The Mission and Purpose of the Lower Laguna Madre Preservation Society 

Exploring and developing long-term solutions to the hyper-salinity levels of the Lower Laguna Madre by taking a proactive approach to preserving and protecting the Lower Laguna Madre by:

1.  Monitoring pollution and chemical runoff from wastewater discharges
2.  Monitoring unsafe hyper salinity levels due to sea water restrictions
3.  Monitoring sea grass, wetland vegetation and fish habitat loss and degradation
4.  Improving Fish health and reproduction success
5.  Improving Migratory bird health and reproductive success

This Mission will take a 2-fold approach. 

     First, monitor the wastewater runoff that comes from the 5 Mile Creek (otherwise known as 4 Mile Slough) and any other newly planned wastewater canal.  Currently there is a new plan to take all flood water from the Edinburg area and route them through the valley and let them flow into the LLM.  This cannot happen if these waters are not sent through a natural filter to remove chemicals such as fertilizers and pesticides.  This plan could also allow debris such as household garbage, old tires, etc. to be deposited into the LLM, requiring massive cleanup.  We intend to be the voice of opposition to this plan.

     Second, we will work with other agencies to develop a plan to keep the East Jetties open!  If you fish the LLM you are aware that the Jetties silt in very quickly. The current depth of the jetties is approximately 5 feet.  Warnings have been posted to boaters that this could be unsafe and cause massive damage to boats that requires more depth. The Corps of Engineers have scheduled a dredging that is set to begin in October 2025.  Typically, after the jetties have been dredged, we will have approximately 2 years to create and implement a plan to prevent the naturally occurring silt reaching our current dangerous depth again.  Keeping the flow of sea water into the LLM is critical to lowering the hyper salinity levels. Hyper salinity is defined as …” denoting or relating to an aquatic environment that is saltier than the typical seawater”.  Adequate water exchange is a key element to the ecosystem health of the LLM.  If the salinity levels reach above 48 ppt many of the 69 different species of fish will either die or leave the LLM.  If the salintiy levels reach 55 ppt, the devastation will be immense. The spotted sea trout can tolerate a range of salinities; however hyper salinity can still stress them, potentially reduce their reproductive success. With hyper salinity levels the trout may develop a film over their eyes preventing them from finding food, spawning, protecting their larvae from predators, causing the larvae that do hatch to grow at a slower rate and diminishing the aquatic vegetation that is the very beginning of the food chain for all species of fish. According to Jordan Journal of Biological Sciences study on the Red Drum in 2019, the red drum larvae hatched in salinity levels of 48 ppt were fewer and shorter in length.  Texas Parks and Wildlife agree that a greater and more dependable water exchange has produced better fisheries.

     According to TPW, the migratory bird that makes the LLM their winter home will also be greatly affected by their food source being interrupted. Hyper salinity in the LLM will negatively impact migratory birds by reducing the availability and quality of their food source and habitat. Increased s and salinity can kill or alter wetland vegetation, crucial for many bird species and disrupt the food chain by affecting aquatic invertebrates. This can lead to lower food availability, reduced energy for migration and potentially lower reproductive success.

    The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality and the Texas Parks and Wildlife take water samples and test for salinity levels. However, TCEQ has not taken a water sample in the LLM since 2022.  There is a current request from the Harte Research Institute at Texas A & M Corpus Christi, to have them begin testing in the LLM again. Once the testing begins again, we will request copies of all water test results past and present from both organizations.  We will create a database of salinity levels compared to the past dredging times and use this date to prove the importance of dredging the jetties on a set schedule…not just when the Army Corps of Engineers has the funding to do so.

   If you live or visit Port Mansfield, Texas, you have read of the Willacy County Navigations District, Port Director’s plan to convert Port Mansfield from a residential fishing community to a Shipping Container Port. The logic that the Port Director is using is that if we have a Shipping Container Port then the commerce numbers will encourage the Army Corps of Engineers to dredge regularly.  This logic has been the topic of a VERY CONTROVERSIAL debate between the Navigation District Director and the citizens of Port Mansfield for over 2 years now.   While we will not try to explain the debate, we will stand behind the residents and visitors to Port Mansfield and explore another possibility to the dredging issue. That issue is taking an environmental approach and looking for a long-term solution.

   Since the jetties were constructed in 1957, it was immediately recognized that the construction was flawed from the beginning. This flaw is the reason the silting occurs so quickly.  The original plan was to build the at least three times longer so it would extend out to deeper water.  Unfortunately, funding was an issue.  When the money ran out the project ended. The jetties began to sink in 1957.   By 1962 The Army Corp of Engineers had to rebuild  the jetties to their current state.  However the silting problem still exists.  Now it may sound very simple minded to say…                     ” Well, reconstruct the jetties correctly and solve the problem”, but that it what we plan to explore. 

The Corps of Engineers conducted The Brazos Island Harbor Inlet Study in 2015.  In this study they discussed several approaches to preventing the jetties from silt including:

1.  Let the pass close- thankfully they recognize that this is not an option due to the serious environmental impact
2. Structural Changes to the Jetties, including the Seaward Jetties, the Interior Jetties and the Jetties Height Modification.
3. In-Channel Sediment Trap

We have posted the study so that all may read, but to summarize their findings, it concluded that Interior Jetty Realignment was the best solution. However costly it may be, we have contacted the Army Corps of Engineers and they have agreed to meet with us.  

     The estimated cost to dredge the jetties is approximately 15 million dollars.  It would be impossible for our organization to raise that amount of money every 2 years and this would still not solve the initial problem.  The cost to rebuild the south side of the jetties and extend it to deeper water is estimated by the Corps at 50 million dollars or more.  The in-channel sediment trap cost analysis has not been discussed…yet. 

So, this is where we begin… Grants, donations, fundraisers. We will try it all to solve the long-term problem.  We have received our 501C3 non profit status.  We have a Board of Directors, this website and a list of organizations that have already pledged their support.  Our next step is to meet with the Corps and let them know we are willing to work with them to create the solution to a 60+ year-old problem.

   We will be posting several documents that support these findings and encourage all to stay tuned. We will let you know when it is time to take action.

Thank You

Rhonda Kennedy

Chairman

Lower Laguna Madre Preservation Society