Port Aransas South Jetty

Rainfall wreaks havoc on construction projects

All summer, we complained about how dry it was.

Now that it’s winter, we’ve got the opposite problem.

Rain, rain and still more rain over the past few months has stalled construction projects, flooded yards and created mud pits on the beach.

From Nov. 1 to Monday, Feb. 15, some 13.47 inches of rain fell at Corpus Christi International Airport, according to the Web site of the National Weather Service. That’s 7.39 inches more than usual for that time of year, the Web site reported.

Recent rainfall totals for Port Aransas weren’t available at press time, but it’s clear that Mustang Island hasn’t been a lot drier than Corpus Christi’s airport. Rain in Port Aransas has raised the water table so much that it’s hampering construction projects.

The high water table has made it hard for Alex Harris to finish construction of the Cottages at Pirates Bay on State Hwy. 361. Eight cottages are under construction, and workers have been trying with

‘ difficulty to start three more.

“It’s horrible,” Harris said. “We’re to the point where we’re trying to get units ready for Spring Break, but the water table is so high, we can’t even install electric underground or water lines, be- cause every time we dig a trench, it fills up with water. It’s very frustrating. I really wish we could get some dry weather.”

Builder and developer Nick Lorette said the high water table has had its effects on some of his work, too.

“You dig down three feet, you’ve got water,” Lorette said. “That makes it hard to do a six-foot-deep pool.”

The rain has caused weeks of delays on street paving.

City officials said paving work at Island Moorings by the Haas-Anderson firm was uneven, and the work stopped several weeks ago while company and city representatives tried to figure out a solution. Dave Parsons, interim city manager, said the paving can’t get going again until the water table subsides.

Not all street work has stopped, however. Concrete work has continued on curbs, gutters and sidewalks on Sand Key, North Palomino, Sixth Street and Avenue D, Parsons said.

The rain also has slowed work at the new skate area at Port Aransas Community Park. Contract workers have lost probably seven to 10 days of work on the project due to rains, Parsons said.

Rain has produced big ponds throughout the network of sand dunes that border Port Aransas beaches. The water has filtered through the dunes and ended up creating mud pits at various points along the beach roadway.

The beach roadway between Lantana Drive and Beach Street has been impassable for many days this winter due to the muddy conditions. City public works crews have tried pumping water off the beach, but the water that was pumped away simply was replaced by more water that flowed in from the dunes, Parsons said.

With street and drainage work, the city in the past few years has made progress in eliminating street flooding from many areas of town. But some areas still become inundated. Carl Ellis said his home’s driveway in the 300 block of Sea Isle was under more than a foot of water during a big rain a few weeks ago.

“I had to take my boots off and wade up to my steps,” Ellis said.