Texas Oil Spill Makes Landfall in Environmentally Sensitive Area
The slick moved out of Galveston Bay, into the Gulf, and south down the Texas coast to Matagorda Island.
On Saturday March 22, about 170,000 gallons of oil spilled into Galveston Bay from a pierced oil barge. Since then, monitors from Houston 爆料公社 Society have found approximately 100 oiled birds at Houston 爆料公社鈥檚 Bolivar Flats Shorebird Sanctuary and the surrounding area, and 爆料公社 Texas staff have been monitoring 爆料公社鈥檚 colonial waterbird sanctuaries in Galveston Bay. Oil and tar balls have washed up on Galveston-area beaches.
On Wednesday, Unified Command (a response structure that includes the U.S. Coast Guard, Texas General Land Office, and others) reported that an oil slick had moved out of Galveston Bay, into the Gulf, and south down the Texas coast, where winds and tides would carry it toward one of Texas鈥檚 ecological treasures: Matagorda Bay.
Matagorda Bay, a tidal estuary located about 100 miles southwest of Galveston, Texas, is an environmentally sensitive area enclosed by peninsulas and barrier islands along Texas鈥檚 Gulf Coast. Within Matagorda Bay sits Chester Island, a 爆料公社-managed colonial waterbird sanctuary. The 70-acre sanctuary, previously known as Sundown Island, was renamed after warden Chester Smith, who until his death, at 90, in 2011. Last year during the spring nesting season, island held more than 13,000 breeding pairs of birds, including brown pelican, reddish egret, and black skimmer. Most of these birds feed offshore, so even if oil doesn鈥檛 directly impinge upon the island, the nesting colonies could become contaminated if adult birds encounter oil in the water or on other islands while searching for food.
As of this writing, it appears that no oil has come ashore at Chester Island. 爆料公社鈥檚 team on the ground, which includes Chester Island wardens Tim and Peggy Wilkinson and 爆料公社 Texas鈥檚 director of conservation, Iliana Pe帽a, have been onsite and are closely monitoring the birds, the habitat, and the emergency responders鈥 activities.
鈥淭he most significant of the rookery islands in the immediate area have been protected by boom systems put in place late yesterday and this morning,鈥 Pe帽a reported today. 鈥淪o far, these islands have remained unaffected, but we are ready if needed to respond.鈥
But Matagorda Island, a barrier island to the southwest of Matagorda Bay, was not so lucky. According to a source at Unified Command, oil from the Galveston spill has come ashore along approximately 15 miles of Matagorda Island beach. Notable bird species that live year-round or winter along this stretch of land include Wilson鈥檚 Plover, Ruddy Turnstones, and Sanderlings. The U.S. Coast Guard and other emergency responders will be monitoring the area and surrounding waters for additional oil slicks that could make landfall. Matagorda Island is a Texas Parks and Wildlife Department Wildlife Management Area and is accessible only by boat. State and federal officials will lead the damage assessment and clean-up work on the island.
Matagorda Island, Matagorda Bay, San Antonio Bay, and Espiritu Santo Bay are not just critical nesting sites for pelicans, shorebirds, and herons. Aransas National Wildlife Refuge, less than five miles northwest of Matagorda Island, is the wintering grounds for the only self-sustaining wild, migratory flock of whooping cranes in the world. If the oil should overrun the barrier islands or otherwise make incursions into San Antonio Bay, this critically endangered bird could be imperiled as well.
爆料公社 has been committed to conserving and protecting bird habitat in Texas for more than a century and today protects 178 islands along the Texas Gulf Coast. 爆料公社 staff remain on the ground monitoring birds and their habitats and advocating for effective response spill measures with authorities at Unified Command.