DOCSLIB.ORG

A New Look at Mustang Island Wetlands: Mapping Coastal Environments with Lidar and EM Jeffrey G

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
A New Look at Mustang Island Wetlands: Mapping Coastal Environments with Lidar and EM Jeffrey G A New Look at Mustang Island Wetlands: Mapping Coastal Environments with Lidar and EM Jeffrey G. Paine, William A. White, and John R. Andrews Assisted by James C. Gibeaut, Roberto Gutierrez, Tiffany L. Hepner, Rebecca C. Smyth, and Rachel L. Waldinger Bureau of Economic Geology Scott W. Tinker, Director John A. and Katherine G. Jackson School of Geosciences The University of Texas at Austin Austin, Texas 78713-8924 March 2004 ATMOSP ND HE A RI IC C N A A D E M I C N O I S L T A R N A T O I I O T A N N U .S E C . D E ER PA M R OM TMENT OF C A New Look at Mustang Island Wetlands: Mapping Coastal Environments with Lidar and EM by Jeffrey G. Paine, William A. White, and John R. Andrews assisted by James C. Gibeaut, Roberto Gutierrez, Tiffany L. Hepner, Rebecca C. Smyth, and Rachel L. Waldinger A Report of the Texas Coastal Coordination Council Pursuant to National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Award No. NA17OZ2353 General Land Office Contract Number 03-005 Bureau of Economic Geology Scott W. Tinker, Director John A. and Katherine G. Jackson School of Geosciences The University of Texas at Austin Austin, Texas 78713-8924 March 2004 i page intentionally blank ii CONTENTS SUMMARY ................................................................................................................................... vi INTRODUCTION .......................................................................................................................... 1 HABITATS AND COASTAL ENVIRONMENTS ........................................................................ 3 Beach ........................................................................................................................................ 3 Dune ......................................................................................................................................... 3 Vegetated-Barrier Flat .............................................................................................................. 6 Fresh-Water and Non-Tidal Marsh ........................................................................................... 6 Fresh and Non-Tidal Pond ........................................................................................................9 Salt- and Brackish-Water Marsh............................................................................................... 9 Wind-Tidal Flat....................................................................................................................... 12 Estuarine Water Body ............................................................................................................. 12 METHODS ................................................................................................................................... 15 Lidar Survey ........................................................................................................................... 15 EM Survey .............................................................................................................................. 17 Vegetation Survey................................................................................................................... 18 MUSTANG ISLAND STATE PARK TRANSECT ..................................................................... 20 Wetland Units and Coastal Environments .............................................................................. 20 Elevation and Vegetation Units .............................................................................................. 27 Conductivity and Vegetation Units......................................................................................... 30 Elevation, Conductivity, and Vegetation Units....................................................................... 37 PORT ARANSAS TRANSECT ................................................................................................... 40 Wetland Units and Coastal Environments .............................................................................. 40 Elevation and Vegetation Units .............................................................................................. 47 Conductivity and Vegetation Units......................................................................................... 50 Elevation, Conductivity, and Vegetation Units....................................................................... 57 LIDAR ADVANTAGES AND LIMITATIONS ........................................................................... 60 iii EM ADVANTAGES AND LIMITATIONS.................................................................................. 61 CLASSIFYING WETLAND AND COASTAL ENVIRONMENTS ........................................... 62 FUTURE WORK.......................................................................................................................... 63 CONCLUSIONS .......................................................................................................................... 63 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS ............................................................................................................ 65 REFERENCES AND RELATED PUBLICATIONS.................................................................... 65 APPENDIX A. MUSTANG ISLAND STATE PARK TRANSECT ............................................ 67 APPENDIX B. PORT ARANSAS TRANSECT .......................................................................... 71 APPENDIX C. PLANTS OBSERVED ALONG MUSTANG ISLAND TRANSECTS ............. 75 FIGURES 1. Location of the Mustang Island study area, Texas Gulf Coast ............................................. 2 2. Map of the Mustang Island area ........................................................................................... 2 3. Profile of a barrier island ...................................................................................................... 4 4. Forebeach and backbeach, MISP transect ............................................................................ 4 5. Fore-island dune ridge (MISP transect) and second dune ridge (PA transect) ..................... 5 6. Vegetated-barrier flat, MISP and PA transects ..................................................................... 7 7. Interior fresh-water marshes, MISP transect ........................................................................ 8 8. Salt-water marsh, PA transect ............................................................................................. 10 9. Low salt-water marsh, MISP transect................................................................................. 10 10. Salt-water marsh, PA transect ............................................................................................. 11 11. Salt-water marsh and tidal flat near MISP transect ............................................................ 11 12. Wind-tidal flats covered with algal mats ............................................................................ 13 13. Estuarine water bodies, PA transect.................................................................................... 14 14. Relationship between apparent conductivity measured in the horizontal dipole orientation at 0.6 m and at the ground surface...................................................................................... 19 15. Relationship between apparent conductivity measured in the vertical dipole orientation at 0.6 m and at the ground surface.......................................................................................... 19 iv 16. Aerial photomosaic of the MISP transect showing 1992 NWI habitats ............................. 21 17. Digital elevation model (DEM) of the MISP transect showing 1992 NWI habitats .......... 22 18. Distribution of coastal environments along the MISP transect for each NWI unit ............ 25 19. Elevation profiles along the MISP transect ........................................................................ 28 20. Elevation profile superimposed with 1992 NWI units, MISP transect .............................. 29 21. Elevation profile superimposed with coastal environments, MISP transect ...................... 32 22. Apparent ground conductivity measured along the MISP transect .................................... 33 23. Apparent conductivity profile superimposed with 1992 NWI units, MISP transect .......... 35 24. Apparent conductivity profile superimposed with coastal environments, MISP transect.. 36 25. Elevation and apparent conductivity profiles, MISP transect ............................................ 38 26. Elevation and conductivity of NWI units and coastal environments, MISP transect......... 39 27. Aerial photomosaic of the PA transect showing 1992 NWI habitats ................................. 41 28. DEM of the PA transect showing 1992 NWI habitats ........................................................ 42 29. Distribution of coastal environments along the PA transect for each NWI unit................. 45 30. Elevation profiles along the PA transect ............................................................................. 48 31. Elevation profile superimposed with 1992 NWI units, PA transect ................................... 49 32. Elevation profile superimposed with coastal environments, PA transect ........................... 51 33. Apparent ground conductivity measured along the PA transect ......................................... 53 34. Apparent conductivity profile superimposed with 1992 NWI units, PA transect .............. 55
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Title 31. Natural Resources and Conservation Part 1. General Land Office Chapter 15. Coastal Area Planning Subchapter A. Managem
    TITLE 31. NATURAL RESOURCES AND CONSERVATION PART 1. GENERAL LAND OFFICE CHAPTER 15. COASTAL AREA PLANNING SUBCHAPTER A. MANAGEMENT OF THE BEACH/DUNE SYSTEM 31 TAC §15.33 The General Land Office (GLO) adopts amendments to 31 TAC §15.33 relating to Certification Status of Nueces County Dune Protection and Beach Access Plan (Plan) with changes to the text as proposed in the November 10, 2006, issue of the Texas Register (31 TexReg 9207). The changes to the text as proposed add new subsections (h) through (j) to address clarifications provided by Nueces County to address in part some of the public comments received concerning the Plan amendments. The GLO adopts amendments to 31 TAC §15.33 to the certification status of the Plan, adopted on August 25, 1995, and amended by order of the Commissioners’ Court of Nueces County, Texas (County), on October 23, 1996 (1996 Plan). The amendments to 31 TAC §15.33 add a new subsection (f) to certify as consistent with state law the amendments to the Nueces County Plan that were adopted by the Nueces County Commissioners’ Court on December 7, 2005 (2005 Plan Amendments). In addition, a new subsection (g) is added to certify as consistent with state law a variance from the requirements of 31 TAC § 15.6(f)(3) in the County’s Plan that allows a permittee to alter or pave the ground in the area between 350 feet and 200 feet landward of the vegetation line for recreational amenities such as pools separate from habitable structures, so long as residential or commercial structures are located at least 350 feet landward from the line of vegetation and the applicant demonstrates that every attempt has been made to minimize the use of impervious surfaces in the area between 350 feet and 200 feet landward of the vegetation line.
    [Show full text]
  • Chapter 6: the Gulf Coastal Prairies and Marshes
    See discussions, stats, and author profiles for this publication at: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/299410281 Chapter 6: The Gulf Coastal Prairies and Marshes Data · March 2016 CITATIONS READS 0 65 2 authors, including: David Bezanson The Nature Conservancy 16 PUBLICATIONS 12 CITATIONS SEE PROFILE Some of the authors of this publication are also working on these related projects: Publication Preview Source Natural vegetation types of Texas and their representation in conservation areas View project All content following this page was uploaded by David Bezanson on 25 March 2016. The user has requested enhancement of the downloaded file. Chapter 6: The Gulf Coastal Prairies and Marshes The Gulf Coastal Prairies and Marshes include approximately ten million acres of coastal plain, 20 to 80 miles in width, and barrier islands adjacent to the Gulf of Mexico. Soils are primarily clays and clay loams with some acidic sands and sandy loams; wetlands occur frequently in areas of poorly drained clay soils or sand over impermeable subsoils (Carter 1931). Prairie and marsh grasses were the dominant vegetation in most of the region prior to Anglo-European settlement and cultivation. However, as average annual rainfall diminishes to the south (from 40 inches at Victoria to 25 inches at Brownsville), marshes become much less extensive and brush communities become important on upland sites (Tharp 1939). Like other former grassland areas on clay soils in Texas, the Gulf Coastal Prairies are well-suited to agriculture (except for areas of drift sand); farming, cattle ranching, and urban and industrial development have transformed the region. Of the estimated one million acres of coastal marsh existing in 1950, at least 35 percent has been displaced by urban and industrial development (Gould 1975, 64 FWS 1991).
    [Show full text]
  • Stratigraphic Studies of a Late Quaternary Barrier-Type Coastal Complex, Mustang Island-Corpus Christi Bay Area, South Texas Gulf Coast
    Stratigraphic Studies of a Late Quaternary Barrier-Type Coastal Complex, Mustang Island-Corpus Christi Bay Area, South Texas Gulf Coast U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY PROFESSIONAL PAPER 1328 COVER: Landsat image showing a regional view of the South Texas coastal zone. IUR~AtJ Of ... lt~f<ARY I. liBRARY tPotC Af•a .VAStf. , . ' U. S. BUREAU eF MINES Western Field Operation Center FEB 1919S7 East 360 3rd Ave. IJ.tA~t tETUI~· Spokane, Washington .99~02. m UIIM» S.tratigraphic Studies of a Late Quaternary Barrier-Type Coastal Complex, Mustang Island­ Corpus Christi Bay Area, South Texas Gulf Coast Edited by GERALD L. SHIDELER A. Stratigraphic Studies of a Late Quaternary Coastal Complex, South Texas-Introduction and Geologic Framework, by Gerald L. Shideler B. Seismic and Physical Stratigraphy of Late Quaternary Deposits, South Texas Coastal Complex, by Gerald L. Shideler · C. Ostracodes from Late Quaternary Deposits, South Texas Coastal Complex, by Thomas M. Cronin D. Petrology and Diagenesis of Late Quaternary Sands, South Texas Coastal Complex, by Romeo M. Flores and C. William Keighin E. Geochemistry and Mineralogy of Late Quaternary Fine-grained Sediments, South Texas Coastal Complex, by Romeo M. Flores and Gerald L. Shideler U.S. G E 0 L 0 G I CAL SURVEY P R 0 FE S S I 0 N A L p·A PER I 3 2 8 UNrfED S~fA~fES GOVERNMENT PRINTING ·OFFICE, WASHINGTON: 1986 DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR DONALD PAUL HODEL, Secretary U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY Dallas L. Peck, Director Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Main entry under title: Stratigraphic studies of a late Quaternary barrier-type coastal complex, Mustang Island-Corpus Christi Bay area, South Texas Gulf Coast.
    [Show full text]
  • Mustang Island State Park< |
    Mustang Island STATE PARK GULF COAST Mustang Island STATE PARK With more than five miles of Gulf Coast beach and over two miles of Corpus Christi Bay, Mustang Island State Park offers visitors the chance to sample every facet of seaside fun — beachcombing, swimming, sunbathing, camping, picnicking, surfing, kayaking and fishing. Birders flock to the park to see the area’s resident water and shore birds. Fun and interactive programs offer visitors of all ages the opportunity to learn about life on a barrier island. Beach lovers will enjoy the open beach camping area with nearby rinsing showers, while multi- use campsites are also available. Camping: Premium campsites have water and electric with bathhouse. Primitive beach camping with rinse-off stations. Picnicking: Picnic sites with tables and shade shelters. Swimming: Swimming beach with rinse-off stations. Fishing: Excellent from granite jetties, beachside or bayside. Kayaking: Marked trails along the bayside. Texas State Parks Store: One-of-a-kind items, gifts, snacks and drinks, etc. 35 181 77 Fulton Sinton Rockport 37 359 Aransas Pass 361 Port Aransas Corpus 361 Christi Mustang Island P22 State Park Located in Nueces County, southeast from Corpus Christi to Padre Island, then north on SH 361. Also from Aransas Pass (take ferry) to Port Aransas, then south on SH 361. Mustang Island State Park 9394 SH 361, Corpus Christi, TX 78418 • (361) 749-5246 www.texasstateparks.org Rates and reservations: (512) 389-8900. For info only: (800) 792-1112. Texas State Parks is a division of the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department. © 2020 TPWD PWD CD P4502-084G (4/20) In accordance with Texas State Depository Law, this publication is available at the Texas State Publications Clearinghouse and/or Texas Depository Libraries.
    [Show full text]
  • Padre/Mustang Island AREA DEVELOPMENT PLAN
    Padre/Mustang Island AREA DEVELOPMENT PLAN Advisory Committee Meeting #3 Thursday, December 3, 2020 Meeting Purpose » Review Draft Renderings » Review Draft Action Items » Review Draft Public Improvement Initiatives Agenda ADP Plan Process Update FNI Draft Vision Theme Renderings Committee Discussion Draft Action Items Committee Discussion Draft Public Improvement Initiatives Committee Discussion Wrap-up and Next Steps FNI Padre/Mustang Island Draft Vision Theme Renderings 1. Safe Family Friendly Neighborhood Create a safe and family friendly community that provides needed amenities and services for local residents. Rendering Features » Local Park - Douden Park » Family Friendly Neighborhood » People Walking/Biking » Community Garden ISAC Review Draft 2 Padre/Mustang Island 2. Blended Residential Community and Destination Location Encourage tourism and the development of local commercial businesses to build a strong economic environment and sufficiently support the year-round residential community. Rendering Features » PR22 Look North » Golf Cart Path » Commercial/Mixed Use Development » Marina Development » Improved PR 22 and New Bridge ISAC Review Draft 3 Padre/Mustang Island 3. Environmental Preservation Capitalize on existing environmental features as amenities for the community and ensure the preservation of these areas as the Island continues to develop. Rendering Features » Healthy Dunes » Beach activity » Environmental Corridors Rendering View Option 1 - Ground Level View of Beach View Option 2 - Aerial View of Mustang Island ISAC Review Draft 4 Padre/Mustang Island Draft Action Items 1. Transportation - Improve traffic flow, Island ingress and egress, safety, and roadway quality. Relevant Actions in Current ADP CURRENT KEEP/ MODIFY/ ADP CURRENT ADP ACTION TEXT DELETE? ACTION # C.1 The City Council adopts the Transportation Plan, which is part of MobilityCC, the Mobility Element of the City’s Comprehensive Plan to guide future transportation decisions.
    [Show full text]
  • Corpus Christi
    1 2 EXPERIENTIAL EVOLUTION The 1-million-square-foot La Palmera is the result of a $50M transformation of the former Padre Staples Mall into a LEED-certified, contemporary shopping and dining destination. La Palmera continues its transformation as it adds retail, hospitality, restaurants and additional amenities. MARKET LEADER Located in Corpus Christi, Texas, La Palmera is the premier retail destination in the state’s Coastal Bend region, attracting close to 8 million visitors annually, and offering more than 100 retail and dining options. As the only super- regional mall within 140+ miles, La Palmera has maintained its position as a market leader in sales – seeing an increase of 58% since 2010. 3 DRIVE TIMES TO CORPUS CHRISTI Dallas Fort Worth 6.2 hours 6.1 hours El Paso 9 hours TEXAS Austin 3 hours San Antonio 2 hours Houston 3 hours Corpus Christi Laredo 2.3 hours McAllen 2.2 hours Brownsville 2.3 hours 4 OAKLAND, CA (#45) 426,410 TAMPA, FL (#48) 403,178 NEW ORLEANS, LA (#50) 396,766 LEXINGTON, KY (#59) 329,495 CORPUS CHRISTI, TX (#60) 329,408 PITTSBURGH, PA (#64) 302,908 ST. LOUIS, MO (#65) 300,991 ORLANDO, FL (#68) 297,243 PLANO, TX (#70) 294,478 DURHAM, NC (#74) 279,501 U.S. CITIES RANKED BY ST. PETERSBURG, FL (#76) 273,968 POPULATION SCOTTSDALE, AZ (#79) 266,961 (2019) 5 THREE CALIHAM RIVERS BEE 238 72 LIVE OAK 183 SEADRIFT 37 BEEVILLE 77 185 281 202 239 AUSTWELL 59 35 GEORGE WEST REFUGIO 181 MIKESKA SWINNEY SKIDMORE WOODSBORO SWITCH ARANSAS 359 HOLIDAY BEACH TYNAN MT LUCAS MATAGORDA 59 BONNIE VIEW LAMAR ISLAND WEST ST PAUL MATHIS LAKE CITY BAYSIDE COPANO VILLAGE SAN JOSE ISLAND 188 SAN PATRICIO JIM WELLS SINTON 188 37 ROCKPORT DUVAL TAFT SAN PATRICIO 77 ORANGE GROVE ODEM GREGORY 35 BLUNTZER 359 181 ARANSAS PASS 361 CALALLEN PORTLAND INGLESIDE 37 INGLESIDE 69E ON THE BAY PORT ARANSAS AGUA DULCE ROBSTOWN 44 SAN DIEGO Corpus Christi SOUTH PADRE ISLAND DR.
    [Show full text]
  • Kemp's Ridley Sea Turtles ...An Endangered Species
    The scarcity of Kemp’s ridleys about 20 years ago prompted efforts Kemp’s Ridley Sea Turtles to establish a protected nesting colony in the United States. From 1978-1989, an international experimental project ...An Endangered Species began with the intent to increase the number of Kemp’s ridley nesting on USGS Columbia Environmental Research Center Padre Island National Seashore. This ambitious Padre Island Field Research Station program had one grand Donna Shaver, PhD., Station Leader goal - the conservation 361.949.8173 x226 and recovery of this ancient sea species. [email protected] Eggs were airlifted from Rancho Nuevo, Mexico to http://www.cerc.usgs.gov/frs_webs/Padre/ south Texas, hatched in controlled conditions, then ollowing the Kemp’s ridley on hatchlings released along their perilous trek from south F the south Texas shore Texas, where efforts are underway to of the Gulf of Mexico. establish a secondary nesting colony, Scientists hoped that to the Gulf of Mexico, is tricky business. turtles would eventually Satellite transmitters are attached to a return to nest and establish select number of females returning to the a colony at Padre Island sea after laying eggs, their movements National Seashore where tracked by receivers picking up the protection and care are signals emitted from their backpacks. available. This signal tells the scientists where Now, some 10 to 15 the adults are feeding and resting after year old mature Kemp’s nesting. The transmitters can last up to ridley females are returning 18 months on their backs before failing or to the south Texas coast falling off.
    [Show full text]
  • CCRTA System Map Cedar Pass Lipes High School Store
    Chaparral Museum of Science and History ROUTES Broadway 76 STAPLES STREET STATION PORT AYERS STATION SOUTHSIDE STATION 3 NAS Shuttle (SEE BACK PANEL) WACO STAPLES 181 Whataburger Field 56 63 65 81 Flour Bluff(SEE BACK PANEL) 78 C 4 Oveal Williams City 15 37 Alameda LEOPARD AYERS 5 Senior Center Hall Nueces County NORTH BEACH/GREGORY Courthouse E SEE BACK PANEL 54 19 Santa Fe John 19 17 D F 6 6 Staples Street Station CCRTA ADMINISTRATION BUILDING B Winnebago 56 23 Hillcrest/Baldwin La Retama PORT 21 19 C G 26 12 Central Library 76 19 6 29 21 17 Kennedy Shoreline Kostoryz Nueces Bay 23 15 Palm Hulbirt A B C D 32 B H 37 H G F E A Comanche Tancahua CCPD/Municipal 25 29 A J 29 16 Morgan Court 27 28 29 23 78 12 16 Leopard 32 17 Carroll / Southside HEB HALL CITY CHRISTI CORPUS 21 Spohn Shoreline 37 Up River 17 Hospital MESTINA 19 Ayers Miller Staples MCARDLE High School Arboleda 37 Brownlee 21 28 Omaha 30 19th 23 Molina 12 Old Robstown 27 Morgan Santa Fe 25 Gollihar/Greenwood Hospital 23 37 26 Airline/Lipes Agnes Six Points Transfer Center Alameda Corpus Christi Spohn Medical Center ROBSTOWN / CALALLEN Zavala Memorial 27 Leopard Senior Center Hospital SEE BACK PANEL Baldwin Ayers Airport 28 Leopard/Omaha Baldwin Broadmoor Park Staples Navigation Senior Center 29 Staples 16 Del Mar HEB HEB College Del Mar College 30 Westside/Health Clinic 358 29SS West Campus 6 Port Lindale Carver Senior Center Texan TrailDriscoll Children’s Santa Fe 3 32 Southside Soledad Ocean US Social Hospital 5 Security Administration MacArthur Norton 34 Robstown North (SEE
    [Show full text]
  • Historical Monitoring of Shoreline Changes in Corpus Christi, Nueces
    HISTORICAL MONITORING OF SHORELINE CHANGES IN CORPUS CHRISTI, NUECES, AND OSO BAYS by R. A. Morton and J. G. Paine Assisted by D. E. Robinson Prepared for the Texas Energy and Natural Resources Advisory Council Division of Natural Resources Under Contract No. IAC(82-83)-1342 Bureau of Economic Geology The University of Texas at Austin Austin, Texas 78712 W. L. Fisher, Director January 1983 T ABLE OF CONTENTS ABSTRACT • 1 INTRODUCTION. 2 General Statement on Shoreline Changes • 2 Related·Studies . 3 METHODS AND PROCEDURES 3 Sources of Data • 4 Procedure. 4 Factors Affecting Accuracy of Data • 5 Original Data. 5 Topographic Surveys. 5 Aerial Photographs . 5 Interpretation of Photographs • 6 Cartographic Procedure. 6 Topographic Charts • 6 Aerial Photographs . 7 Measurements and Calculated Rates • 7 Justification of Method and Limitations • 8 Sources and Nature of Supplemental Information 8 ORIGIN OF TEXAS BAYS • 9 Late Pleistocene Sea-Level Highstand 9 Late Pleistocene Sea-Level Lowstand. 12 Holocene Sea-Level Rise and Highstand • 12 Sea-Level Changes • 12 Sedimentation 14 iii TYPES OF SHORELINES 16 Unstabilized Shorelines. 16 Clay Bluffs 16 Sandy Slopes • 19 Marshes • 19 Sand and Shell Beaches • 19 Made Land 23 Stabilized Shorelines 23 Bulkheads and Seawalls • 25 Riprap. 29 Beach Nourishment • 31 F ACTORS AFFECTING SHORELINE MOVEMENT • 35 Climate • 35 Sea-Level Position . 37 Compactional Subsidence • 37 Secular Variations 38 Sediment Supp1 y . 38 Sources 39 Sinks . 42 Storm Frequency and Intensity. 42 Human Activities 44 HISTORICAL CHANGES 46 Northern Corpus Christi Bay 48 1867 to 1930 • 50 1930 to 1982 • 50 1867 to 1982 • 53 iv Southern Corpus Christi Bay 53 Late 1800's to Earl y 1930's • 53 Early 1930's to 1982 .
    [Show full text]
  • Mustang Island State Park Texasstateparks.Org/App Texasstateparks.Org/Socialmedia #Txstateparks #Betteroutside LEGEND
    For assistance using this map, contact the park. Mustang Island State Park TexasStateParks.org/App TexasStateParks.org/SocialMedia #TxStateParks #BetterOutside LEGEND Headquarters Park closes and gates lock at 10 p.m. State Parks Store Corpus Christi except to overnight guests. Bay Restrooms Chemical Toilets PLEASE NOTE Rough Road Hot Showers • Park regulations apply on open beach area. • Regulations prohibit the possession or • Glass containers prohibited on beach. discharge of fireworks, firearms, crossbows Primitive Beach Camping • Vehicles are prohibited from operating on sand and arrows, air or gas weapons, slingshots or dunes or outside established roadways. Park any device capable of exploding, or causing Water and Electric Sites staff assumes no responsibility toward freeing injury or killing within the State Park. vehicles stuck in sand. • Swim at your own risk; hazards such as Picnic Shelters • Permit required for all areas. Valid permit stingrays and jellyfish, as well as dangerous N required on windshield of each vehicle in park. undercurrents, exist in the Gulf. Swimming • NO LIFEGUARD ON DUTY. • Pets must be kept on leash and are not Parking allowed in public buildings. Please pick up If a swimmer is seen in distress, after them. CALL 911 FIRST, then alert park staff for assistance. Fishing • NO PICNICKING in numbered campsites. • Use of metal detectors • Public consumption or display of alcoholic prohibited. Dump Station beverages is prohibited. Trash Container To Corpus Christi To Port Aransas 361 TEXAS Park Host Fee Booth Residence C o Texas State Parks Store r p 13 15 17 19 23 21 11 u 1 3 5 7 Maintenance 9 W s C ater Ex h Drinks, T-shirts, caps and one-of-a- r i 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20 22 24 s t i P c kind gift items are available at the a hang s s 25 33 35 37 39 41 43 45 47 27 29 31 e P Texas State Parks Store located in ass 26 34 36 38 40 44 46 48 28 32 42 30 our park headquarters building.
    [Show full text]
  • Mustang Island Is a 40 Km- (~25 Mile) Long Barrier Island Located Between Corpus Christi and the Gulf of Mexico, South of St
    STOP #1: PACKERY CHANNEL – BEACH TO BAY We will start this field guide near the north jetty of Packery Channel and hike across the island to Corpus Christi Bay (fig. 1). The island emerges from the Gulf of Mexico at the beach. Behind the beach are a series of dunes. The dunes, which are mostly stabilized by vegetation, give way to a vegetated flat that extends back toward Corpus Christi Bay. Highway 361, the main road down Mustang Island, generally runs along the vegetated flat just behind the dunes. Away from the dunes, across the vegetated flats, is the bay margin at the edge of Corpus Christi Bay. In the shallow waters of the bay itself are the marine grassflats. The major environments are easy to recognize. Each has its own characteristics, each has its own flora and fauna, and they occur in a predictable sequence because each is linked to the others by interdependent processes. Figure 1. Schematic illustration of the major environments on Mustang Island. PACKERY CHANNEL: Packery Channel, along with Newport Pass, 1852 Pass, and Corpus Christi Pass (Stop #2), form a complex of storm-washover channels along northern Padre Island and southern Mustang Island. A storm- washover channel is like a temporary tidal inlet that occurs where Gulf of Mexico waters driven by storms have washed over the island eroding a channel and depositing sand in the bay. Storm-driven waves from hurricanes have opened Packery Channel in 1933, 1945, 1961, 1964, 1967, and 1970. Each time the natural tidal currents were too weak to keep the channel open, and it was blocked with sand within a few months.
    [Show full text]
  • Port Aransas, Texas a Colleague at the Nueces County Historical Commission Recently Directed Me to a Valuable Historical Work
    THE OWNERSHIP AND EARLY CULTURAL HISTORIES OF MUSTANG ISLAND John Guthrie Ford, Ph.D. Port Aransas, Texas A colleague at the Nueces County Historical Commission recently directed me to a valuable historical work. It is the 1997 study of Mustang Island State Park conducted by Texas Parks and Wildlife Department. Although the park, located on south Mustang Island, was the TPW focus, the paper provided information on a broader scale; namely, history of the ownership of all Mustang Island up to circa 1900,1 and archeological findings from south and north areas of the Island. Here is my overview of this study. I. Ownership of Mustang Island Mustang was initially a hunting and gathering place for prehistoric peoples, and possession of the Island was a matter of the territorial imperatives practiced by these people. The Island next became the sovereign domain of national entities, and the first of these was Spain. In deciding when Mustang came into Spain‘s New World hegemony, the Pineda 1519 map mission on the Texas coast seemed reasonable. The Spanish showed scant interest in the Texas coast until the French began sniffing around in the late 1600s. Spain sent military missions to shoo them away, and on one such mission our Island was referred to as Bar of San Miguel–to my knowledge Mustang‘s first name. Mustang Island became Mexican land in 1821 (independence from Spain).2 The Mexicans understood the strategic importance of the coast–a lesson learned from the historical French incursions. Recog- nizing that losing the coast to a foreign power would threaten all of Texas, the Mexican government decreed that the barrier islands, and anywhere within 10 leagues (about 30 miles) of the coast, could not be colonized without special permission.
    [Show full text]