After seven months of work and over 17,000 loads of dirt, Rollover Pass is no more. Within days, the final clean up will be complete. The landscape has been permanently changed from a 200′ wide fish pass lined with anglers young and old, to a flat expanse of dirt that will eventually be transformed into a proposed park and fishing pier. The broken Historical Marker, damaged during Hurricane Ike, is all that remains of what used to be one of the premier fishing spots on the Texas coast.
View from the highway looking toward the gulf
View looking toward the bay, the broken historical marker remains
Drainage from the highway flows to the bay
Reconstructed dune with vegetation along the beachfront
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Linda, Thanks for sharing the photos of the Rollover closing project. I’m amazed that the broken historical marker is still there.
I think you’d enjoy my story..’The Cut’, posted on my blog http://www.87south-blog.com. Just scroll down from the landing page.
Thanks!
Dub Brown
I am pleased to learn that the artificial pass is closed and the coast has been restored to something more natural, as it was before the pass was cut. Rollover Pass was the cause of much erosion of the Bolivar coast due to the loss of sand from the beach into the bay, most of which was not returned to the beach by outgoing tides. Although there will still be some beach erosion due to ongoing sea-level rise, it should be much less. The new beach is great!
I am a geologist who studies coastal processes and have been monitoring this area for more than 20 years. I watched the 1955 cutting of the pristine beach to make the pass and will now enjoy the beach after its return.
I am pleased that there are plans to build a fishing pier into the Gulf at this site for those who enjoy fishing.
My dad was a fisherman while I was growing up in Galveston, and I had some pleasant days with him while he fished.
The pier was never going to be built and with the destroyed economy from Covid 19 if it was it won’t be now. Just a land grab by a bunch of greedy rich politicians. I’ve never seen a pier that was free to fish on. Just typical,punish the poor that was able to fish here and feed their families. Jet ties could have been built and stopped the beach erosion. If the hurricanes could be stopped the beach wouldn’t erode either but I don’t know anyone more powerful than God. Saw several piers destroyed by past hurricanes and many houses also. I guess you think San Luis pass should be closed also.
So geo, you think the erosion between High Island and Sabine Pass was because of Rollover? I used to travel that road on pavement.
Ted Vega will always be my hero. He and the valiant folk who fought long and hard to save this glorious spot should be honored in some manner. Let us hope that the new plans include a free park and pier that will be accessible to all.
What a shame to lose this magical place when it could have been saved by creating rock groyns to help build up the beach. However, that does not lessen the crusade by Ted and his unselfish followers. Maybe someday in the future some fine folk will create another special place. After all, water rolled over this spot with high tides before it became Rollover Pass.
Let us not forget that once there was a spot.
Rollover Pass, our own little Camelot.
Thank you, Ted Vega.
Linda C. Elissalde