Port Aransas South Jetty (Port Aransas, Tex.), Vol. 7, No. 24, Ed. 1 Thursday, November 24, 1977 Page: 2 of 8
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PACE 2
SOUTH JETTY
EDITORIAL
Solving Problems Locally
Port Aransas is gaining recognition along the Texas coast,
and especially in the local area for two recent governmental ef-
forts: enforcement of uniform building standards for Mustang
Island development, and beach use controls on the Gulf beach
within the City Limits.
Neither action has been fully implemented but the plans and
intergovernmental agreements are nearly settled. In the case of
the beach controls, the final step is the use of litter barrels to
outline the roadway in the desired position away from the water’s
edge and the designated recreation area. The thought is now
evolving that the ordinance, rather than setting distances from
fixed points for the traffic lanes, should just read that through
traffic will be confined to the lanes designated by the barrels.
This will allow flexibility in the traffic lane positions depending
upon the changing natural seasonal conditions of the beach. Once
this is done, the entire beach traffic control system will be in
harmony with the natural dynamics of the beach, and will rarely
need to be suspended due to high water. It will also define each
use area of the beach relative to fluctuations in the position of the
water’s edge and the edge of the dunes. The back-beach area will
essentially be reserved for traffic flow and protection of the edge
of the vegetated dunes, as a result of a camping ban in this zone.
The middle beach will be for parking, recreation and camping,
and the strip 50 feet from the water’s edge is to be reserved ex-
clusively for pedestrian and bather use, i.e. all vehicles excluded.
This system should prove workable, with a minimum amount of
enforcement, since once the pattern is set it becomes obvious to
people entering the beach area from the access roads that there
are different use zones on the beach.
Regarding Island building standards, the local Water Dis-
trict, which has jurisdiction over most of the Island’s private
lands outside the City Limits is developing an interlocal contract
with the City for inspection and Port Aransas building code en-
forcement throughout the area of the Water District. This will not
only insure a known standard of building practice on the Island,
but will assure that, with future Port Aransas annexations, sub-
standard buildings and subdivisions will not add to the City safety
and planning problems. Additional consideration is needed in the
City’s regulation of building height, setbakcs and subdivision that
is applicable to large tracts of land, but this is also entering the
thinking of the City and Water District officials. Results should be
forthcoming soon.
Both of these governmental activities add strength to the
proposition that at least some of our uniquely coastal problems
can be approached and solved on the local level, without sweep-
ing state legislation. The mission of the county has been, and
should continue to be, one of aiding in planning and funding re-
sources, as well as maintaining that which is its state designated
jurisdiction. The mission of the state should be one of overview
and coordination of all that which sums to “coastal manage-
ment.’’ Certainly state policy documents are in order in the coast-
al management effort and applicable “common ground’’ legisla-
tion is desirable — but many local problems can be handled at
the local level, provided they are recognized as problems and
there is a local will to solve them in the best interest of the
public.
Bay Reef Construction Completed
The recent establishment of a
small wade fishing reef in Tres
Palacios Bay has concluded the
Texas Parks and Wildlife Depart-
ment’s current artificial reef con-
struction program.
Located in four feet of water
just off the Palacios shoreline near
the so-called “Baptist Encamp-
ment,” the new reef will be easily
accessible to wade anglers and
should soon be attracting game
fish.
Like all the artificial fishing
reefs which have been placed in
Texas bays, the wade fishing reef
was constructed with old auto-
mobile tires which in the past in
other states had proven to be ex-
cellent reef materials.
The wade fishing reef is con-
structed with only 120 tires, but
unlike the reefs dropped into
deeper bays, the tires are not
stacked. Rather, they are bound
tread-to-tread to lie flat on the
bottom, covering a large area.
The initial reefs placed in Texas
waters went into Sabine Lake and
Galveston Bay in late 1976. Cov-
ering about one acre near an old
sunken dredge boat in the south-
west corner of the bay, the Sabine
Lake reef contains about 6,000
tires. Unlike the wade fishing
reef, this reefs tires were bound
into bundles containing a dozen
tires and weighing 250 to 300
pounds. The Galveston Bay reef,
located 125 feet north of the Syl-
van Beach Park public fishing
pier, required 1,200 tires and
covers approximately one-quarter
acre.
Then this summer, four reefs
culminating with the small wade
fishing reef were constructed in
rapid succession in Aransas, Cor-
pus Christi and Tres Palacios
Bays.
The Aransas Bay reef contains
100 bundles, or 1,200 tires and is
located just off the rock jetty near
the department’s marine labora-
tory facilities at Rockport. Corpus
Christi’s tire reef is located adja-
cent to the Cole Park Fishing Pier
and contains 1,200 tires. In Tres
Palacios Bay there are two reefs
— one being the wade fishing
reef and the other being a
1,200-tire reef located near Coon
Island.
In addition to being marked for
easy identification, each of the
tire reef sites was carefully select-
ed in areas where they would at
once be readily accessible to an-
glers while being no obstacle to
boating traffic or commercial fish-
NOVEMBER 24, 1977
‘‘Janey Briscoe” Christened Here
An eagerly anticipated addition to the Port Aransas Ferry System
was dedicated Friday, November 18, as Texas’ First Lady doused the
deck of the new vehicular passenger vessel bearing her name, the
“JANEY BRISCOE,” with water from the home port. In the tradition of
ancient mariners, this practice serves to insure that the vessel will be
safe and will always return to the home port.
The addition of this, the sixth vessel of the fleet, will reduce prob-
lems of getting to and from the mainland from Port Aransas. The new
ferryboat has been solicited by residents and visitors to the area and has
received support of local legislators. New ferry landings, one on each
side of the channel, were completed early this year and immediately
utilized in the ferry system operation. It is estimated that 1.4 million
vehicles will cross the channel during 1977.
Joining in the late afternoon ceremonies and in tribute to Mrs.
Briscoe were local legislators, county and city officials from the
surrounding area, members of the State Highway and Public Transporta-
tion Commission and many local and area citizens. The Department of
Highways and Public Transportation is responsible for operation of the
toll-free Ferry System. Highway and Public Transportation Commission
Chairman Reagan Houston introduced Mrs. Briscoe, citing her sponsor-
ship of the new vessel. He gave special recognition to the Superintendent
and crew of the Port Aransas Ferry System. Noting Marine Superinten-
dent Melvin Littleton’s 26 years of service in this position, he added that
five of the 33 persons employed in the operations of the ferries have also
had 26 years with this operation, an admirable record of dedication to
this important public service.
Dedication ceremonies and a reception for Governor and Mrs. Bris-
coe, which was held immediately preceeding the dedication, were spon-
sored by the Port Aransas Area Chamber of Commerce.
Coastal Trotline Ban In Effect
Texas Parks and Wildlife De-
partment game wardens began
enforcing the new ban on week-
end use of trammel nets, gill nets,
drag seines and trotlines Friday
(Nov. 11) in many Texas coastal
areas.
ing operations. Care in site selec-
tion was also given to bay bottom
type which had to be npt only firm
enough to support the weight of
the tire bundles, but yet soft
enough to allow the bundles to
partially submerge, making them
less susceptible to forces of cur-
rent and waves.
In the quick completion of the
reef construction program, the de-
partment was greatly aided by
several private organizations and
industries.
The special machine used to
prepare the automobile tires for
reef construction is owned by the
Goodyear Rubber Company which
loaned it to the department for
the duration of the artificial reef
program. Goodyear also aided in
obtaining tires for the reefs in
Aransas and Corpus Christi Bays.
For the largest reef project in
Sabine Lake, assistance was given
by Lamar University, the Sabine-
Neches Conservation Club, the
Pleasure Island Development
Commission and the Payless Tire
Company, in addition a tug boat
was furnished by Mike Smith, a
barge by Biii Monroe, a dragline
by County Precinct Three and
dragline mats by the quality Mat
Company.
Equipment and transportation
assistance for the Galveston Bay
reef and the Tres Palacios Coon
Island Reef was given by Parker
Brothers of Houston.
These methods of fishing are
prohibited between the hours of 1
p.m. Friday and 1 p.m. Sunday.
The new regulation, approved by
the Texas Parks and Wildlife
Commission Oct. 18, applies every
weekend in the 14 regulatory
coastal counties affected.
The counties are: Aransas, Bra-
zoria, Calhoun, Cameron, Jack-
son, Jefferson, Kenedy, Kleberg,
Matagorda, Nueces, Orange, Re-
fugio, San Patricio, and Willacy.
The weekend ban was instituted
to help relieve some fishing pres-
sure on red drum (redfish) and
spotted seatrout, which have suf-
fered reported population de-
clines.
Department law enforcement
officials point out that there are
variations in the law among cer-
tain coastal counties, so netters,
seiners and trotliners are advised
to check with local department of-
fices or game wardens to assure
compliance with the new regula-
tions.
Audubon Gub
Starts Here
The Port Aransas Audubon
Outdoor Club will hold an organ-
izational meeting on December 1
and discuss the upcoming Christ-
um!* Bird Count. The meeting wiii
be held in Room L340 of the Uni-
versity of Texas Port Aransas
Marine Laboratory at 7:30 p.m.
Local residents are attempting
to organize a Port Aransas based
club, and anyone interested is
invited to attend this organiza-
tional meeting.
Letter
I have been attending School
Board meetings this past year.
Recently I have been told by two
board members I am too rough on
them. One even went so far as to
say I’m unfair because, when they
attend school functions some say
they are sticking their nose in
where it doesn’t belong, and if
they don’t attend then they are
criticized.
I would like to hear from the
general public what their opinion
is towards the boards attending
school functions and not attend-
ing.
/s/ Mary Lou Hursh
ftUAdL.
1 TM^WMAMOQWW]
Owner - Editor: Steve Frishman
SOUTH JETTY is published
every Thursday by the South Jetty
Publishing Co., Port Aransas,
Texas. Subscription rate is $10.00
per year. 15 cents by the single
copy.
Subscription and Office Manag-
er: Mary Lou Hursh.
Address all correspondence to:
South Jetty Publishing Co.
P.O. Box 1116
Port Aransas, Texas 78373.
Office: 222 East Beach Street,
Port Aransas, Texas, Phone 749-
6377
Display advertising deadline,
Monday, 12 noon, the week of
publication.
The publisher will gladly correct
any erroneous statement regard-
ing corporations, firms, or individ-
uals, when called to his attention.
Second Gass Postage is paid at
Port Aransas, Texas.
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Frishman, Steve. Port Aransas South Jetty (Port Aransas, Tex.), Vol. 7, No. 24, Ed. 1 Thursday, November 24, 1977, newspaper, November 24, 1977; Port Aransas, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth623821/m1/2/?q=Lamar+University: accessed July 18, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Ellis Memorial Library.