CCA Texas

Friday, August 28th, 2009

CCA Texas Funds Port Mansfield Artificial Reef Project

$50,000 to help establish nearshore reef off Port Mansfield

The CCA Texas Executive Board recently approved $50,000 for the development of another artificial reef in state waters. The Port Mansfield nearshore reefing project, spearheaded by the Texas Parks Wildlife Department (TPWD) Artificial Reef Program, is located approximately 7 nautical miles out of Port Mansfield in about 65 feet of water.

This contribution is the latest by the CCA Texas Habitat Today for Fish Tomorrow (HTFT) program, which is dedicated to creating and restoring habitat for the coastal fisheries of Texas.  This latest contribution brings the total contributions and dollars secured by HTFT to $135,000 for nearshore artificial reefing up and down the Texas coast.

“These funds will assist TPWD in developing a spectacular nearshore fishing reef at the Port Mansfield PS-1047 (South Padre Island 1047) reefing site,” said Dale Shively, TPWD Artificial Reef Program Coordinator.  The reef is located a short boat ride out of Port Mansfield jetties and was intended to accommodate fishermen with smaller boats.  With its close proximity, the reef makes an excellent destination for the average weekend angler.

“In July of this year, the program reefed a 100-foot tugboat and 800 concrete culverts ranging in size from 24 inches to 72 inches, and has several hundred more to deploy within this 160 acre site,” said Shively. “The funds from CCA Texas are greatly appreciated by both TPWD and the local community at Port Mansfield. This is another great example of how a non-profit organization can team up with the State of Texas to play an even larger role in the stewardship of our marine resources.”

CCA Texas’ contribution to the Port Mansfield reefing project along with the April 2009 commitment to the Vancouver reefing site off Freeport is helping to bring the vision of the TPWD nearshore reefing program closer to reality for anglers and the state’s marine resources.  The effort to bring valuable habitat to the Texas nearshore waters has been hugely successful in other states such as Alabama. CCA Texas is proud to be a part of the program and will continue to find opportunities to create productive reefing sites up and down the entire Texas coast for all recreational anglers to enjoy.

“Habitat Today for Fish Tomorrow is an initiative and commitment that CCA Texas takes very seriously,” said Mark Ray, chairman of CCA Texas. “These offshore reefing projects will impact the Gulf of Mexico fishery for generations. We remain committed to finding partners like the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department’s Offshore Reefing initiative, that maximize the impact of the dollars raised by our volunteers.”