![]() The Smith Oaks Sanctuary began with purchase by Houston Audubon of an undivided interest in the 11.3-acre George and Charlotte Smith (not related to Louis Smith) homestead property in 1987, followed by a major donation of 110.9 acres by Amoco Petroleum in 1994, then purchases by Houston Audubon of the 20.6-acre "Tank Farm" Tract in 1995 and 34.53-acre Wiggins Tract in 2003. Prairie restoration on this site has erased all traces of the storage facility. The field to the east of the brick building once held large oil storage tanks which were dismantled in 1993. The brick building was built in the 1920s and housed large pumps that pumped oil from the oil field into pipe lines. Property donated by Amoco had many uses during the years of petroleum production. This site was developed as a memorial to Katrina Ladwig a long-time supporter of Houston Audubon. Around the corner from Don’s Drip is Norma’s Niche another drip that attracts birds using the Old Homestead area.īehind the pump house you will find Katrina’s Corner with a drip and some comfortable benches. The new water feature has already started to attract birds to this historically significant part of High Island. The first several months of the project included privet and ligustrum clearing, followed by installation of new shrubs and understory trees. In 2007, with the help of many volunteers, Don Verser donated time and materials to renovate a drip at the old homestead area of Smith Oaks which had been built by Boy Scouts in the mid 1990s. The pond was never totally excavated and the smaller ponds, Grackle Pond and the Frog Pond may have been dug to supply clay for plugging wells. Water came from the Neches River the same river that currently provides water for the Bolivar Peninsula. On the levy on the northwest side of the pond are old cement pipes that were part of the system that pumped water into the pond. The “dock” that is on the east side of the pond held the pumps to pump water to the sulfur plant. ![]() Claybottom Pond was dug to increase the water supply available to the town and to provide water for the sulfur plant that was east of the pond. Smith Pond was dug to hold the water supply for the High Island community. A day pass costs $10, or for $30 a patch may be purchased which gives you an unlimited number of admissions to all High Island sanctuaries for one year. The fee helps defray the costs of maintenance, utilities and improvements for the entire Houston Audubon sanctuary system. The High Island sanctuaries are fee sites. The sanctuary is open to the public sunrise to sunset year round. The remaining 110 acres were donated to Houston Audubon by Amoco Production Company. The Rookery in the middle of Claybottom Pond has become a favored roosting and nesting place for thousands of waterbirds. Sixty-four acres were purchased by Houston Audubon with the help of Houston Audubon members, friends, and the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation. Smith Oaks Bird Sanctuary is 177 acres of fields, woods, wetlands and ponds. ![]() Read about our exciting plans for Smith Oaks Bird Sanctuary
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