Carancahua Bay
Carancahua Bay | |
---|---|
Location | Texas Gulf Coast |
Coordinates | 28°41′28″N 96°24′08″W / 28.691039°N 96.402283°W |
River sources | East Carancahua Creek, West Carancahua Creek |
Ocean/sea sources | Gulf of Mexico |
Basin countries | United States |
Carancahua Bay is a northern extension of Matagorda Bay located in Jackson and Matagorda counties in Texas, United States. It is oriented from the southeast to the northwest but meanders as it reaches the north to the confluence with Carancahua Creek. Generally slender, it is only about 1 mile (1.6 km) in width north of its circular mouth.[1]
The bay serves as a nursery for shrimp and as an ecosystem for diverse species of birds and fish.
History
The name Carancahua derives from the term that formerly referred to the
Only a handful of settlements have been established on the bay. The town of Carancahua first formed as a small collection of cabins that were used in the 1880s as a stop for mail between Texana and Matagorda. However, the bay's propensity for flooding and malaria prevented growth.[4] In fact, the bay was notorious for its swarms of mosquitos that would fly from the Colorado River delta, and documented by a late 19th-century rancher:[1]
A fairly strong easterly wind had been blowing for three days; on the evening of the third day, the mosquitos arrived, flying high, about fifty feet, and looking like a cloud of mist over Carancahua Bay. At the ranch, they set everything on fire that had blood in it, and all work was suspended by unanimous consent...little or nothing was done for nearly five days; by this time the main body had passed, though plenty remained to make everything uncomfortable for about two weeks. This migration was from east to west and the line was about three miles wide.[1]
Approximately 50 people lived at Carancahua in 1915, but the population dwindled to 25 in the next decade. The town remains a community, but the current population is unknown.
Features
The bay has two extensions near its mouth with Matagorda Bay at Carancahua Pass, including Redfish Lake to the southwest and Salt Lake, just above the former. On the bay's eastern shore, the mouth is headed by Schicke Point, which curves north to the Schicke Point Community, where several private piers are located. About one mile (1.6 km) inland from the community's shoreline are the Piper Lakes. North from the Schicke Point community, the El Campo Club community is found, with several residences on a straight line along the coast with docks stretched into the water. Further north, the bay takes a sharp turn to the west past a swampy area then heads north and becomes more slender as it passes from Calhoun into Jackson County. The shoreline continues north and passes several oil wells to the town of Carancahua, where a few piers are scattered along the shore. Just north of the town, a small inlet is formed, at the base of which, the Fivemile Draw is found, surrounded by swamps. To the north, several docks line the shore and continue until the bay winds to the west to a large swamp. Past the swamp, the width of the bay shrinks and continues southward along the shore of the Cape Carancahua community, surrounded by water on three sides. Past the cape, the bay turns to the north and is crossed by
The western shore mimics the shape of the east. As it moves south of the Carancahua Creek mouth, Weedhaven is formed, south of which, the shore counters Cape Carancahua and heads northeast past several oil wells to a sharp point. The shoreline continues directly south until it reaches a large swamp. Past the swamp is the town of Port Alto, where several docks and piers are located.Ecosystem
Carancahua Bay is
During a 2004 assessment of Texas waterways, the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality found higher than normal levels of bacteria at the mouth of Carancahua Creek and alkaline pH levels, symptomatic of algal bloom. The issues discovered by the Commission were common in the water bodies examined for the study, and they noted that such issues would be addressed.[13]
Industry
The bay is off limits to
Several oil and natural gas wells are scattered throughout the shoreline and a few are included in the waters of Carancahua Bay. The most notable include the wells of the Appling Field segment, a mile offshore from Port Alto,[15] which is believed to contain 33 billion cubic feet (0.93 billion cubic meters) of natural gas. The field was first discovered in the 1950s, but later abandoned. Brigham Exploration is working with Royale Energy to develop ten reserves in the area, spotted during a seismic survey.[16]
References
- ^ a b c Howard, Leland Ossian (1912). The Mosquitoes of North and Central America and the West Indies: A general consideration of mosquitoes, their habits, and their relations to the human species. Carnegie Institution of Washington. pp. 339–340.
- ^ "Carancahua Bay". Handbook of Texas Online. Texas State Historical Association. May 30, 2010. Retrieved 20 June 2010.
- ISBN 978-0-292-72489-1.
- ^ a b Hardin, Stephen L. (May 30, 2010). "Carancahua, Texas". Handbook of Texas Online. Texas State Historical Association. Retrieved 20 June 2010.
- ^ "Port Alto, Texas". Handbook of Texas Online. Texas State Historical Association. May 30, 2010. Retrieved 20 June 2010.
- ^ "Olivia Topographic Map". Trails.com. Retrieved 20 June 2010.
- ^ a b "West Carancahua Creek". Handbook of Texas Online. Texas State Historical Association. May 30, 2010. Retrieved 20 June 2010.
- ^ "East Carancahua Creek". Handbook of Texas Online. Texas State Historical Association. May 30, 2010. Retrieved 20 June 2010.
- ^ a b Popplewell, Louise (January 13, 2003). "Groups will voice concerns over possible water release into bay". The Victoria Advocate.
- ^ a b "Agency reopens Carancahua Bay". The Victoria Advocate. January 30, 1993.
- ^ "Bay catches". The Victoria Advocate. April 25, 1996.
- ^ Pearson, T. Gilbert (1920). Bird-lore. Vol. 22. Macmillan Co. p. 321.
- ^ Bowen, Greg (December 4, 2004). "Unsafe Waterways". The Victoria Advocate. p. 6A.
- ^ "Classification of Shellfish Harvesting Areas of Matagorda, Tres Palacios and Carancahua Bays" (PDF). Texas Department of State Health Services. November 1, 2009. Archived from the original (PDF) on 26 January 2010. Retrieved 4 July 2010.
- ^ "Production Data Published for Well". The Victoria Advocate. October 17, 1985. p. 3D.
- ^ "Royale Energy Successful at Caranchua Bay Natural Gas Field". Rigzone. Bishop Interactive. March 1, 2005. Retrieved 4 July 2010.