Sondra Hernandez

Sat, April 18, 2026 at 7:00 AM CDT

A new partnership is moving a project to rehabilitate Lake Conroe’s Bird Island forward this spring.

Lake Conroe residents Michael Hallett and Madi Bullock began an awareness campaign in 2024 to help save the island in Lake Conroe where native and migratory birds roost.

Now, Bullock has partnered with Sam Perrigue with Tx Dock Vibes for a new phase of the project. They are collecting signatures on a petition through the summer to make repairs to the island through a grassroots community effort.

The Bird Island on Lake Conroe is photographed Tuesday, June 25, 2024 in Concoe. The island has been eroding and getting smaller and smaller. A group of Lake Conroe residents what to try and save it. The project to rehab the island is moving forward with a new partnership. Lake Conroe residents can sign a petition to help. (Yi-Chin Lee/Staff photographer)
The Bird Island on Lake Conroe is photographed Tuesday, June 25, 2024 in Concoe. The island has been eroding and getting smaller and smaller. A group of Lake Conroe residents what to try and save it. The project to rehab the island is moving forward with a new partnership. Lake Conroe residents can sign a petition to help. (Yi-Chin Lee/Staff photographer)More

What is Bird Island

Bird Island is a piece of land that rises up from Lake Conroe off the Seven Coves and Harbour Town neighborhoods and hosts a variety of water birds. It is also a favorite spot of the migratory American White Pelican.

Girls boat past Bird Island on a jet ski, June 25, 2024 in Conroe. Residents have grown concerned over the island as it has been decreasing in size throughout the years due to erosion. The project to rehab the island is moving forward with a new partnership. Lake Conroe residents can sign a petition to help. (Ishika Samant/Staff photographer)
Girls boat past Bird Island on a jet ski, June 25, 2024 in Conroe. Residents have grown concerned over the island as it has been decreasing in size throughout the years due to erosion. The project to rehab the island is moving forward with a new partnership. Lake Conroe residents can sign a petition to help. (Ishika Samant/Staff photographer)More

The issue with Bird Island

Bullock is a resident of the Seven Coves neighborhood on the lake and has seen Bird Island diminish due to erosion and boat traffic.

Their 2024 effort brought awareness to the issue, but at the time, the San Jacinto River Authority that maintains the lake and the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department said it would be a multi-million dollar project to rehab the island and one they would not have the funds to support.

Bullock said the island was more than two acres years ago and is now around a fourth of an acre.

Cattle egrets and double-crested cormorants inhabit Bird Island, June 25, 2024 in Conroe. Residents have grown concerned over the island as it has been decreasing in size throughout the years due to erosion. The project to rehab the island is moving forward with a new partnership. Lake Conroe residents can sign a petition to help. (Ishika Samant/Staff photographer)
Cattle egrets and double-crested cormorants inhabit Bird Island, June 25, 2024 in Conroe. Residents have grown concerned over the island as it has been decreasing in size throughout the years due to erosion. The project to rehab the island is moving forward with a new partnership. Lake Conroe residents can sign a petition to help. (Ishika Samant/Staff photographer)More

What is happening now

This spring, Bullock has teamed up with Perrigue who owns Tx Dock Vibes, a website that brings together listings related to Lake Conroe.

Perrigue has lived on Lake Conroe for five years and the pelicans are one of her favorite parts of the lake.

They are working with lake businesses to share awareness about the project and they are approaching lake organizations.

About 400 people had signed the petition in the past few weeks, Bullock said.

The Bird Island on Lake Conroe is photographed Tuesday, June 25, 2024 in Concoe. The island has been eroding and getting smaller and smaller. A group of Lake Conroe residents what to try and save it. The project to rehab the island is moving forward with a new partnership. Lake Conroe residents can sign a petition to help. (Yi-Chin Lee/Staff photographer)
The Bird Island on Lake Conroe is photographed Tuesday, June 25, 2024 in Concoe. The island has been eroding and getting smaller and smaller. A group of Lake Conroe residents what to try and save it. The project to rehab the island is moving forward with a new partnership. Lake Conroe residents can sign a petition to help. (Yi-Chin Lee/Staff photographer)More

What is the plan

Once the petition goal is achieved they hope to complete a rehabilitation plan and estimated budget to submit to the SJRA for approval. Lake Conroe company Lake Life Solutions has offered to conduct a site survey at no cost to determine the estimated costs for dredging, rip rap installation, no wake zones and signage, Bullock said.

Tx Dock Vibes created a program called “Dockside Deals” that sends out 1,000 mailers a month with participating businesses that cover the cost of the campaigns.

“The txdockvibes.com ‘Dockside Deals’ mailers are primarily to share the Save Bird Island petition with local residents surrounding Lake Conroe,” Bullock said. “Participating businesses support the campaign and offer special promotions as a show of community support.”

“Each one of these businesses is encouraged to use this campaign to draw attention to their business while doing something really great for the community,” Perrigue said. “There is a lot of cool stuff in action.”