Rhonda

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Rhonda Brown
Operations Division, Navigation
Branch 409-766-3148 rhonda.g.brown_at_swg02.usace.arm
y.mil POC for Brazos Island Harbor
(Brownsville) Gulf Intracoastal Waterway (GIWW)
AO-S (BIH to Matagorda Bay) Channel to Aransas
Pass Channel to Port Mansfield Channel to
Harlingen Little Bay
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Laguna Madre Field Office
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Rhonda Brown 409-766-3148
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Beneficial Use Sites within Galveston District
BU sites within SAO
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Aransas National Wildlife Refuge
Beneficial Use Sites
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Aransas ICT

• Interagency Coordination Team Members
• Texas Parks Wildlife Department
• National Marine Fisheries Service
• General Land Office
• Texas Department of Transportation
• U. S. Fish Wildlife Service
• Aransas National Wildlife Refuge
• Environmental Protection Agency
• U. S. Army Corps of Engineers
• Texas Commission On Environmental Quality
• Texas Water Development Board
• Coastal Bend Bays Estuaries Program, Inc.
  (Advisory)

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Beneficial Use Site A
P.A.122
Aransas National Wildlife Refuge
P.A.123
P.A.124
San Antonio Bay
P.A.125
P.A.127
Matagorda Island
Beneficial Use Site B
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Beneficial Use Site A
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first cell at BU site A
existing rock breakwater
existing access channel
Future cells at BU site A
BU site A
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BU site A TxDOT
planting proposal
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interior of BU site A
erosion control Spartina plantings by TxDOT
rock breakwater
containment levees
access channel
Exterior of first cell at BU site A
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perimeter levee
Disposal at BU site A
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Skimmers on levees at BU site A
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Skimmers on levees at BU site A
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Rock breakwater at BU site A
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Rock breakwater at BU site A
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Beneficial Use Site B
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future BU site B
ANWR
GIWW
PA 127
existing marsh
existing rock breakwater
San Antonio Bay
future rock breakwater
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existing rock breakwater
ANWR
GIWW
PA 127
future BU site B
existing marsh
existing circulation channel
future rock breakwater
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interior ponds at existing marsh BU site B
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BU site B interior
ponds
small circulation channels
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Beneficial Use Site D
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BU site D TxDOT
planting proposal
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erosion control mats break wave velocities
Vegetation quickly establishes behind protection
of mats at BU site D
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newly created geotube breakwater
BU site D interior
BU site D
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Royal Terns enjoying the geotube breakwater
structures
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(No Transcript)
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Frigate bird in Aransas Bay
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Sundown Island
Beneficial Use Site
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112-B
112-A
Palacios Ch.
112-C
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114
115
Matagorda Bay
116
M.S.C
G.I.W.W
Alternate Rt.
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116 -B
117-a
this route will be abandoned once alternate route
is finalized
Port OConnor
Sundown Island
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Vegetation in front of mats helped protect
Sundown Island from erosion during
Hurricane Claudette
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Salt Cedar planted by Chester and volunteers
bird platform
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Dredged material recently distributed on Sundown
Island by spreader
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Sundown Island
Matagorda Ship Channel upland disposal area
future dredged material disposal cells
This area recently received dredged material from
the GIWW and will be fortified with erosion
control mats
existing erosion control mats
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Are there other Beneficial Use Sites we could
include?
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nests
Pelican nests at Deadman Island
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American Oyster Catchers at Deadman Island
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Are there lessons learned we need to know about?
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Carefully designed and constructed elevations
are critical to the
success of BU sites
Mat elevation too high upland species
invade marsh
Mat elevation conducive to successful marsh
establishment
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In conclusion

• Priority will be given to disposal methods
  that include beneficial uses
• Each BU site has unique needs
• Use DMMPs as living documents
• What can we do to improve our BU sites?
• Can we build more predator-free sites?
• Let us hear from you!