ARANSAS BAY. Aransas Bay (at (28°03' N, 96°59' W) connects Corpus Christi Bay on the south, Mesquite Bay on the north, and Copano Bay on the west. It is protected from the Gulf of Mexico by St. Joseph Island. Entry to the bay is through the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway or through Aransas Pass between Mustang and St. Joseph islands. Aransas Bay and other waterways protected by the barrier islands played a significant role in the movement of freight during the Civil War, when federal gunboats patrolled the open Gulf waters.
BIBLIOGRAPHY: Brownson Malsch, Indianola-The Mother of Western Texas (Austin: Shoal Creek, 1977).
