Discovering The Heart Of The Estuary
The Nueces Delta Preserve
Just west of Nueces Bay and Corpus Christi Bay, the Nueces Delta Preserve (NDP) is where life begins for many wildlife species in the Coastal Bend. 
Some of the region’s most biologically significant wetlands are found here, as well as important coastal prairie habitats. Taken altogether, the delta represents a unique mosaic of highly productive wetlands, open water, islands, prairie, and river and bay shorelines.
This rich estuarine ecosystem provides crucial habitat for Coastal Bend wildlife as well as vital freshwater in-flows to the two bays. Many species of wading and shore birds depend on this habitat, including the rare reddish egret and piping plover. The 
system also supports many other migratory birds and wetland species such as the diamondback terrapin. The delta ecosystem is likewise important to the health of Nueces Bay, known for its great public sport fishing opportunities. The bay boasts one of the highest densities of redfish on the Texas coast.
Recognizing the ecological value of the Nueces River Delta as critical nursery habitat for many of the estuarine organisms in our bays, including recreational and commercially important fish and shellfish species, the Coastal Bend Bays & Estuaries Program (CBBEP) has made protection and restoration of the Nueces Delta a top priority. The CBBEP initiated efforts to acquire important wetlands and adjacent wildlife habitat in the Nueces Delta Preserve in 2000. The CBBEP has had tremendous success in securing funding for habitat acquisition and currently owns over 5,000 acres of land along the Nueces River.
Delta Dynamics
The Nueces Delta Preserve is a dynamic ecosystem of highly productive wetlands, open water, islands, prairie, and river and bay shorelines. The river frontage is a vital riparian habitat. The brackish wetlands are home to shrimp, crabs, juvenile fish and birds. The uplands are brimming with native vegetation – a birthplace to a variety of wildlife. Moreover, one of the most important components of the Preserve is the Rincon Channel. This is the primary channel for freshwater inflows to nourish the delta complex.
The Nueces River Delta historically received inflows of fresh water regularly through natural flooding of the river, but man-made dams along the river have reduced freshwater inflows to about 1 percent of what they were 50 or 60 years ago, creating hypersalinity (high salt) in areas of the Delta that once contained freshwater marshes. An estuary in its natural state contains a gradient of water salinity that gradually gets saltier as it approaches the bay.
Nueces Delta Monitoring Projects
The Nueces Delta is a rich area with abundant marshes, mud flats, and shallow open water that covers some 75 square kilometers to the east of where I-37 crosses the river. In 1992 the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) issued an Order requiring specific volumes of water to be released from the Reservoir System upstream of the Delta to provide more freshwater inflow to Nueces Bay to enhance primary productivity and the overall health of the system.
In response to the Order, the City of Corpus Christi facilitated several projects to restore flows to the Delta including the recently constructed 60-inch diameter pipeline that takes river water from the Nueces River next to Labonte Park and releases it into the upper reaches of the Rincon Bayou within the Delta. This system can deliver up to 3,000 acre-feet of freshwater per month into the Nueces Delta in accordance with the pass-through Order; another positive step towards returning the Delta to a more natural hydraulic regime.
However, in order to better understand the impacts of these projects and to examine the available Delta resources, several monitoring programs were implemented. This effort will provide reliable scientific data for resource management and policy decision makers. The monitoring on the Delta is being conducted by the City, Texas A&M University – Corpus Christi (TAMUCC) Center for Coastal Studies (TAMUCC-CCS), TAMUCC – Conrad Blucher Institute (TAMUCC-CBI), TAMUCC – Harte Research Institute (TAMUCC-HRI), University of Texas Marine Science Institute (UTMSI), Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD), TCEQ, and the United States Geological Survey (USGS).
Over the past ten years, monitoring has been conducted at 38 locations to gather information that helps understand the complexity of the Delta and to assess the benefits of the projects dedicated to restore water flows. Currently, monitoring continues at 27 stations. These monitoring activities are reviewed on a regular basis to determine whether a change in monitoring location or parameters is needed and if a monitoring program has reached its conclusion and is no longer deemed necessary.
Some of the parameters of importance being measured are: vegetation species, composition and percent cover; Chlorophyll-a; chemical and physical water quality parameters within the water and soil; nutrients, ammonia, and zinc levels; biomass and community structure of epifaunal invertebrates, nektonic macrofauna, and benthic organisms; grain size of sediment; bird species, numbers, and behavior; water elevation; wind speed, direction, gusts and air temperature; as well as whole effluent toxicity of the Allison Waste Water Treatment return flows to the Delta.
The Nueces Delta provides an important estuarine habitat for local and migratory species of mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, fishes, invertebrates and plants. With the increasing number of residents moving into the Texas Coastal Bend community, the demand for water resources continues to increase. The ongoing efforts will identify the amount of water required to maintain our local bays and estuaries health while providing the needed freshwater to our community.
Nature Photography with Charlie Spiekerman
The Coastal Bend Bays & Estuaries Program (CBBEP) partnered with wildlife photographer Charlie Spiekerman to shoot pictures of the primitive beauty at the Nueces Delta Preserve (NDP) and to participate in the 2007 Coastal Bend Wildlife Photo Contest. The contest teams up private landowners with photographers to capture winning photographs of wildlife and habitat in the Texas Coastal Bend.
Landowners and photographers vie for $90,000 in photo contest awards in which they both share equally in the winnings. Moreover, the thousands of photographs create an appreciation and public awareness about the importance of conserving wildlife in the Coastal Bend with the winning images featured in one of the coveted Wildlife in Focus books.
Even though the contest is over, the CBBEP has designated Spiekerman as the official wildlife photographer for the NDP. His passion for nature comes from over 30 years of wildlife photography and environmental conservation experience. His love for photography has served to document local historic events and to educate others of the value of the area’s historic and natural resources.
All the photographs featured in this special edition newsletter have been taken by Spiekerman at the NDP. The CBBEP sat down with him and asked him a few questions about his field experiences photographing the NDP. See what he had to say about his ardent adventures at the NDP.
CBBEP: What is the story behind your favorite photograph?
CS: The osprey making his morning catch was probably my favorite. This was a real challenge to get on film as were the other photos of various birds in flight. Getting close enough to the osprey was mostly just a stroke of luck, but he did have a favorite old fence post for his morning meal which allowed me a rare chance to “fill the frame” of this normally elusive bird of prey. Action or behavioral shots, like most of those of the osprey, are generally more interesting and illustrate certain patterns unique to that species and thus more educational than just a still shot of the same subject.
CBBEP: How many photos did you take?
CS: During the contest, I took a little over 10,000 images. Generally I would have taken a lot more, but weather conditions and access to the Preserve were hindered by the high rainfall.
CBBEP: How many photos did you enter into the contest?
CS: Each photographer is limited to three entries in the 53 categories in the contest; I entered 114 images out of 159 possibilities. Although the Preserve is considered mostly wetlands, there is still a lot of dry land as well. One of the great assets for the Preserve is its wide variety of native animals and plants which allow more contest entries than most other competing properties.
CBBEP: How many hours did you spend on the property?
CS: I did not keep up with the hours, but over the 5-month contest period, it was several hundred hours.
CBBEP: What kind of equipment did you use? (camera equipment, blinds, food, traps...)
CS: Although allowed in some cases, no traps were used. Food and water are always useful though, particularly when conditions are harsh, which they are generally not at the Preserve, at least not during the contest period. Equipment is a big deal in any kind of photography, but even more so with wildlife photography. I used a variety of portable blinds; one blind is store-bought, made from nylon fabric and quick to set up; all the other blinds I have made myself from wood and are not so portable. Different wildlife subjects require different equipment and methods, but for sure, telephoto, wide angle, and macro lenses are a must for starters. And, it doesn’t end there; the support equipment for just the lenses mentioned is considerable. In addition, now that digital photography is the standard, you must also be highly proficient with your computer and with the special software necessary to process those photos.
CBBEP: What do you think is the most important point of taking these photos and sharing them?
CS: It is often said that a photo is worth a thousand words. This has never been truer than in today’s digital world where learning has become such a huge visual process for teaching; especially for our youth.
This was truly a match made in the “heart” of the estuary! The CBBEP congratulates Charlie Spiekerman on a job well done!
LiDAR Mapping Project
Efforts to address issues regarding reduced instream water flows in the Nueces River watershed have been underway for nearly two decades. Yet a sound solution to the problem of providing water for human needs while protecting nature is still somewhat unresolved.
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This is an image created from the LiDAR data collection phase of the southern edge of the Nueces Delta next to the Nueces Delta Mitigation Site. Notice the Nueces Delta Mitigation Site at the bottom of the image and vegetation and ground detail within the wetlands.
The blue color is water. |
Attempts to resolve this issue include a recently completed CBBEP project with the University of Texas - Bureau of Economic Geology (UTBEG) which used airborne LiDAR (light detection and ranging) technology to provide terrain elevation data for approximately 1,000 hectares (2,471 acres) of wetlands, ponds, and adjacent uplands in the Nueces Delta. Because the lasers used to detect ground elevations cannot penetrate water, an airboat that contains a shallow water echo sounding device was used to collect ground elevations below water. The information collected will be used to produce a detailed Digital Elevation Model (DEM) of the Nueces Delta. CBBEP completed this project in February 2008.
The detailed DEM will provide a better understanding of current and potential circulation patterns, facilitate correlation between elevation and vegetation assemblages, and allow planning and optimal operation of the reservoir system and diversion pipeline to maximize ecological benefits (adaptive management of the Nueces River Delta). For more information regarding this project, please contact Jace Tunnell at Jtunnell@cbbep.org or 361-885-6245.
Nueces River Delta Shoreline Stabilization
The Nueces River Delta – more than 10,000 acres of water, marsh, and adjacent uplands – begins near the intersection of Highways I-37 and US-77 N, and flows into the western-most portion of Nueces Bay. In the delta’s heyday – before the construction of Choke Canyon Reservoir and Lake Corpus Christi dams – the Nueces River frequently flooded the entire delta, supplying ample freshwater for wildlife and a steady source of sediment to offset erosion acting on the shoreline of Nueces Bay. Today, the river rarely overflows its banks and the delta is denied much-needed freshwater and sediment.
Researchers agree that the delta’s shoreline is eroding at a rapid rate. To substantiate these claims, in 2007 CBBEP commissioned the University of Texas Marine Science Institute to study and document this erosion and quantify the rate at which it has been occurring. The results from examining shoreline change between 1997 and 2005 indicated that the shoreline of the Nueces River Delta receded at an average of 8.2 feet per year resulting in losses to marsh habitat.
This loss of emergent intertidal and subtidal marsh habitat through erosion exposes additional marsh habitat further inland, open-water channels and small lakes, and upland habitat that depend on protection from the lower-lying marshes along the shoreline. This loss of habitat will negatively impact the abundance and diversity of the wildlife that breeds, nests, and shelters in the Delta.
Efforts to identify a solution to reduce the effects of erosion on the shoreline of the Nueces River Delta have begun. CBBEP employed Coastal Technologies Corporation to assess the area and develop a plan to evaluate various solutions that promise to reduce erosion and protect this rich fringe of emergent marsh. It is expected that the efforts to combat this erosion will be a colossal effort; therefore a multi-phased approach occurring over the span of several years is anticipated. For more information regarding this project, contact CBBEP project manager Dustin Cravey at dcravey@cbbep.org or 361-885-6162.
Texas Prairie Wetland Project
The vast prairie wetlands that once shaped much of the landscape in the Texas Coastal Bend have changed dramatically over the last century.
In 1991, Ducks Unlimited (DU), Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and the Natural Resource Conservation Service joined together to address the disappearing grasslands by creating the Texas Prairie Wetlands Project (TPWP). The TPWP works with private landowners to restore, enhance, and create shallow-water wetlands for migrating waterfowl throughout the 28-county priority area in Texas.
The CBBEP collaborated with DU in 2004 to create a Texas prairie wetland near the main entrance of the Nueces Delta Preserve. Through this partnership, over 50 acres of once grazed pastureland was converted into a much needed seasonal prairie wetland providing necessary habitat for numerous waterfowl species along with wading and shore birds.
Not only has this project provided necessary habitat for a variety of avian species, it also doubles as a popular source of freshwater for white tailed deer, raccoons, and coyotes.
The prairie wetlands project on the Delta has proved to be productive and successful. It collects and holds floodwater, reducing damages downstream, and acts as a filtering system for the Nueces Delta.
Boy Scouts Troop 54 of Banquete, Texas, is a group of aspiring young men focused on protecting and conserving the environment. Two of their own were in training for the highest mark in scouting, the rank of Eagle Scout. To earn this classification, the scout is required to develop, organize, and complete a service project that benefits the community.
Steven Karabanoff and Michael Luna of Troop 54 came up with a creative and unique idea focused on conservation of wildlife habitat found on the Nueces Delta Preserve (NDP). They custom built 16 nest boxes for three different species of birds: the Eastern Screech Owl, Barn Owl and the Black-bellied Whistling Duck.
Steven built four nest boxes for Eastern Screech Owls and four nest boxes for Barn Owls. Michael constructed eight nest boxes for Black-bellied Whistling Ducks.
Equipped with ladders and volunteers, the future Eagle Scouts permanently installed all 16 boxes over a period of four weeks. The nest boxes were placed along the freshwater wetlands throughout the 1,600-acre Preserve. The project was completed last summer just in time for many of the potential “nesters” that were curiously hanging around during the construction phase.
The CBBEP congratulates and thanks the Banquete Boy Scouts Troop 54 on a job well done! The “bird condos” are perfect!
Learning on the Edge in a "Living" Laboratory
The CBBEP’s Learning on the Edge (LOTE) Project utilizes the Nueces Delta Preserve (NDP) as a learning, living, and outdoor laboratory to teach elementary teachers and their students about the “heart” of the estuary.
A special invitation was extended to the instructors who successfully completed the 2007 LOTE Summer Teacher Academy. All 30 teachers were invited to take their science students to the NDP on an outdoor adventure courtesy of the CBBEP.
To date, 11 teachers have journeyed out to the NDP with their students and several more upcoming trips are scheduled throughout the end of the school year. Over 400 students, teachers, and parents have experienced what has been nicknamed the “Mud Between the Toes” initiative which is proving to be a very popular wildlife destination.
LOTE teachers and students journey into the “CBBEP Wonderland”, (also known as the NDP), by entering the prairie land where they learn about bird adaptations, plant species, habitats, reptiles and water quality.
The “Mud Between the Toes” experience at the NDP opens a new world of learning possibilities for teachers and students to learn about the importance of the bay system and its highly productive ecologic and economic impacts.
For more information and to register for the LOTE Summer 2008 Teacher Academy, please click on the following link: 2008 LOTE Summer Academy.
Nature-Learning
Enhancements at the Delta
On June 1, 2007, the CBBEP completed the construction of a 40’ by 52’ modern wooden educational pavilion located at one of the highest points at the NDP. The 2,000 square foot open structure offers one of the most spectacular views of the Preserve and the Corpus Christi skyline with plenty of shade and a refreshing breeze.
The CBBEP hosted its first “open house” at the NDP in the newly constructed pavilion in late October of 2007. The response was overwhelming. NDP guests were impressed by the new learning center and thoroughly enjoyed “the view with a breeze”.
If you or your organization are interested in sponsoring a project such as an educational kiosk, learning bench, trail head or any other construction project on the “NDP Wish List”, please contact the CBBEP at info@cbbep.org.
We’ll be honored to put your name on it!