neaville and BT Karges take robel pole readings. JC TPWD Area Manager discusses the "north side" grazing program to personnel from USFWS, SCS, TPWD, and GLO. JC 21 calf/ year-round grazing system may not be the most effective system to use on the island. With less than 2 years remaining on the 5-year cooperative raanagraent plan, a grazing permit will not be issued for the Wynne lease/ nor will major changes be made in the present grazing system on the upper two pastures. In the meantime/ the Regional Office and refuge will work with TPWD and SCS to develop a more efficient/ compatible/ and effective grazing system. 9. Fire Management No wildfires occurred on the island in 1987. The only prescribed burning by TPWD on the north side/ with 600 acres treated in grazing units 1 & 2. 12. Wilderness and Special Areas The 5-year management plan for MISPWMA established two conservation areas: a 2100 acre site encompassing a two mile managed beach and the lighthouse interpretive area/ and an 1800 acre site between the old Wynne grazing lease and the existing grazing permittee's lease. The objectives of these areas are to restore the island's natural communities to conditions prior to colonial settlement and to provide a baseline to evaluate management actions on other areas. G. WILDLIFE 1. Wildlife Diversity Matagorda Island is well known for its wildlife/ most notably the high bird diversity. Relative to other Texas coastal barrier islands/ Matagorda is virtually untouched. Both San Jose and Matagorda are the last two Texas coastal barrier islands that have no access via a causeway or auto ferry. The island's combination of coastline/ barrier flats/ and tidal marshlands provides the medium for a tremendous abundance and diversity of wildlife. Although whooping crane and waterfowl use has been recorded for years, very little documentation about wildlife on the Wynne ranch is available. The arrival of the new refuge manager in May and the bio. tech. in August started the ball rolling. Surveys were started to assess waterfowl, wading and shorebird occurrences, and deer populations. Wildlife inventory plans are in preparation to implement a more structured format to the surveys. 2. Endangered and Threatened Species Twenty state and/or federally listed endangered and threatened species use Matagorda Island during some time of their life cycle. 22 Past ranching practices were very conducive to the island*s quail population. Use of feeders & shelters provided what the birds needed. JC The island's bayside wetlands are prime feeding & roosting sites for variety of wading birds. Shown here: White ibis, tri-colored heron# great egret# snowy egret# white pelican# & northern shoveler. JC 23 Whooping Crane Use of Matagorda Island by wintering whooping cranes is well-known and documented. See Aransas NWR 1987 ANR for a discussion on crane use of the island. A few notes from our ground surveys follow. The first sighting of whooping cranes on Matagorda during the 1987 autumn occurred October 27 at Pasture 6. Six whoopers were observed by FWS during an aerial search that day. Whooper activity on the island occurs primarily between Twin Lakes south to Shell Reef Bayou. Crane activity on the Wynne Ranch occurs primarily between Little Brundrett Lake north to Cottonwood Bayou. On November 14 refuge personnel counted 19 whoopers between Shell Reef and Cottonwood Bayous. To ensure the whoopers were not disturbed by hunting activity on the south side, the refuge and TNC agreed to prohibit waterfowl and quail hunting between Shell Reef and Cottonwood Bayous. Waterfowl hunting and airboating still occurred within the state marshes bordering refuge. Crane use of one heavily hunted state marsh occurred only after the hunting season was over. Aerial censuses of whooping cranes on Matagorda by Ref. Bio. Stehn counted: 35 on October 29; 25 on November 12; 27 on November 18; and 26 on December 10. Peregrine Falcon The peregrine frequents the island's coastline during the autumn migration. An occasional falcon or two will overwinter on the island. The first peregrine was observed August 5 on MISPWMA; the first observation on the south side was September 27. From September to November peregrines would circle over the clubhouse, competing with the more aggressive merlins for a chicken or a chukar. The high count for peregrines on Matagorda this fall was 9; the most counted on the south side was 3. At least one peregrine is guaranteed along the coastline during the fall and winter. On occasion peregrines fly over the island's interior or perch on the old rocket launching pad or turkey roosts. On December 23 RM Clark and Vol. Rappaport saw a peregrine perched on a piling in Mesquite Bay. 1 Brown Pelican Brown pelicans are an everyday sight during the summer months on Matagorda. Pelican numbers decrease dramatically by winter. They feed and rest along the island's coastline and the shallows bordering the bayside marshes. Rarely are they seen within the bayside marshes. Beach patrols during the summer and fall counted between 50-70 brown pelicans per day. On October 8 BT Karges counted 107 brown pelicans along the island's lower 9 miles. 24 The new cut at Cedar Bayou has certainly caught the pelican's fancy. Up to 50 can be seen at Cedar Bayou during the summer months. Piping Plover Surveys along the island's lower 9 miles demonstrated the importance of Matagorda as wintering habitat for the piping plover. The first observation of the plover was September 18. A survey of the lower 9 miles on September 23 tallied 51. Piping plover numbers ranged between 8-51 along the island's lower coastline until raid-December. By late December the plovers were seen only during low tide at Cedar Bayou. The deposition of sand from the cut's southward migration created an extensive sand flat at its mouths which attracts a variety of shorebirds/ including the piping plover. During cold/ windy and/or rainy weather/ the plovers disappear from the beach. The birds may be moving to the bayside marshes during these times/ but right now/ no one is sure. A survey of the lower 9 miles on November 18 counted 40 piping plovers out of 385 shorebirds censused. On December 30 an identical survey found no piping plovers along the beach. The temperature for the second survey was much cooler than the first survey/ suggesting that these critters go somewhere much warmer. Three banded piping plovers were seen along the beach during the fall. Sea Turtles Beach surveys are conducted twice a month along the lower 9 miles to record sea turtle strandings. The refuge is participating in the National Marine Fishery Services Sea Turtle Stranding and Salvage Network, This survey is assessing turtle strandings before/ during/ and following implementation of regulations requiring use of Turtle Excluder Devices (TEDs) on shrimp trawlers. Matagorda Island is a key element of this program: The island is centrally located off the Texas Coast/ has an extensive shoreline/ and lies entirely within a high brown shrimp production area. Sea turtles occurring off the Texas coast include Kemp's ridley/ Atlantic hawksbill/ leatherback/ loggerhead/ and green. TPWD personnel conduct the survey along the upper beach. 'Turtle strandings for the north side totalled 14: 9 loggerheads/ 4 Kemp's ridley/ and 1 hawksbill. On the south side three turtles were found: 2 Kemp's ridley and 1 green. Most strandings occur during spring and summer when shrimping activity increases off the coast. Allioator About every livestock watering pond on MINWR has an alligator. The refuge estimates that at least 20 adult alligators live on the south side; TPWD estimates up to 20 gators for the MISPWMA. Production is 25 i An np close & personal view of a local denizen of the island's ponds. This one... JC ...affectionately known as "Jaws% is a llJf- footer residing near the clubhouse, JC 26 occurring on MINWR: six young gators were counted in one pond/ three in another. The adult gators near the clubhouse are rather friendly. Accustomed to regular handouts from the previous owners/ these daring creatures frequently slither up to vehicles asking for a bite to eat. The handout policy has been phased out. Other federally listed T&E species that occur or may occur on Matagorda Island include least tern (confirmed)/ eskirao curlew (unconfirmed/ migration) and southern bald eagle (unconfirmed/ migration). State Listed Species Matagorda also has several species listed as threatened and endangered by the state/ but not by FWS: reddish egret/ wood stork/ white-faced ibis/ white-tailed hawk/ and horned lizard. All of these species can be seen on the island with some regularity. Other state listed T&E species that may occur on Matagorda during migration are the American swallow-tailed kite and sooty tern. 3. Waterfowl Matagorda's bayside marshes provide excellent habitat for thousands of wintering waterfowl. E-2 Pilot Winship and Coastal Bio. Neaville flew monthly aerial surveys to census the island's wintering waterfowl. Prime wintering species include gadwall/ pintail/ green-winged teal/ wigeon/ shoveler/ and redhead. Also found in lesser numbers are lesser scaup/ ruddy ducks/ bufflehead/ and common goldeneye. Ring- necked ducks, canvasbacks/ red-breasted and hooded mergansers usually number less than a hundred during the counts. From September to December the monthly counts were 3/410 (Sept)/ 15/304 (Oct.)/ 23/092 (Nov.)/ and 61,274 (Dec.). Mottled ducks occur on the island throughout the year. A small population breeds on the island and during the fall and winter, mottied,duck numbers increase. Roadside counts of mottled ducks along our levee system tallied 43 on July 29 (not including a class lb brood of 10), 115 on August 15 and 250 on August 26. Coastal Bio. Neaville's mottled duck survey of the island on March 14 counted 37 pairs and 66 singles; a dramatic drop from the 1986 count of 140 pairs and 44 singles. The wintering waterfowl counts estimated the mottled duck population on the island at 520 (Sept.), 219 (Oct.), 298 (Nov.), and 463 (Dec.). Unusual observations of waterfowl on Matagorda this year included two adult male redheads which stayed on a livestock pond on the north side during the summer and two wood ducks that showed up at the pond behind our hangar on November 29. 4. Marsh and Water Birds Matagorda is a prime feeding and resting site for marsh and wading birds. The levee system on the south side provides another attraction to this group: The exposed mud flats during low tide and drying periods provide additonal feeding sites. 27 Matagorda serves as wintering habitat for the sandhill crane. The first sandhills on the south side were reported October 6. By year's end we estimated the population on MINWR at 400. Island wide/ the population is probably less than 700. The barrier flats' serai stage on the south side seems to be at its optimum for sandhills. Over 100 sandhills can be seen in the pasture directly behind the manager's residence. White pelicans occur on Matagorda throughout the year/ but the fall and winter brings hundreds to the island. Up to 100 in one flock can be observed gliding over the marshes and barrier flats. Several flocks can be seen at Cedar Bayou/ feeding on the culinary delights brought from the Gulf. Pied-billed grebes winter on Matagorda Island. We have counted several hundred inside the levee system/ especially on Little and Big Brundrett Lakes. Eared grebes winter offshore. Double-crested cormorants fly over the island by the thousands during the fall and winter. On October 30 over 10/000 cormorants were seen flying along the island's coastline. Between 15-35 wood storks were counted this summer on the south side. Most sightings occur within the levee system. The last sighting was made October 16 when 16 were seen. Matagorda plays host to all wading bird species found in Texas. Seasonal occurrence and abundance varies with each species. During the fall and winter cattle egrets leave the island. White ibis and little blue herons are more common on the island during the fall and early spring. The regular contingency of great blue heron/ tricolored heron/ great egret/ reddish egret/ black-crowned and yellow-crowned night heron/ and roseate spoonbill are here year-round. American bitterns are flushed on occasion. Green-backed herons frequent areas near the culverts along the levees during the summer. On November 19/ after a strong northerly blew across the island/ RM Clark counted 45 great egrets/ 100 white ibis/ 22 little blue herons/ 13 roseate spoonbills/ 50 white pelicans and 30 American avocets feeding along one side of the Shell Reef Bayou, The shoreline was littered with discarded blue crab shells. RM Clark counted 60 roseate spoonbills along the same areS on November 23. Mesguite "mottes" bordering the tidal flats.and guts are important roosting sites for wading birds. Clapper rails are common in the bayside marshes. During a heavy rainfall in early June, adult clappers with their young were seen walking the levees. 28 i f 5. ShorebirdB/ Gulls/ Terns/ and Allied Species Matagorda is a shorebird delight with every plant community playing host to at least one representative of this group. The bayside marshes/ tidal flats/ and the Gulf coast beachfront provide outstanding resting and refueling stops for many resident and migrant shorebird species. Year-round shorebird residents include snowy/ Wilson's/ and black- bellied plover/ killdeer/ long-billed curlew/ willet/ and American oystercatche/ and an occasional American avocet. A few nonbreeding sanderlings frequent the beach during the summer. Black-necked stilts nest throughout the tidal flats during summer. Shorebird migration becomes obvious in raid-July when flocks of long- billed dowitchers/ dunlins/ greater and lesser yellowlegs are seen feeding along the tidal flats. Sanderlings start congregating along the Gulf coast. In August other sandpipers stop on the island for some R and R: least/ western/ and pectoral sandpipers/ marbled godwits/ and American avocets. Except for the pectoral sandpiper/ the others are seen throughout fall and early winter. Other shorebirds sighted this year included a buff-breasted and a stilt sandpiper. A flock of red knots were seen along the beach on November 29. Piping plovers are seen frequently along the beach during fall and winter (See G.2). A shorebird survey conducted on the island's lower 9 miles of coastline on November 18 totalled 386 shorebirds with sanderlings comprising 48% (185). Other major species counted were black-bellied plover (58)/ piping plover (40)/ willet (33)/ American avocet (23)/ and snowy plover (15). The island's lack of vehicular activity certainly adds to its attraction for these critters. In the tern family/ Forster's terns takes the lead during the fall and winter months. Summer residents include Forester's/ least/ gull- billed/ sandwich/ and black tern. Sandwich terns occur in lesser numbers during the winter while the other three move south. Year- round tern species are the royal and Caspian. The laughing gull is the most common gull species with the ring-billed and herring common during the winter. Black skimmers are common during summer and early fall. 6. Raptors Resident raptor species include the turkey and black vulture/ black- shouldered kite/ white-tailed and red-tailed hawk ( including Harlan's)/ and the crested caracara. Barn owls are year-long residents/ residing in the refuge's boathouse/ maintenance buildings/ and hangar. 29 ! J Long-billed curlews use the refuge throughout the year. This one is trying to figure out the nianagenient scheme for the island. JC Several hundred white pelicans winter on the island. Cedar Bayou & the bayside wetlands are prime feeding areas for the pelican. JC 30 Peregrine falcons migrate along the island's coastline with a few overwintering (See G.2>. Other wintering raptors include northern harrier# merlin# and American kestrel. Female and immature northern harriers appear in early September with the adult males arriving in November. An occasional harrier or two will spend the summer on the island. Ospreys were sighted several times during early fall. Wintering short-eared owls arrive in late December while burrowing owls show up in October. About 7 of these dirainunitive creatures wintered along the shell road leading to Cedar Bayou. 7. Other Migratory Birds Magnificient frigatebirds occur along Matagorda Island throughout the summer. Over 30 were counted in June during one of our boat trips back to Aransas. These birds are often observed resting along the pilings in Mesguite Bay or just soaring along the the island's coastline. By late October only two were seen# both perched on the pilings just offshore from our boathouse. Common loons were seen in the fall during our boat trips across Mesguite Bay. The influx of fall migrant passerines to Matagorda# although not spectuacular# was nevertheless exciting. The strong northerlies commencing in late September provided the movements of birds to the south side. The best places to observe the migrants are along the saltcedar bushes adjacent to the clubhouse's backporch and front yard. See the attachment for a listing of birds observed by refuge staff for the first year. 8. Game Mammals The only game mammal on Matagorda is the white-tailed deer. The past grazing practices and predator control program on the south side provided excellent conditions for deer production. The population is high# but health-wise# the herd is in excellent condition. A count of deer in July along the lower 9 miles of the main road tallied 300; the side roads and levees were not even surveyed. TPWD's aerial fall census of deer for the south side estimated the herd at 384: 99 bucks# 174 does# 66 fawns# and 45 undetermined. TPWD's estimate for the north side was 286. Feral hogs occur on the island# probably no more than 50. ' The "hawgs" are very elusive and only a few were sighted this year by the refuge staff. 9. Marine Wildlife Bottle-nosed dolphins are often seen feeding adjacent to the boathouse and pier during the summer. 10. Other Resident Wildlife Two flocks of turkey occur on the south side. Turkey roosts and feeders were placed in the Pastures during the ranch's working days. By year's end the flocks were still seen in Pastures 5 & 6. 31 The opening of Cedar Bayou attracts hundreds of shore and wading birds throughout the year. The shallow waters and exposed sandflats provide excellent feeding sites. Shown here: Laughing gull# ring-billed gull# American avocet# dunlin# & sanderling. JC The refuge's white-tailed deer population numbers about 350. Past ranching practices provided optimum deer habitat. JC 32 Past ranching practices were very conducive to quail. Additonally# the ranch provided quail shelters and feeders. Other raararaalian species on the island include coyote# badger# raccoon# and black-tailed jackrabbit. In autumn# the island becomes a staging area for migrating monarch butterflies. II. Fishery Resources Fishery resources along Matagorda Island are truly amazing. The bayside raarshes provide excellent nursery grounds for blue crab# brown shrimp# redfish# mullet# and flounder. Oyster beds abound throughout the bayside. Before the opening of the Cedar Bayou# gravid female blue crab congregated by the thousands along the island's southern coastline. Black-tipped sharks wasted little time taking advantage of this bounty. One day in August 45 sharks were counted feeding on the egg- bearing Callinectes along the island's southern beachfront. 14. Scientific Collection As part of a study on the distribution and abundance of beach fauna on Matagorda# Texas ASM researchers collected beach invertebrates on the refuge in November H.PUBLIC USE 1. General The north side of the island# Matagorda Island State Park & Wildlife Management Area# is open to public visitation. TPWD estimated 15#180 "total day visitors" to the north side in 1987. This figure is phenomenal; averaging out to 1295 visitors per month# 42 per day. Every day in 1987 was reported having visitors to the island. Public use during the winter months should drop off dramatically or be nonexistent# especially during inclement weather. Yet# the figures fail to show this. The highest monthly count was 3695 in April; the lowest# 506 in November. In April# the two-day Matagorda Island Adventure accounted for 2400 visitor days (TPWD estimate)# but according to other sources# 540 people came over to the island with 350-staying overnight. What we can gather is that the parks personnel count all recreational boats along the island's shoreline and multiply that number by 3.4# regardless of whether or not anyone actually docks at the island. The south side of the island is closed to the general public except for overnight camping and day-use at Cedar Bayou. Visitation to the Wynne Ranch does occur# but is restricted to TNC and FWS personnel and guests. Visitors to the Matagorda Island Unit# excluding visitors to Cedar Bayou# totalled 534 between June - December 1987. Below is a listing of some visitors to the Matagorda Island Unit# Aransas NWR: 33 Date Name Affiliation June 17 Tom Smith & Claude Lard FWS-Realty Chuck Cook TNC 20-24 Robert Smith FWS-WO Chuck Cook TNC 23 Bill Dolan & Bob Singelton TPWD July 23 Andy Sansora TNC Bob Armstrong# Chuck Nash# 8 Henry Beck# III TPWD Comra August 17 Ron Gallagher & Dwight Williford TPWD 18 Frank Morgan# Hal Irby# & Dennis Brown GLO & TPWD 22 Bob Armstrong TPWD Comm. September 3 Andy Sansom# John Flicker TNC 15 Claude Lard FWS-Realty 24 Linda Hetsel Victoria Advocate October 17 Jackie Wynne Wife of former owner 30 Jesse Grantham Audubon Society November 2 Jimmy Wynne Son of former owner Tom Smith 8 Claude Lard FWS-Realty Chuck Cook TNC 5-7 Andy Sansora 8 Jeff Weigel TNC Ken Kramer# Brandt Mannchen# Scott Royder Sierra Club Murray Walton# Dede Arraentrout Audubon Society Cliff Ladd Wildlife Society Alicia Reban TX. Conser., Found. Carson Watts TX Rec 8 Parks Soc. Dan McNamara Attorney Susan Rust TX. Off. End. Species Bob Armstrong# Chuck Nash# 8 George Bolen TPWD Coram. 8 John Mitchell NY Botanical Gardens Merlyn Tuttle Inter, Bat Foundation 12 Bill Hawthorne# Ellis Klett FWS-RO Ken Smith 8 Rindle Wilson SCS 34 Cedar Bayou, located at the south end of the island, is a prime recreational fishing area. After the cut was reopened 7. Other Intrepretive Programs RM Clark gave a presentation to the Port Lavaca Lions Club on July 23. RM Clark made a point to greet all visitors to the south side. Many after-hours and weekends were spent taking TNC guests around the refuge. On April 4-5, the Matagorda Island Adventure was held again at Matagorda Island State Park on the north side. This was the second adventure held, the first was in 1986. The event was coordinated by Linda Hetsel, Victoria Advocate reporter and chairperson of the Friends of Matagorda Island Organization. Friends of Matagorda Island is a nonprofit organization promoting the importance of keeping the island for what it is: a unique barrier island in a relatively undisturbed state. The adventure was established to give people an opportunity to see the island and become aware of its fragile beauty and tremendous natural and historical values. The adventure had over 500 people participating in a variety of activities on the island; birdwatching, natural history walks, historical tours and presentations, hiking, and astronomy. Several hundred camped overnight. Transportation to the island was provided by local boat charters. TPWD Parks personnel provided transportation on the island. On September 19 over 300 people volunteered their time to clean two miles of beach front at the Matagorda Island State Park. Several Aransas and Matagorda refuge staff participated in the event (See E. 7). On the September 24 Victoria Advocate reporter Linda Hetsel spent the day at MINWR touring the refuge and interviewing RM Clark about the program. RM Clark took Linda to Cedar Bayou to photograph the new cut and interview some of the local visiting public. ? Two hundred TNC members boated to the south side on November I to participate in a variety of activities including birding, plant idenfication, nature photography, beach ecology, and just plain ole chilling out at the beach. Much planning and effort by refuge and TNC personnel went into making the event a success. RM Clark provided a hand in the logistical planning and served as birding leader, while PL Giezentanner and BT Karges served as transportation mentors and good will ambassadors. The island weaved its magic once again and we now have an additional 200+ supporters for the refuge. Thanks also goes to the field trip leaders who braved the onslaught, especially when dealing with 50 people for each nature foray. 35 Aransas & Matagorda Island refuge personnel along with 300 other "beach buddies" participated in the annual beach cleanup on the island's northside in September. JC Lighthouse at the island's northside. 1 Built in 1852# the structure was moved inland in 1878 as the northside's coastline eroded. JC 36 8. Hunting Public hunting is permitted on the north side only. Waterfowl hunting within the state's navigable waters along the bayside marshes is open to the general public without a permit. Exclusive of the state owned wetlands# no public hunting is allowed on the south side. Land based hunting on the north side includes deer (permit only)# quail# dove# and waterfowl. Transportation to the island is not provided by TPWD; however# once on the island# TPWD personnel provides transportation to duck blinds and deer stands. Hunts are conducted on a first-come# first-served basis except for deer hunting which is by permit. Thirty-three deer permits were issued this year for the either-sex hunt. Twenty-two hunters bagged 22 bucks this year. Other harvest totals for MISPWMA: 391 dove# 398 quail# and 589 waterfowl. Hunting on the south end was rather unusual from the FWS standpoint. An agreement in the lease between FWS and TNC allowed TNC and their guests to hunt on land still owned in fee by TNC. Refuge staff provided hunting recommendations. A typical hunting scenario; One or two private airplanes or Lear jets would fly in, drop off some multimillionaires for a few days of quail and waterfowl hunting. The guests stayed in the clubhouse and local guides were hired by TNC to lead the hunters into the field. Harvest totals for the south side were 38 deer (15 bucks# 23 does)# 83 dove# 250 quail# and 357 waterfowl. RH Clark# BT Karges# and MW Harris assisted Aransas in their archery deer hunt. 9. Fishing Fishing is nothing short of outstanding in the waters surrounding Matagorda Island. Prime finfish species are redfish# speckled trout# and flounder. Blue and stone crabs# shrimp# and oysters occur offshore. 12. Other Wildlife Oriented Recreation Camping along Cedar Bayou is directly related to fishing activity. Beachcombing is incidental. i At Matagorda Island State Park on the north side# camping sites are available. TPWD parks personnel reported 2255 people camped overnight at the state park for 1987. 13. Camping See H. 12. 15. Off-Road Vehiclino Prior to the opening of Cedar Bayou# fisherman used three-wheelers to get from the bayou to the gulf coast. However# ORV activity is now 37 The Texas Nature Conservancy's Annual Outing brought over 200 visitors to the refuge on November 1/ 1987. JC Three local charter boats were used to bring over the Outing participants. JC 38 i Refuge Manager Clark welcomes the masses to the refuge BG prohibted on refuge land (from foredunee inward). The state also decided to prohibit ORV activity along'the shoreline. A few visitors have complained about lugging their fishing gear a 1/2 mile to the beach. Nevertheless# no ORV activity has been found on the refuge side since the regulations were put into effect. Airboat activity occurs during the hunting season along the island's bayside marshes. Most of this activity was by local guides taking their clients to duckblinds on the bayside wetlands. 17. Law Enforcement Frequent patrols were made to Cedar Bayou# especially after the channel was opened.1 We spent much time talking to the public about the refuge. No law enforcement problems were encountered by the refuge this year. The state game warden contingency on the north side made several patrols along the bayou. The five state game wardens assigned to Matagorda stay on the island on a round-robin schedule. State game wardens from Rockport also boat over to check on the fishing and camping acitivity at Cedar Bayou. Three marijuana bales washed ashore on the south side in June. After contacting U.S. Customs# the bales were destroyed. Later in the year we were notified that since Cedar Bayou was reopened# the channel was being used to traffic drugs from boats in the Gulf to smaller craft operating in the Intra-Coastal Waterway. We were also told not to handle anymore marijuana bales; the trafficers occasionally place handgrenades inside the bales. Cattle from neighboring San Jose Island to the south decided to visit our island on June 7. The cattle migrated across Cedar Bayou (not open at the time) to avoid the onslaught of mosquitos. The cattle left the next day. Our neighbors were notified of the incident. Illegal shrimping activities inside Cedar Bayou were observed by RM Clark on June 23. State game wardens were notified and subsequent action taken. On July 26 a Cessna landed on the ranch runway. PL Giezentanner just happened to be in the vicinity when the plane's occupants got out. They pleaded for the nearest bathroom. Permission was granted with erapahasis that the runway is closed to the public. Shortly thereafter# the two boarded and took off for desinations unknown. Other aircraft have landed on the runway and taken off immediately. Several others have circled the ranch several times# tempted no doubt to learn what is inside the clubhouse. I. Equipment and Facilities TNC maintains all facilities on the property includina facilities leased by FWS. A lease fee <$3000/month) is paid by FWS to TNC for use of these facilities. An additonal $1500/raonth was paid to TNC for support# maintenance# and operation of the barge from June to 40 September. From October to December the cost was decreased to $I000/roonth. Fuel costs (diesel/ propane, gasoline) are shared between FWS and TNC on a 50/50 basis. The equipment we inherited was in various stages of disrepair, mostly total breakdown. Shortly after the transfer, the backup generator stopped. Something breaks down just about everyday, including refrigerators, water pumps, plumbing, vehicles, etc. The ranch is not exactly wired, plumbed, and whatever to meet anyone's safety and efficiency standards. 2. Rehabilitation Since we do not own the headquarters site and buildings yet, little rehab work has been done on the facilities. The Aransas YCC did come over to clean the ranch-house and to make the boathouse pier a little more safer. The manager's residence, built in 1927, went through a detailed cleaning and cockroach harvest before RM Clark moved into it. 4. Equipment and Rehabilitation The salt water and constant wind wreaks havoc with all equipment on the island. The island's vehicle fleet is comprised of other refuges' excessing. A vehicle sent out here with 50,000 miles registered on its odometer is considered new to us. Island life is indeed cruel to man and machine. The refuge did receive a new Caterpillar SR4, 60kw, diesel generator to replace a worn out, pre-Korean War generator left by the previous owner. The refuge was very fortunate that the backup generator, used while the new one was on order, never brokedown. The refuge now has two generators, both operable. tr- The ranch's gas pump finally met its maker. After trying some old used pumps from Aransas, a new metered pump was installed. Aransas installed a 500 gallon fuel tank and a new docking facility at the Aransas boat dock. The refuge got another 6000 gallon propane tank to replace the leaking tank left by the previous owner. The old tank was condemned by state inspectors the day the owner turned over the property to us. The old dump site, located next to a wetland, was covered and closed. A new site was located in the barrier flats, away from any wetlands. Fuel, equipment, and such are brought over by a barge which was donated to TNC by the previous owners. The barge is large <100'x30'> and by no means efficient. The vessel needs a major overhaul, but so far, has served us well. Aransas sent over a road grader, dump truck, and dozer so the refuge's levee system and shell roads can be maintained. The following items were transferred to the island: 41 A front view of the 13/000 sq.ft. clubhouse. Host of the structure was constructed in the late 1930's. The section on the left was added in the 1950's. JC The oldest building on the ranch is the foreman's house, constructed in 1927. The house now serves as the manager's residence & office. JC 42 1978 Dodge 4x2 pickup from Attwater Prairie Chicken NWR 1981 Ford sedan delivery from Attwater NWR 1981 Ford 4x2 pickup from Brazoria NWR Massey Ferguson 4x4 scoop loader from Buenos Aires NWR Ford 3000 tractor with backhoe & front end loader from Tishomingo NWR Costs for repair and rehab work to the clubhouse and old generator are handled by TNC. Nevertheless/ refuge staff spent many hours doing emergency work at the clubhouse. At times we can't wait to have the work done by someone else. TNC also has responsibility for maintaining a chevy suburban and an old van. 5. Communications System Communication to and from the refuge is by Motorola radios. Base stations are located in the Manager's residence and at the clubhouse. Vehicle units are also installed in three of the refuge's motor fleet. The refuge has one pack set and one hand-held unit. We are looking into getting a cellular phone system for the island. This would ease the workload at Aransas and at the same time, save in logistical maneuvers with FWS and TNC matters. 6. Energy Conservation The refuge operation takes quite a bit of fuel consumption. When dealing with logistics/ the amount can be staggering. All fuel (diesel/ gasoline/ propane) is brought over by the barge. FWS personnel and guests are transported to the island via the refuge's twin-engined Hon Archs <23' & 21'). The refuge has turned off electricity to several of the buildings that are no longer needed or used. Several refrigerator units have been unplugged. Steps are taken to conserve as much energy as deemed possible. One item not compromised was the additon of air conditioners for the manager's and bio. tech's offices and residences. At one point the only air conditioned room on the entire south side was the manager's master bedroom/ which served as the refuge office and computer room during the hot spells. 7. Other t The ranch complex is comprised of the following: boathouse/ clubhouse/ foreman's residence/ ranchhouse/ pilot house/ servant's quarters/ stables/ water plant/ maintenance shops/ and a hangar. The clubhouse is used exclusively by TNC for thfeir fund-raising functions. The foreman's residence is now the refuge manager's residence and office. The biological technician is provided housing via the ranchhouse apartment/ and the pilot house is used as a bunkhouse for FWS personnel. The servant's quarters are used only for storage. Below is a list of the funds expended for island equipment and fuel for this year. Keep in mind that that we did not start operations over here until April. 43 Fuel: Propane: $ 4,239 Gasoline (island and Aransas boat dock): $ 4,628 Diesel; $14,045 Total: $22,912 Twenty five percent of fuel costs are paid by TNC under terras of the interim agreement negotiated by the R0. Other costs for operating the island: Salaries; $54,725 Moving Expenses: $12,443 TNC Lease: $3000 per raonth, June thru December: $21,000 Barge Lease;$1500/month, June-Sept., $1000/ raonth Oct-Dec.: $ 9,000 Galvenized sign posts: $ 2,707 2 80hp Mercury outboards: $ 6,885 60 kw diesel generator: $14,450 6,000 gallon propane tank: $ 6,450 Outboard motor repair 6 rehab; $ 3,755 Propellers & oil: $ 739 Signs for Cedar Bayou: $ 450 115hp outboard: $ 3,591 4 air conditioners; $ 1,650 Total: $137,846 Grand Total; $160,758 The above total does not include Aransas support betweera the withdrawal period and the time the Refuge Manager reported to the island. The refuge's major link to the mainland and back is a 23 foot, cabined, twin-engined ( 115 hp outboards) Mon Arch boat. The refuge also has access to another Mon Arch with twin 80hp outboards, but no cabin. Both boats saw lots of action this year. MW Harris' commute to the island is by one of these vessels. We still maintain a bunkhouse, generator room, and water tank on the north side. Following completion of the administrative procedures necessary for disposal of real property, FWS gave TPWD the okay to start burning the old Air Force Buildings on the north side. No one was interested in procuring these buildings, so the plan was to torch the structures. The initial plan was to burn one building a week for the next six weeks. The first building along with three others burned on the August 20. TPW personnel decided to go ahead and burn two more that were slated for torching in later weeks. RM Clark and BT Karges drove up to the north side to witness and photo-document the drama. The burns were hot and clean and it certainly did the job. One item of safety concern; TPW did not have any fire-fighting capabilities except for a tractor with a disk. Little spotting occurred and the wind direction was right, but nevertheless, situations like this can turn around in a second. Later, word got around that the shingles may contain asbestos, so in essence, the burned debris was more hazardous 44 ' The boathouse and pier. JC The barge <100 feet long/ 30 feet wide) is used to transport fuel & equipment to the island. Miss Matagorda is docked at Seagun/ near Rockport. JC 45 Refuge personnel travel to and from the island via a 23 foot, cabined Hon Arch. "Mattie" is equipped with two 115 hp engines. JC Ed Collier & Frank Cortez inspect the new Catepillar SR4, 60 KW diesel generator. JC 46 - than just leaving the buildings intact. Lab tests on the debris found no major concentrations of asbestos. J. OTHER ITEMS 1. Cooperative Programs With two full-time refuge personnel on the island now, we have a better opportunity to monitor state management activities on the north side. Additionally^ the state knows we are here too. TPWD monitors and reports activities pertaining to oil and gas exploration, grazing, and other management activities on the north side to the FWS. All oil and gas operations are on the north end of the island. Geo. Southern Energy Corp. operates wells on the federal lands, while Hughes Oil conducts oil and gas operations on state lands. The following companies have rights of way or well sites on Matagorda Island: -Florida Gas Transmission Company and Southern Natural Gas operate a 24-inch pipeline across the island to carry production from the Gulf. -Northern Natural Gas company has a permit to operate and maintain a 30-inch natural gas pipeline across the island and a permit to construct an additional 30" line. -Corpus Christi Oil and Gas company operates and maintains an 11" pipeline across the island. -Geo Southern Energy Corp. operates three gas well sites on the island, while Hughes has two wells. -NRG Exploration, Inc. has a permit to construct and operate a 4" gas pipeline on the island to serve the above mentioned gas wells. The pipeline runs to the Matagorda Island Offshore Pipeline System Geo Southern had expressed interest in relocating #4 well. TPWD inspected the site and determined it was within a wetland site subject to flooding at high tide. The company was informed that a 404 permit would be required before any drilling would be allowed. , The refuge received a COE permit to rebuild the boatrarap at the boathouse. Aransas ARM Schwindt prepared the necessary permits applications. The refuge participates in the National Marine Fishery Services Turtle Stranding and Salvage Network (See G.2). RM Clark, PL Giezentanner, MW Harris and R-2 Wildlife Bio. Claude Lard travelled up to the north side on September 15. to meet with Corps of Engineers personnel to inspect safety and hazardous material sites at the abandoned Air Force Station. Much has to be done to correct the safety and hazardous material situation created by abandoned buildings 47 Aerial view of the Air Force facilities on the island's northside. TPWD uses some of the buildings as offices and maintenance shops. The refuge maintains one bunkhouse on the northside. JC State personnel were given the green light to burn 6 Air Force buildings. Little effort was necessary to torch these tinder traps. JC 48 ' Drilling site reserve pit on state lands on the north side. JC BT Karges inspects the same site after the oil company cleaned the area. JC 49 ' and support facilities. TPWD W. Bio. Dennis Brown toured the sites with us. The refuge provided lodging for the state inspectors working on the Cedar Bayou dredging project. The two inspectors stayed in the ranchhouse. 2. Items of Interest RM Clark attended the Holistic Resource Management Course held in conjunction with the annual Project Leaders Meeting in Albuquerque# August 10-14. RM Clark also attended the Coastal Project Leaders Meeting at Anuahac NWR# June 30-July 1. BT Karges completed the Heavy Equipment Certification Course at Aransas NWR# October 20-22. Some very interesting meetings occurred on the south side this year: On July 23# Andy Samson# Texas Nature Conservancy Director# brought three Texas Wildlife & Park Commissioners to Matagorda Island (MINWR). Besides trying their hand at fishing# the commissioners were interested in touring the facilities. PL Geizentaner and RM Clark met with the fellas during dinner that night to discuss the FWS guidelines and objectives for managing MINWR. The chief Park Ranger# Ron Gallagher# and TPW Chief Parks Planner# Dwight Williford# visited our facilities# unexpectedly# on the I7th. On August 18 Frank Morgan# Dep. Coram of the General Land Office# Hal Erby and Dennis Brown# both of TPW, came by for an unexpected visit. Frank was very interested in the CJSFWS's plans and goals for the south side. RM Clark briefed Frank on how we plan to do business on the south side. TPWD Commissioner Bob Armstrong and his family came by for a weekend R&R visit on the 22nd. His weekend stay was approved through the Nature Conservancy. Bob attempted to land on the airstrip Friday night# but without any runway lighting# had to fly to Rockport for the night. He arrived safe and sound early Saturday. The refuge would like to extend a heartfelt thanks to R-2 Realty personnel Tom Smith and Claude Lard for their continued support to our program over here. Their untiring acquisition efforts and their unending willingness to provide invaluable information about the island's past history and management are appreciated. Always a pleasure to have these fellas come over to the island. We always learn something new. Thanks guys. We also extend sincere thanks to all the Aransas NWR personnel who provided support to our program this past year. 50 1 3. Credits This report was prepared and typed by RM Clark. BT Karges tabulated harvest data# public use figures# and provided major input into all sections. Appreciation is extended to Aransas ARM Schwindt for providing facts and figures on equipment purchases# fuel costs# etc. The report was typed and printed via RM Clark's personal Leading Edge pc. Without any secretarial support on the island# just remember one thing about the report's format; "It don't get any better than this." 51 i FEEDBACK Through the years many storms, both natural and human-induced# caused the island's wildlife to cast a wary glance# wondering...However... JC ...With tremeradous foresight & action by many individuals of federal# state# and private endeavors# the island's wildlife can breath a sigh of relief for now. Matagorda is one pot of gold at the rainbow's end... JC 52 Interest in future management of the refuge brought all types to the island. JC I 1 Birds Observed On Matagorda Island Unit/ Aransas NWR May 1987 to June 1988 Coramon Loon Broad-winged Hawk Royal Tern Pied-billed Grebe White-tailed Hawk Sandwich Tern Eared Grebe Red-tailed Hawk Forster's Tern American White Pelican Crested Caracara Least Tern Brown Pelican American Kestrel Black Tern Double-crested Cormorant Herlin Black Skimmer Magnificent Frigatebird Peregrine Falcon White-winged Dove American Bittern Chukar Mourning Dove Great Blue Heron Wild Turkey Coramon Ground Dove Great Egret Northern Bobwhite Rock Dove Snowy Egret Clapper Rail Yellow-billed Cuckoo Little Blue Heron Purple Gallinule Groove-billed Ani Tricolored Heron American Coot Coramon Barn Owl Reddish Egret Sandhill Crane Burrowing Owl Cattle Egret Whooping Crane Short-eared Owl Green-backed Heron Black-bellied Plover Common Nighthawk Black-crowned Night Heron Lesser Golden Plover Coramon Paurague Yellow-crowned Night Heron Snowy Plover Chuck-will's widow White Ibis Wilson's Plover Chimney Swift White-faced Ibis Seraipalmated Plover Ruby-throated Hummingbird Roseate Spoonbill Piping Plover Black-chinned Hummingbird Wood Stork Killdeer Belted Kingfisher Black-bellied Whistling-Duck American Oystercatcher Red-headed Woodpecker White-fronted Goose Black-necked Stilt Downy Woodpecker Snow Goose American Avocet Northern Flicker Canada Goose Greater Yellowlegs Eastern Wood Pewee Wood Duck Lesser Yellowlegs Least Flycatcher Green-winged Teal Willet Western Flycatcher Mallard Spotted Sandpiper Eastern Phoebe Mottled Duck Upland Sandpiper Vermilion Flycatcher Northern Pintail Whirnbrel Great-crested Flycatcher Blue-winged Teal Long-billed Curlew Western Flycatcher Cinnamom Teal Marbled Godwit Eastern Kingbird Northern Shoveler Ruddy Turnstone Scissor-tailed Flycatcher Gadwall Red Knot Horned Lark American Wigeon Sander1ing Purple Martin Canvasback Western Sandpiper Tree Swallow Redhead Least Sandpiper Northern Rough-winged Swallow Ring-necked Duck White-rumped Sandpiper Cliff Swallow Lesser Scaup Baird's Sandpiper Barn Swallow Coramon Goldeneye Pectoral Sandpiper Blue Jay Bufflehead Dunlin House Wren Hooded Merganser Buff-breasted Sandpiper Sedge Wren Red-breasted Merganser Long-billed Dowitcher Marsh Wren Ruddy Duck Common Snipe Golden-crowned Kinglet Black Vulture Wilson's Phalarope Blue-gray Gnatcatcher Turkey Vulture Laughing Gull Veery Osprey Ring-billed Gull Gray-cheeked Thrush Black-shouldered Kite Herring Gull Swainson's Thrush Northern Harrier Gull-billed Tern Hermit Thrush Cooper's Hawk Caspian Tern Wood Thrush American Robin Lark Bunting Gray Catbird Savannah Sparrow Northern Mockingbird Seaside Sparrow Brown Thrasher Lincoln's Sparrow Long-billed Thrasher Swamp Sparrow Water Pipit White-throated Sparrow Cedar Waxwing White-crowned Sparrow Loggerhead Shrike Harris' Sparrow European Starling Dark-eyed Junco White-eyed Vireo Bobolink Yellow-throated Vireo Red-winged Blackbird Warbling Vireo Eastern Meadowlark Red-eyed Vireo Yellow-headed Blackbird Blue-winged Warbler Brewer's Blackbird Tennessee Warbler Great-tailed Crackle Nashville Warbler Bronzed Cowbird Northern Parula Brown-headed Cowbird Yellow Warbler Orchard Oriole Chestnut-sided Warbler Northern Oriole Magnolia Warbler House Sparrow Yellow-rumped Warbler Black-throated Green Warbler Yellow-throated Warbler Palm Warbler Bay-breasted Warbler Blackpoll Warbler Black and White Warbler American Redstart Prothonotary Warbler Worm-eating Warbler Ovenbird Northern Waterthrush Louisiana Waterthrush Kentucky Warbler Mourning Warbler Common Yellowthroat Hooded Warbler Canada Warbler Painted Redstart Yellow-breasted Chat Summer Tanager Scarlet Tanager Western Tanager Northern Cardinal Pyrrhuloxia Rose-breasted Grosbeak Blue Grosbeak Indigo Bunting Painted Bunting Dicks issel Rufous-sided Towhee Cass in's Sparrow Chipping Sparrow Vesper Sparrow Lark Sparrow •S^A- L\^~ bmm THE ACTION: Calm, clear Gulf waters at the mouth of Cedar ..-.H THE CATCH: Jim Kuper. left, and Ben Jonietz haul trout and reds Bayou rewarded wade anglers with exciting fishing.: ,vi u /.IZVA • taken from mouth of recently-dredged bayou channel. RedsJ speckS JbackSt^ayou ' " N ITW" A RV*. '••TPM <1 —ILL)TN«»—. W,. , I T M By BUDDY COUGH "•n their cries as they wheeled and Outdoors editor CEDAR BAYOU BASICS dove over baltflsh, the big pelicans FULTON - dropping like bombson the skitter Faced with the Location: Cedar Bayou chan- sign where boats are anchored, ing forage. - • tide two foot net connects Mesquite Bay with It's about a one-third mile hike to With the whole scene to our low. Ben Jonietz Gulf of Mexico between SL Jo- bayou mouth. • selves alone, we waded into surf pushed his 23- seph and Matagorda Island. '. Note; Open waters of Mesquite and quickly discovered predators foot Mafek Distance: Approximately 17 Bay can become rough In high were ambushing the forage from across skinny miles north of Goose Island State winds. Boaters should be wary of ; below. •" water, V-«'Rude Park, the closest launch ramp to shallow reefs and underwater Casting spoons, shrimptails and banging 4.000 the bayou. — r obstructions. , Mlrrolures, we first hung chunky rpms, wavelets , ra-n j Fishing the Bayou: Fishing • 20- to 22-Inch troutscattered In the chattering against the skimming Getting There; From Goose Is- can be good spring,summer and surf about 200 yards north of the hull... bound for the bayou. . . land launch ramp take marked falL Fishing should be keyed to bayou's mouth. Moving closer to the back way. channel east to Intracoastal Wa- tide movements. Action usually the mouth, we soon found a big Watching the Rockport wade- lerway (ICW), then north along best Inside the mouth of the bay- school of 16- to 18-Inch specks fishing guide thread a moonscape ICW to Marker 13(a green mark- ou on an outgoing tide and best In packed In a narrow trough and hit of exposed oyster reefs and sand er buoy on east side of channel), surf on an Incoming tide. Surf ting anything and everything on bars across Carlos and Mesquite At Marker 13. go east through cut fishing generally best on north cast after cast after casL Bays. Jim Kuper and I sat with In spoil banks lining ICW.(Stay to side of bayou,from the mouth to One of the great appeals of wade hope in our hearts that fishing for right side of shallow cut). Once about 300 yards up the beach, fishing Is the heightening of senses tune waited at the mouth of famed through the cut. the boater will since fishing is usually best when and emotions that come from being Cedar Bayou channel between St. see a line of single pilings run- bayou and the surf is dear and Immersed In the gameflsh's ter- Joseph and Matagorda Islands. " * ntng In a long dogleg across Mes- green, the angler should look for "raln. one with his environment. After 40-degree temperatures quite Bay. Staying to right side of light wind conditions from the BuL wading the surf on the edge of and the extremely low tide last pilings, follow the-line east and north or south (east and west will peak action pushes the natural high Tuesday had turned a morning of then northeast across Mesquite to muddy surf)., even higher. " fishing SL Charles Bay Into a fruit double line of pilings marking Ce- • > Special Hazards:Although the , • And, it was at the point of emo less endeavor. Jonietz had given us dar Bayou channel. Follow chan- Cedar Bayou channel appears tional overload that a large brown a choice of heading for Copano Bay nel until reaching serpentine shallow, deep holes can be en- shadow about the size of a truck or Cedar Bayou,and the bayou was course of bayou between SL Jo countered by those attempting to wheeled into the surf within casting the chance choice; and Matagorda Island. Look for wade across. Anglers wading the range of our lures. In long ago history. Cedar Bayou Texas Parks and Wildlife Depart- surf, especially near the mouth of Thinking he was casting at a was known as one of the places the ment sign marking end of line for a pass, should be cautious of school of baitflsh, Kuper heaved a pirate Laffite hid out after plunder- boat traffic.(Proceed slowly with strong currents and dangerous cast at the shadow and Immediate ing treasure-ladened galleons sounding pole,as channel can be., undertows. Stingrays common In ly connected with what he thought along the Texas coast quite shallow.) From the TPWD and around the bayou.. was a world-class speck. I remembered the bayou for the Two realizations soon followed - silver specks and golden reds It " the "trout" was a 30-lnch-class red. yielded the first time I fished there found in the surf and around the Into the open surf. : ' and the "brown shadow" was about four years ago. mouths of passes. "The general rule Is to fish the 200 more of the same. The following year, the bayou Plus, bright blue skies and light surf on an Incoming tide and Inside reim^ht^And. chaos deeom'Vsurt'wilh began a 30-minute mouth had sanded shut and had re- northerly breezes of Tuesday hint- (the mouth) on an outgoing tide," mained so until last fall when the ed of conditions that can produce Jonietz informed as we anchored school of big reds that just wouldn't Texas Parks and Recreation De- the surf wader's dream - a surf as on the north side of the channel and leave, nor turn down even the most partment dredged It open, thanks green and flat asa billiard table. prepared for the half-mile hike haphazard cast to the fund-raising efforts of the The prospect of an Incoming tide across the sand to fish the favored In the frenetic melee,casts were Save Cedar Bayou organization. in early afternoon heightened our -north side of the bayou's mouth crossed and lines were tangled, Except for a brief spate of good hopes. .; •• • J stringers and landing nets got fishing just after the channel was All hopes were surpassed when • Working over the surf were hun- STound me mourns of and opened, the bayou had faded from we arrived at the bayou's serpen- dreds of skimmers, brown pelicans somwi^ the 1^ of wadS? theBut. news. this was spring, and a lime linehigh dunesmouth first that righL sweeps then between left and sameand gulls species with resting many onmore the of sand. the The bavou was^ack , - when big trout are likely to be then right again Ior a 200-yard run • The birds on wing filled theair with Joniea^t (512)129-7271