CLEAR LAKE, TX – On May 13, 2024, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) published its 2024 Work Plan allocating a first installment of Federal funding to the Coastal Texas Project. Specifically, the Army Civil Works Program FY 2024 Work Plan provides $500,000 to support the preconstruction engineering and design of the first segment of the Bolivar Peninsula and West Bay Gulf Intracoastal Waterway Shoreline and Island Protection feature, also known as Ecosystem Restoration feature G-28, and to prepare the project for construction.

“It is imperative that we get the Coastal Texas Project completed as soon as possible, ideally before the next big storm comes barreling at the upper Texas Gulf Coast, and this is a great step in the right direction,” said Congressman Randy Weber. “The Texas Gulf Coast is home to millions of people, countless homes and jobs, and numerous refineries. I remain steadfast in my commitment to championing this project in Washington.”

Authorized for design and construction by the Water Resources Development Act of 2022, the Coastal Texas Project represents a systemwide risk management strategy for the coastline of Texas, employing multiple lines of defense to reduce the risk of coastal storm surge and to restore degraded coastal ecosystems. The Galveston Bay Storm Surge Barrier System, which includes the Bolivar Roads Gate System, integrates structural and non-structural coastal storm risk management actions to protect coastal communities and the economic productivity of the region at-large. Ecosystem Restoration feature G-28 integrates with adjacent structural measures to strengthen the resiliency of the living shoreline and to protect nationally significant environmental resources. More information on the Coastal Texas Project can be found at https://www.coastaltexasproject.com.

“The Gulf Coast Protection District is ready to kick-start design efforts on the Coastal Texas Project. We look forward to working side-by-side with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the Texas General Land Office to quickly progress towards this initial construction contract,” said Gulf Coast Protection District (GCPD) President Michel Bechtel. “Projects of this scale and magnitude require ongoing funding and long-term partner collaboration, but we cannot discount the critical importance quickly moving forward with the design and construction of initial segments of this transformational project.”

In allocating this funding to the Coastal Texas Project, the USACE will now work with the Gulf Coast Protection District (GCPD) and the Texas General Land Office to start and complete the Coastal Texas Project’s first set of plans and specifications and to prepare the G-28 feature for construction.

“The Texas General Land Office is proud to be a partner in this transformational project, which aims to safeguard our coastal communities from hurricanes and fierce storm surges. As someone who grew up on the coast and lived there for over a decade, I know firsthand how debilitating these storms can be to our Texas communities and global commerce,” said Land Commissioner Dawn Buckingham. “I could not be happier to kickstart this critical project and work toward forever protecting our coastline and restoring the vital ecosystems surrounding it.”

“The Coastal Texas Project is one of the largest projects in the history of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers,” said Col. Rhett A. Blackmon, USACE Galveston District commander. “This project is important to the nation for many reasons. Not only will it reduce risk to the vulnerable populations along the Texas coast, but it will also protect vital ecosystems and economically critical infrastructure vital to the U.S. supply chain and the many global industries located here.”

Coastal Texas Project Provided Funding in FY 2024 Work Plan

###

The Gulf Coast Protection District (GCPD) was created in 2021 by the 87th Texas Legislature to oversee the implementation of an integrated and comprehensive coastal resilience strategy for the upper Texas coast. Specifically, this includes assuming the role of non-Federal sponsor for major portions of the federally funded and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers led Coastal Texas Project and Sabine Pass to Galveston Bay Project. The GCPD contains approximately 5,220 square miles of land covering Chambers, Galveston, Harris, Jefferson, and Orange counties. The GCPD’s mission is to protect Gulf Coast communities, the environment, and economic activity from storm surge. For more information about the GCPD, visit https://www.gcpdtexas.com/.

###