Coastal Texas Protection and Restoration Study on Display

Leaders of the Texas General Land Office, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Southwestern Division and the Corps’ Galveston District met in Austin on September 26 to discuss the progress of the Coastal Texas Protection and Restoration Study.

“The Texas coast is a complex and vulnerable system that provides substantial value to the nation,” Texas Land Commissioner George P. Bush, said. “Our agencies are working as one to find a comprehensive plan to protect the people and critical infrastructure along the coast.”

That plan, coined the Coastal Texas Study, involves engineering, economic, and environmental analyses on large-scale civil works projects.

According to USACE, the project – which is comprised of multiple lines of defense – is being designed to significantly reduce risk and increase environmental benefits from the mouth of the Sabine River to the mouth of the Rio Grande, more than 360 miles of Gulf shoreline.

The plan was presented to the public in October 2018.

“We received valuable feedback,” Colonel Timothy Vail, Galveston District Commander, said. “Our team is continuing to refine the proposed plan to optimize both risk reduction and environmental benefits.”

The study team will host a second round of open houses and public review, anticipated in the Fall of 2020.