04-02-05 Low Water

Trip of the Week

04-02-05 .............. Low Water

Interesting sights at very low tides - April 2, 2005

Mother Nature's April Fools Day joke was 18 hrs of west-northwest wind at 30-40 mph that not only kept me off the water, but also blew lots of water out of the bay. Saturday was almost dead calm and sunny so decided to paddle from Packery Channel Park out into Corpus Christi Bay. The trip started badly when unloading my gear I realized that I had left my Greenland paddle at home. Fortunately I had my spare paddle so I decided to take a slightly shortened version of my original route. I was amazed at how low the water level was. There were numerous mud flats filled with birds. Several of these areas had not been above water for over a year. I paddled up Packery Channel to the Intracoastal and then north on the Intracoastal to the point where it enters Corpus Christi Bay. After a short stop on the beach there for a Dr. Pepper and some pictures I headed back, finishing up a 8 Nm paddle in just over 3 hrs.

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Click on any picture for a larger view

Packery Channel Park

There is a paved parking area and this nice grassy area that was just mowed

Another view of the flats across from the launch

3 kayak fishermen did make it across the exposed flat to fish in the slightly deeper water (6"-10)"

More low water along Packery Channel

Great Heron and laughing gull

This little channel is usually too shallow to paddle, but you never see it this dry

Not all the birds were on the flats

Some brown pelicans were showing the first signs of their breeding plumage

The Intracoastal enters Corpus Christi Bay

There is a sand beach on the east side and this nice shell beach on the west side.

Barge and tug heading out into CC Bay

Tug Captains have little margin for error as they navigate this section of the Intracoastal

Closeup of an American Oystercatcher

I have been seeing more of these lately, but none this close.

The flats across the channel from the launch

Almost all of this end of the spoil island is nomally underwater and you can paddle right across it

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Mud flat along Packery Channel

Great Blue Heron and Laughing Gulls

Normally everything up to the green vegetation is underwater.

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White and Brown Pelicans.

It is unusual to see the two species together

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Kayak Fisherman along the Intracoastal

Calm water with interesting reflections

Some guys paddle to their spot then they prefer to wade

Barge traffic is part of any Intracoastal paddle

Even on shore my Elan is only feet from the channel at this narrow part of the Intracoastal

American Oystercatchers along Intracoastal

Normally the water is up almost all the way to the green vegetation line.

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