page_title: Corpus Christi Bay
section_title: Industry
hierarchical_section_title: Corpus Christi Bay / Industry
caption_attribution_description: Mapped from where taken. The view is about 10 miles across Corpus Christi Bay, towards Ingleside.
context_page_description: Corpus Christi Bay is a scenic semi-tropical bay on the Texas coast found in San Patricio and Nueces counties, next to the major city of Corpus Christi. It is separated from the Gulf of Mexico by Mustang Island, and is fed by the Nueces River and Oso Creek from its western and southern extensions, Nueces Bay and Oso Bay. The bay is located approximately 136 miles south of San Antonio, and 179 miles southwest of Houston.
  Corpus Christi Bay has a rich history of human settlement along its shores that dates back millennia and is responsible for the growth of Corpus Christi, and the smaller ports of Ingleside and Portland. It is one of seven major estuaries along the Gulf Coast of Texas and supports a diverse collection of wildlife, attracting many tourists. The bay's abundance of petroleum and natural gas has attracted industry, and its strategic location on the Texas coast is ideal for military establishment.
context_section_description: Corpus Christi Bay is a natural harbor, and its port has contributed to the growth of the main port city of Corpus Christi. Corpus Christi is the 5th largest port in the United States, and the deepest on the Gulf of Mexico. The channel to the Gulf was dredged through the bay to the jetties at Port Aransas. Freight exchanged at the port include seafood, industrial and agricultural goods and petroleum. Six oil refineries and 1,500 wells are located near the bay as well as a large supply of natural gas.  In 1987 alone, $277 million of oil and gas were produced in the area. Metals, stone products, glass, chemicals, and gypsum products are also produced near the bay. Ingleside originally focused its economy on agriculture, notably viticulture. Later, industrial plants including those established by the Brauer Corporation, Reynolds Metals (five miles away) and DuPont opened. La Quinta Channel was dredged by the Army Corps of Engineers in the 1950s.
  Tourism to the bay is encouraged by the area's climate, fishing and birding opportunities as well as sites in Corpus Christi including Corpus Christi beach, Texas State Aquarium, USS Lexington Museum, the bayfront marina, and the Corpus Christi Museum of Science and History. The bay was also the site of the 2008 U.S. Wind and Water Open, as well as the Texas International Boat Show in 2008, 2009 and 2010.
caption: Industry toward Ingleside
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