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    Cattle crossing at the Colorado River

    Cattle crossing at the Colorado River

    Courtesy Photo | Cattle cross the Colorado River, April 4, in Matagorda County, Texas, after the U.S....... read more read more

    MATAGORDA, TEXAS, UNITED STATES

    05.04.2011

    Story by Isidro Reyna 

    U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Galveston District

    MATAGORDA COUNTY, Texas – It’s not every day the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers lowers a river’s edge for cattle to cross. But on April 4, the Corps’ Galveston District did just that, making way for 520 cows and their young to successfully wade through the Colorado River as part of a biannual cattle drive in Matagorda County, Texas.

    This undertaking, a result of accommodating the needs of the local community after a dredging project turned up clay in the channel, was completed by the Corps following the conclusion of a jetty construction and dredging project designed to keep the river open for navigation.

    Last October, USACE Galveston completed the construction of a new east jetty at the mouth of the river. The jetty, which is parallel to an existing west jetty, was constructed to reduce dredging frequency and channel maintenance costs at the mouth.

    Following the jetty construction, the channel was dredged to ensure an adequate depth for recreational boats, commercial fishing and shrimp boats.

    “During the dredging of the channel, clay was encountered as part of the dredged material,” said Harley Rowe, a supervisory civil engineer with USACE Galveston. “We had to find a location to place the clay after it was dredged and decided on an adjacent area next to the channel, as it was the most cost-effective and environmentally-friendly solution.”

    According to Rowe, the clay was placed on an embankment by the river; creating a dike and allowing access for a barge to place the dredged clay material behind it.

    When local ranchers and the City of Bay City informed the Corps of the cattle drive, the Corps implemented measures to allow for the cattle to cross as part of its commitment of working with the local community on this project. The cattle graze on the west side of the river in the winter time, returning to the east side in the spring.

    “We received a call from community leaders informing us of this deeply-rooted cattle driving tradition,” said Rowe. “As a result, we cleared nearly 220 feet of the newly-built dike, bringing the land back to its original embankment for the cattle to cross.”

    According to Rowe, the three-day work done for the modification now allows the cattle to successfully cross the river, with the first attempt taking place in April.

    “The swim was a success considering the drastic weather change that occurred when a front blew in as we were swimming,” said local rancher Keith Meyer. “The swim area itself worked well and the cows came out fine on the east side.”

    Meyer thanked the Corps for accommodating the cattle drive.

    “Please know that your time and work is greatly appreciated by all the members of the Huebner Ranch and our family,” Meyer said. “Without the Corps, we would have been in a huge bind.”

    According to Meyer, the Huebner and Cullen families own much of the land that is grazed in the winter, while the Corps has an easement to work on the land for dredging purposes.

    “It was a pleasure working with the community to come up with a solution that allowed for the cattle to cross the Colorado River in Matagorda,” said Rowe. “The Corps remains committed to working with the local communities when carrying out projects now and in the future.”

    NEWS INFO

    Date Taken: 05.04.2011
    Date Posted: 05.05.2011 17:05
    Story ID: 69929
    Location: MATAGORDA, TEXAS, US

    Web Views: 761
    Downloads: 0

    PUBLIC DOMAIN