The Texas General Land Office (GLO) has awarded more than $52 million in coastal improvement funding through two rounds of grants announced in March, targeting erosion control, shoreline stabilization and habitat restoration along the state’s Upper Gulf Coast.
Officials announced about $39.06 million in awards on March 19 through the agency’s Coastal Management Program (CMP) and Coastal Erosion Planning and Response Act (CEPRA), followed by an additional $13.15 million in CEPRA funding on March 24. The combined funds support projects spanning multiple counties and include work ranging from marsh restoration and water quality improvements to beach nourishment and dune rebuilding efforts.
The largest single award went to a firm in which received about $13.15 million in CEPRA funds. The funding will support work in Jefferson, Chambers and Matagorda counties, focusing on shoreline protection along National Wildlife Refuge coastlines.
The Jefferson County project will build breakwater structures, while the Chambers County effort will install segments intended to slow marsh erosion and foster oyster habitat, according to the GLO. The Matagorda County component focuses on safeguarding shoreline and tidal marsh on publicly owned land.
Another notable award from this round of funding is the City of La Marque, which received nearly $5 million in CMP funding. That project focuses on emergency shoreline stabilization at Mac McGaffey Highland Bayou Park and will use a combination of living shoreline methods and hybrid stabilization techniques such as bank regrading to address erosion. According to city officials, the erosion is driven by tidal fluctuations, storm surge and wave action. Engineering firm ADICO will design the project.
The March 19 awards also directed funding to:
- Artist Boat
- City of Friendswood
- City of Kemah
- City of Palacios
- Coastal Prairie Conservancy
- Galveston County
- Galveston Independent School District
- Galveston Park Board
- Isla Del Sol HOA
- Lamar University
- Matagorda Bay Foundation
- Texas A&M Engineering Experiment Station
- Texas Parks & Wildlife Department
- Texas State University
- University of Texas at Arlington
CMP projects draw funding from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the Gulf of Mexico Energy Security Act (GOMESA), supplemented by a partner match from the grant recipient. CEPRA projects are supported by the Texas Legislature, the Texas Hotel Occupancy Tax (HOT) and GOMESA revenue, also with a required partner match.
The GLO’s CMP Cycle 32 application window is now open for new project proposals, while the next CEPRA funding cycle is set to reopen in March 2027.
Photo by dwh1974@hotmail.com, CC BY 3.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0>, from Wikimedia Commons
This story is a part of the weekly Texas Government Insider digital news publication. See more of the latest Texas government news here. For more national government news, check Government Market News daily for new stories, insights and profiles from public sector professionals.
