In the 1930s, as the people of south Texas celebrated construction of the Port of Brownsville Ship Channel, their well-meaning efforts also changed the fate of the Bahia Grande, then a vast, pristine estuary near the tip of Texas. Cut off from tidal water by the ship channel, its fate was sealed by construction of a nearby city-to-seashore highway in the 1950s. The "Big Bay" eventually became a barren wasteland - a 10,000-acre dustbowl where once a productive shallow-water ecosystem teemed with fish, shrimp and other wildlife. Seven decades later, one of the largest wetlands restoration projects in history is bringing the Bahia Grande back to life. With the help of local and federal governments, private foundations and even local school kids, Bahia Grande will be returned to what it once was: A saltwater nursery for fish and shellfish… a rich habitat for wildlife… a future haven for sports fishermen, kayakers… and a sparkling highlight in the natural beauty that is South Texas.
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| Pictured above is an aerial photo taken in October of 2005. with the Brownsville Ship Channel in the foreground and the Bahia Grande in the background. Highway 48 is seen spanning through the center of the photo. The pilot channel that connects the Bahia Grande with the Brownsville Ship Channel was officially opened on July 16, 2005. |
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