CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — The Don Patricio Bridge was suppose to serve as a way to connect the Padre Isles canal system for fresh salt water to reach the canals to help with stagnant water, allow boats to go underneath, and eventually act as a board walk for tourists.
But even after the dedication ceremony Friday to celebrate the completion of the bridge, there's still one factor missing from it's intended use -- the flow of water into the canals.
The reason, the bulk head is still in place, which acts as a dam. It's something that ultimately involves the folks with the Padre Isles POA and the need to come to an agreement with Diamond Beach Holdings, which is overseeing the Whitecap North Padre Island Development.
"They are worried about the velocity of the water coming through there in a storm situation. There have been three studies done on it, on peak water, all those studies, show the velocity will not be enough to damage the canal bottom or the bulk heads," said Greg Smith who was on city council when the project started. He was in attendance of the dedication ceremony.
The POA had hired its own company to do a follow-up study of the bridges. In this new study, they also found a potential for erosion. During a POA meeting on Tuesday, those findings were revealed.
Former board president and Island resident Marvin Jones was in attendance and helped sort out the details, saying there's another part to this that involves a local school district.
"Flour Bluff schools has agreed to give up a chunk of sand bar that sticks out in the path of this water flow," he said.
Jones said that it doesn't stop there.
"The White Cap development people and POA are working out the technicalities to removing the POA bulk head and how it will be tied together with new bulk heading," he said.
While it may seem like a lot, Jones said it's all progress.
"Hopefully we can get the water flowing, and everybody will be happy, and we can all not worry about it anymore," he said.
During Tuesday's meeting current board president Drew Diggings said that the board has met with Dimond Beach Holdings and believes they can come to an agreement within a week to 10 days.
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