Passport to Texas

Passport to Texas from Texas Parks and Wildlife and the Sport Fish Restoration Program

The first week of August, if paperwork and weather cooperate, the Texas Clipper will have a new home below fifty feet of water, seventeen miles off the coast of South Padre Island, where it will serve out the rest of its days as an artificial reef.

It could be a number of months before you see a tremendous amount of growth, but growth will occur almost instantaneously.

That’s good news for anglers and divers because it will improve the fishery and provide a unique environment to investigate. Dale Shively coordinates the artificial reef program.

We have sunk ships before using explosives and other devices. But, in this particular case, we’re going to use controlled flooding. So, I’ve been told from the contractor that once they start the flooding sequence, it may only take about thirty minutes for the ship to go down.

Divers will not be allowed to explore right away, though.

After it’s done, for the first forty-eight hours, we’re going to prohibit any sort of diving on the ship. That will give us time to inspect the vessel to make sure its safe – to do some preliminary type investigations on it, and to make sure that we’re to open it up to the public.

Find more information about the Texas Clipper at passporttotexas.org.

That’s our show… with support from the Sport Fish Restoration Program…working to increase fishing and boating opportunities in Texas…

For Texas Parks and Wildlife…I’m Cecilia Nasti.

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