Texas’ Bahia Grande stayed dry for 70 years before tides brought wildlife back

For decades, a large stretch of coastal Texas sat dry where water had once moved with the tides. Bahia Grande, a wetland within the Laguna Atascosa National Wildlife Refuge, had once supported fish, shellfish, waterfowl and other birds across its coastal basins. But changes to the pathways that carried tidal water into the area gradually cut the wetlands off from that natural flow. The basins dried out, leaving behind exposed ground and dust that affected nearby communities for more than 70 years. The landscape remained recognisable as a former wetland, but much of the ecological function associated with regular tidal flooding had been lost.According to the Executive Office of the President of the United States, in 2006, conservation work restored the connection to the tides. Water began moving through the basins again, and wildlife quickly returned. Thousands of shorebirds, egrets, herons and brown pelicans were seen using the newly flooded habitat, marking a significant change in the long-dry landscape.How human activity turned Bahia Grande into dry basinsBahia Grande, also known as Grand Bay, lies within the Laguna Atascosa National Wildlife Refuge in south Texas. Before the tid...