RFA Begins Building Jack Cowan Reef
August 28, 2009
Recreational Fishing Alliance (RFA) today began deploying the Jack Cowan Reef ® off of Freeport Texas. Named for famed Texas outdoor artist John P. (Jack) Cowan, the reef is located about 8 miles offshore in Texas state waters, on a bearing of 213 degrees from the Freeport jetties. The latitude/longitude coordinates of the reef are: 28 47.656 N. and 95 20.809 W and the reef is constructed of four tetrahedral concrete structures.
Cowan was Texas’ preeminent outdoors artist for three decades, and was an avid salt water fisherman and quail hunter. His paintings are renowned for capturing the rugged spirit of Texas coastal marine and brush country environments, and he gave tirelessly of his time and talents to aid outdoor conservation groups such as RFA, Ducks Unlimited and the Wild Turkey Federation.
Cowan was a prolific artist and his originals and prints are prized in the collections of both individual sportsmen across the nation and in the permanent collections of museums such as the Houston Museum of Fine Art. Cowan passed away in 2008 and RFA, together with the late Texas Parks & Wildlife Commissioner John Parker, conceived of creating a reef in Cowan’s honor.
RFA has been promoting the construction of artificial reefs in Texas waters (within 9 miles of the coast) as a means of creating more habitat and breeding areas for marine shellfish and finfish, and as an aid to sport fishing, and the related economies of Texas coastal communities. Texas Parks & Wildlife has also embraced the concept of near-shore reefing and has a program to designate public reefing areas in Texas waters, near major Texas entry ports. The Jack Cowan Reef site is part of one of those designated sites.
“Artificial reefing in Texas waters will create additional fish habitat with relatively easy access for Texas recreational fishermen and divers,” said Jim Smarr, Chairman of RFA-Texas. “This is important because the Texas coast has relatively few close-in reefs or structures of any kind to provide the necessary ecosystem to serve as breeding grounds and nursery areas for juvenile species, as well as attract and hold an abundance of marine life in all stages of development. By creating new reefs relatively close to shore, more Texas families will have a chance to enjoy our state’s marine resources.”
“Brazoria County officials and businesses in the area are excited about the reefing site and program, because it will be a major economic boost to the local economy.
We hope to see support for artificial reefing begin to build all along the Texas coast and we stand ready to help local communities in that effort.” said Smarr.
RFA-Texas has contracted with Reef Man LLC for construction of the Jack Cowan Reef, which began today.
RFA is also supporting efforts by the non-profit group Texas Gulf Coast Stewards ® (TGCS), to create an artificial reef site near Galveston, and eventually all along the Texas coast. The TGCS has a long-term goal of planning, constructing and monitoring a science driven artificial reef program on permitted reef sites along the Texas Coast positioned in state waters from 7.5 to 8.5 miles off the beach. Researchers from Texas A&M University will be part of that project. Funding for the project is being sought through a combination of corporate and private grants and donations, and environmental remediation funding available through the State of Texas.
See the related article as published in the 8/28/09 Edition of the Houston Chronicle.
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