Resacas

Leaving a Mark

Palo Alto Battlefield is located within the Rio Grande Delta. It may be hard to tell from the ground, but the park bears the signature of old waterways. Long forgotten meanders of the Rio Grande, called resacas scar the landscape of the park. As the Rio Grande shifted many times over the centuries, it left these old channels behind. The very river that played such a pivotal role in the U.S.-Mexican War had already left its mark on the site.

Effects of Development

In the past, the current flowing through these channels was strong enough to keep them from building up with sediment and eventually flowing out to the Gulf of Mexico. Irrigation and flood control development in the region and the construction of the Brownsville Ship Channel has separated resacas from the Rio Grande.

Furthermore, large dams upstream on the Rio Grande have lessened the potential of floods. A reduced threat of flooding carving out new channels means new resacas can’t be created. Without the flow from the Rio Grande, existing resacas are naturally dry and fill with water only after heavy rains.

The deck at the Resaca de la Palma Battlefield unit is a great spot for nature watching.

NPS photo

Active Waterway

Within Palo Alto Battlefield there are several resaca remnants. These resacas follow the natural tendencies of being dry and filling after heavy rains, especially after a tropical rainstorm. However, the park’s Resaca de la Palma Battlefield Unit is a different story.

That unit lies in the heart of the City of Brownsville. A resaca the city maintains as an active waterway borders the site on the south end. This resaca serves several purposes. It transfers irrigation water, captures storm water runoff, and provides an aesthetic backdrop.

Teeming with Life

This human involvement has allowed aquatic wildlife to thrive. The dark waters are home to a variety of fish and reptiles. Giant Alligator Gar, Texas spiny soft-shell turtles, and numerous other species make their home in this resaca’s waters. Egrets, spoonbills, and other aquatic birds also flock to this site to enjoy this peaceful place that was once a field of war.