5-19-13
The San Bernard River Mouth – Four Years After Opening
Roy Edwards
Mouth of the San Bernard 5-11-2013 courtesy Albert Smith
After years of work by thousands of volunteers and political entities (local, state and federal) the San Bernard
River mouth was re-opened in 2009. The entire community celebrated – and everyone who had a part in this
historic event congratulated themselves on a job well done. Indeed, the opening of the river mouth did what it
was supposed to do – to alleviate the unanticipated currents from the Bernard causing havoc at the west gate
of the Brazos. But it did so much more. It brought together a force of people. It brought new life to the river.
The river drained faster after heavy rains (and this was sorely tested during the flooding rains of July, 2009).
Oxygen levels returned to normal levels at the mouth of the river. It was truly a win-win situation for both
industry and recreation.
Four years have passed and now the river mouth is again sanded shut. Formal observations of the river mouth
ceased when it was proven that opening of the mouth corrected the currents of the river and with the death of
Dr. Krause in February 2010. Problems at the west gates of the Brazos are again on the rise. People are
griping they can no longer access the Gulf from the mouth of the Bernard. We have lost so many of the people
who helped get the mouth opened: ASA John Paul Woodley, Jr. has been replaced; Col Weston has moved
on; Congressman Ron Paul has retired; Dr. Krause has died; and the thousands of normal people supporting
the first reopening of the river have lapsed into apathy once more. We owe the river better stewardship than
that!
Instead of grousing, perhaps it’s time for everyone who helped open the mouth in 2009 to step back and revisit
why the mouth was reopened in the first place. Below is a summary of the project written in 2010. It can serve
as a glimmer of the community support of a project that again needs that support. The issues that were
addressed by opening the river the first time are again becoming problematic. Remember the first effort to save
a dying river and maybe, just maybe, the Singing River will find the support she needs to regain her voice.
The San Bernard River Mouth – One Year After Opening
By Roy and Jan Edwards
Mouth of the San Bernard 3-12-2010
Mouth of the San Bernard 5-15-2009
After years of work by thousands of volunteers, the United States Corps of Engineers committed to re-open the
mouth of the San Bernard River. Their stated objective was to “Open the closed river mouth to reduce
unanticipated currents at the Brazos River floodgates on the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway”. Their strategy was to
“work with nature – open the river mouth deep and narrow for stability, then let it migrate over the next few
decades”.
The 2009 mouth dredging project, in a nutshell, was as follows:
- The contract was awarded January 13, 2009
- Dredging started January 26, 2009
- Dredge 32 of Mike Hooks Inc. (a 27 inch cutter head suction dredge), entered the Gulf March 1, 2009
- Dredging 900 feet into the Gulf completed March 15, 2009
- 340,000 cubic yards of material was removed
- Mud and silt was pumped into established spoil retaining areas
- Beach quality sand was pumped into the Surf Zone
- The project cost $2.4 million
The dredging project was necessary because the Brazos River diversion canal, opened in 1929, moved the
Brazos River mouth from 15 miles away from the San Bernard to less than 4 miles. The Brazos sends an
average of 176,000 cubic yards of beach quality sand across the mouth of the San Bernard per year. As a
result, the San Bernard’s mouth began to shallow and move to the southwest. In 2006, the mouth closed
completely and the waters turned east into the Intracoastal Canal, then the west gate, and into the Gulf
thorough the mouth of the Brazos.
Because the Intracoastal Canal averages 550 feet in width and the gate is 75 feet wide, a “head” would build
up on the west end of the west gate. Monitors at the west gate showed this “head” to be as much as six feet
above the waters of the Brazos with currents as fast as 15 knots. A practice of “tripping” became common.
“Tripping” – a process where tows are broken down to single barges and additional push boats (up to a total of
three, each engine operating at 1,600 horse power) then try to “push the current” to make the passage through
the gate. The “tripping’s” price tag for the barge industry (at the west gate of the Brazos) was over $2 million
per year according to TxDOT figures.
U.S.A.C.E. structures in the Intracoastal Canal nation wide averaged 35 “lisions” per year. A lision is a moving
tow boat and/or barge striking a fixed structure. The west flood gate of the Brazos had sustained 165 lisions in
2008 – the highest number of lisions of any U.S.A.C.E. structure in the continental United States. The reopening of the mouth of the San Bernard was designed to reduce navigational problems at the west gate to the
normal amount. According to the U.S.A.C.E., the opening of the mouth is working better than expected. You
can monitor the water flows at the Brazos River Diversion Canal at the flood gates at:
http://www.swg.usace.army.mil/Locks/BrazosLockStatus.asp
The re-opening of the mouth of the san Bernard was NOT designed as a navigation aid for boaters on the San
Bernard travelling into the Gulf. The cut is narrow and deep so that the tidal currents will help scour the sand
from the cut. The cut today remains UNSTABLE – sand comes in with a high (incoming) tide and moves out on
a low (outgoing) tide. Reports of sonar readings of bottom depth changing as much as 6 feet in less than an
hour are to be believed. Currents, especially on a strong outgoing tide are DANGEROUS. DO NOT wade or
swim in the cut itself. In the writers’ opinion, the cut is at least as dangerous as the currents at the west side of
San Luis Pass. If you visit the San Bernard Mouth to play in the surf, go at least a quarter mile to the southwest
of the cut, monitor your surroundings and BE CAREFUL.
The re-opening of the mouth has resulted in an observed improvement of the areas ecology – on many fronts.
Even with last year’s drought, the numbers of Speckled Trout, Sand Trout, Flounder and Croaker are up. A 3
foot Tarpon was landed above the FM 521 Bridge. A large Snook was hooked and played at the mouth. Large
sharks, including Bull Sharks and big rays are in the cut and the adjacent surf. Bottlenose Dolphin are coming
up the river through the cut as far as the Intracoastal canal. At least two Kemp’s Ridley Sea Turtle nests were
found between the cut and the fourth Cedar Lake last turtle season. The re-opened mouth is a birder’s
paradise. Large numbers of Brown and White Pelicans, various Herons and Egrets, Terns, wading birds,
Oyster Crackers, Skimmers, American Avocets, etc. are everywhere. The endangered Piping Plover is back!
Now, after a rain, the river only takes days to clear instead of weeks.
At the top of this article are the mouth pictures courtesy of the United States Corps of Engineers, Galveston
District from March 12, 2010 – the current status of the river - compared to those taken in May 2009. What a
difference a year makes.