HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

Carancahua Bay is a northern extension of
Matagorda Bay Matagorda Bay () is a large Gulf of Mexico bay on the Texas coast, lying in Calhoun and Matagorda counties and located approximately northeast of Corpus Christi, east-southeast of San Antonio, south-southwest of Houston, and south-southeas ...
located in
Jackson Jackson may refer to: People and fictional characters * Jackson (name), including a list of people and fictional characters with the surname or given name Places Australia * Jackson, Queensland, a town in the Maranoa Region * Jackson North, Qu ...
and
Calhoun John C. Calhoun (1782–1850) was the 7th vice president of the United States. Calhoun can also refer to: Surname *Calhoun (surname) Inhabited places in the United States *Calhoun, Georgia * Calhoun, Illinois *Calhoun, Kansas *Calhoun, Kentucky ...
counties in
Texas Texas (, ; Spanish language, Spanish: ''Texas'', ''Tejas'') is a state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. At 268,596 square miles (695,662 km2), and with more than 29.1 million residents in 2 ...
, United States. It is oriented from the southeast to the northwest but meanders as it reaches the north to the
confluence In geography, a confluence (also: ''conflux'') occurs where two or more flowing bodies of water join to form a single channel. A confluence can occur in several configurations: at the point where a tributary joins a larger river ( main stem); ...
with Carancahua Creek watershed. Generally slender, Carancahua Bay is only about in width north of its circular mouth. This shallow bay serves as a nursery bay for shrimp and as an ecosystem for diverse species of birds and fish. Commercial
Fish farm upright=1.3, mariculture.html" ;"title="Salmon farming in the sea (mariculture">Salmon farming in the sea (mariculture) at Loch Ainort, Isle of Skye, Scotland Fish farming or pisciculture involves commercial animal husbandry, breeding of fish, ...
s have been established on the east shore. The small communities of Port Alto, Cape Carancahua POA Community, Boca Chica POA Community, and Carancahua Community have been established on the western and eastern shores. Two other small communities, El Campo Beach Community and Schicke Point Community, are located on the south-west shore near the mouth of the Carancahua Bay.


History

The name ''Carancahua'' derives from the term that formerly referred to the
Karankawa Indians The Karankawa were an Indigenous people concentrated in southern Texas along the coast of the Gulf of Mexico, largely in the lower Colorado River and Brazos River valleys."Karankawa." In ''Cassell's Peoples, Nations and Cultures,'' edited by John ...
, who resided on its shores. Texas'
Spanish Spanish might refer to: * Items from or related to Spain: ** Spaniards are a nation and ethnic group indigenous to Spain **Spanish language, spoken in Spain and many Latin American countries **Spanish cuisine Other places * Spanish, Ontario, Ca ...
Royal Governor,
Martín de Alarcón Martín de Alarcón was the Governor of Coahuila and Spanish Texas from 1705 until 1708, and again from 1716 until 1719. He founded San Antonio, the first Spanish civilian settlement in Texas. Texas First term Alarcón was first appointed gove ...
was the first documented European to tour the bay while exploring Matagorda Bay with Tejas guides in 1718. During the expedition, two Karankawa Indians were spotted near the bay going about their daily lives and were frightened at the sight of Alarcón and his men. They quickly swam across the bay despite the guides' signal to them that Alarcón meant no harm. The next day, the Indians came ashore from a sixteen-passenger canoe (which could hold 4 men, 4 women and 8 children) and notified the Tejas guide that they wished for Alarcón and his men to leave. As a peace offering, Alarcón presented the Indians with tobacco and clothing on behalf of the Spanish crown, which they accepted. In exchange, the Indians offered Alarcón dried fish, and directed him toward the former French fort of St. Louis, believing Alarcón wanted to establish a colony on the bay. Alarcón declared the bay for Spain, but did not establish a permanent settlement. 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 Malaria is a mosquito-borne infectious disease that affects humans and other animals. Malaria causes symptoms that typically include fever, tiredness, vomiting, and headaches. In severe cases, it can cause jaundice, seizures, coma, or deat ...
prevented growth. In fact, the bay was notorious for its swarms of
mosquito Mosquitoes (or mosquitos) are members of a group of almost 3,600 species of small flies within the family Culicidae (from the Latin ''culex'' meaning "gnat"). The word "mosquito" (formed by ''mosca'' and diminutive ''-ito'') is Spanish for "lit ...
s that would fly from the
Colorado River The Colorado River ( es, Río Colorado) is one of the principal rivers (along with the Rio Grande) in the Southwestern United States and northern Mexico. The river drains an expansive, arid watershed that encompasses parts of seven U.S. s ...
delta, and documented by a late 19th-century rancher:
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.
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. Across the bay, a settlement of about ten permanent residents, initially known as Persimmon Point, was renamed Port Alto in 1939. The town grew, attracting retirees and vacationers who contributed to a peak summer population of 205 in 1961.
Hurricane Carla Hurricane Carla ranks as the most intense U.S. tropical cyclone landfall on the Hurricane Severity Index. It was the ninth most intense hurricane to make landfall in the U.S. The third named storm of the 1961 Atlantic hurricane season, Carla de ...
destroyed the town in September 1961, but it was rebuilt five years later. In 1970, a beachfront was constructed along the shoreline as the listed population reached 170 people. The 2000 census reported that 45 people lived in the town. The original Schicke Point was home to a small ranching and farm operation. The name derives from an original resident of the point (Clarence Schicke) who came from Illinois as a game hunter and fisherman for local restaurants. After Hurricane Carla destroyed the ranch home and operations, C. Schicke turned to commercial fishing and building small cabins in the area. Schicke Point is located near the mouth of Carancahua Bay at Carancahua Pass and is a location attractive to sports fishermen. The village has approximately 90 residents, including legendary anglers Roy Cross (1924-2009), Otto Mendel (1913-2008), and fishing spoon expert Robert Cross. Cape Carancahua is a gated residential community, located on the bay's northern shore.


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 wetland 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 Boca Chica POA Community, where a few piers are scattered along the shore. Just north of the Boca Chica POA Community, a small inlet is formed, at the base of which, the Fivemile Draw is found. To the north of Fivemile Draw is Carancahua Community, where several docks line the shore and continue until the bay winds to the west to a large wetland. Past the wetland, the width of the bay shrinks and continues southward along the shore of the Cape Carancahua POA Community, surrounded by water on three sides. Past the cape, the bay turns to the north and is crossed by
Texas State Highway 35 State Highway 35 (SH 35) is a state highway in the U.S. state of Texas, maintained by the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT). It runs primarily south–north, paralleling the Gulf of Mexico for much of its length, from a junction with I ...
. It then heads west and north again, while gradually becoming narrower until it reaches the marsh at the mouth of Carancahua Creek. The East and West Carancahua Creeks, which merge before their confluence, feed the bay. West Carancahua Creek runs south from its source near White Hall Community, near
Ganado, Texas Ganado ( ) is a city in Jackson County, Texas, United States. The population was 1,975 at the 2020 census. Geography Ganado is located at (29.041111, –96.512136), approximately 35 miles northeast of Victoria. According to the United States ...
to meet with East Carancahua Creek, which runs southwest for from its source in southern
Wharton County Wharton County is a county located in the U.S. state of Texas. As of the 2020 census, its population was 41,570. Its county seat is Wharton. The county was named for brothers William Harris Wharton and John Austin Wharton. Wharton County c ...
. Both streams are
intermittent Intermittency is a behavior of dynamical systems: regular alternation of phases of apparently periodic and chaotic dynamics. Intermittent or intermittency may also refer to: *Intermittent river or stream, the one that ceases to flow every year or ...
in their upper reaches. 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
protected Protection is any measure taken to guard a thing against damage caused by outside forces. Protection can be provided to physical objects, including organisms, to systems, and to intangible things like civil and political rights. Although th ...
by the State of Texas and locally by the 300-member Carancahua Bay Protection Association. It is a nursery bay for shrimp, and is a habitat for shellfish including oysters. Finfish such as the
redfish Redfish is a common name for several species of fish. It is most commonly applied to certain deep-sea rockfish in the genus ''Sebastes'', red drum from the genus '' Sciaenops'' or the reef dwelling snappers in the genus ''Lutjanus''. It is also ap ...
and
black drum The black drum (''Pogonias cromis''), also known as the drum or drummer, is a saltwater fish similar to its cousin, the red drum. It is in the genus ''Pogonias''. Though most specimens are generally found in the 5-30 lb (2–14 kg) ra ...
are commonly caught from the bay by recreational fishermen. Birds common to the bay include the wood ibis,
roseate spoonbill The roseate spoonbill (''Platalea ajaja'') is a gregarious wading bird of the ibis and spoonbill family, Threskiornithidae. It is a resident breeder in both South and North America. Taxonomy The roseate spoonbill is sometimes placed in its o ...
,
snowy egret The snowy egret (''Egretta thula'') is a small white heron. The genus name comes from Provençal French for the little egret, , which is a diminutive of , 'heron'. The species name ''thula'' is the Araucano term for the black-necked swan, ap ...
,
great-tailed grackle The great-tailed grackle or Mexican grackle (''Quiscalus mexicanus'') is a medium-sized, highly social passerine bird native to North and South America. A member of the family Icteridae, it is one of 10 extant species of grackle and is clo ...
, Louisiana heron,
willet The willet (''Tringa semipalmata'') is a large shorebird in the family Scolopacidae. It is a relatively large and robust sandpiper, and is the largest of the species called "shanks" in the genus '' Tringa''. Its closest relative is the lesser ...
,
black-necked stilt The black-necked stilt (''Himantopus mexicanus'') is a locally abundant shorebird of American wetlands and coastlines. It is found from the coastal areas of California through much of the interior western United States and along the Gulf of Mexi ...
,
crested caracara The crested caracara (''Caracara plancus'') is a bird of prey in the family Falconidae. It is found from the southern United States through Central and South America to Tierra del Fuego. It was formerly placed in the genus ''Polyborus''. Descr ...
and the
black vulture The black vulture (''Coragyps atratus''), also known as the American black vulture, Mexican vulture, zopilote, urubu, or gallinazo, is a bird in the New World vulture family whose range extends from the northeastern United States to Peru, C ...
. During a 2004 assessment of Texas waterways, the
Texas Commission on Environmental Quality The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) is the environmental agency for the state of Texas. The commission's headquarters are located at 12100 Park 35 Circle in Austin. The fourth largest environmental agency in the United States (a ...
found higher than normal levels of bacteria at the mouth of Carancahua Creek and alkaline pH levels, symptomatic of
algal bloom An algal bloom or algae bloom is a rapid increase or accumulation in the population of algae in freshwater or marine water systems. It is often recognized by the discoloration in the water from the algae's pigments. The term ''algae'' encompas ...
. 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.


Industry

The bay is off limits to
shrimping The shrimp fishery is a major global industry, with more than 3.4 million tons caught per year, chiefly in Asia. Rates of bycatch are unusually high for shrimp fishing, with the capture of sea turtles being especially contentious. A shrimper is a ...
due to its legal status as a nursery, however
shrimp farm Shrimp farming is an aquaculture business that exists in either a marine or freshwater environment, producing shrimp or prawns (crustaceans of the groups Caridea or Dendrobranchiata) for human consumption. Marine Commercial marine shrimp farming ...
s have been established and approved along its shores. The harvest of shellfish, particularly oysters, is heavily regulated, but allowed at certain times and places. Whereas the main Matagorda Bay is an approved area for shellfish production, Carancahua Bay is divided between restricted and conditionally approved areas. The
Texas Department of State Health Services Texas Department of State Health Services is a state agency of Texas. The department was created by House Bill 2292 of the 78th Texas Legislature in 2003 through the merging of four state agencies: the Texas Department of Health, Texas Departmen ...
described the areas conditionally approved as being from the mouth of the bay to a "beige house" on the eastern shore and cutoff across to a "grey barn" on the western shore, save for a small sliver of water that includes most of the shoreline of Port Alto, which is restricted. All areas north of the diagonal line are restricted as well. Several oil and
natural gas Natural gas (also called fossil gas or simply gas) is a naturally occurring mixture of gaseous hydrocarbons consisting primarily of methane in addition to various smaller amounts of other higher alkanes. Low levels of trace gases like carbon ...
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, 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.


References

{{Coord, 28.691039, -96.402283, display=title Bays of Texas Bodies of water of Matagorda County, Texas Bodies of water of Jackson County, Texas