Media Contact:
Grace Bader
info@gcpdtexas.com

HOUSTON, TX – The Gulf Coast Protection District (GCPD), Texas General Land Office (GLO), and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) Galveston District are pleased to announce that preconstruction engineering and design work for the Coastal Texas Project has officially commenced. Specifically, the project partners have formally initiated the design of the Bolivar Peninsula and West Bay Gulf Intracoastal Waterway (GIWW) Shoreline and Island Protection feature, also referred to as ecosystem restoration feature G28.

In 2024, the FY2024 USACE Work Plan provided an initial $500,000 in Federal funding to advance preconstruction engineering and design for G28. This Federal investment was further strengthened in December 2024 when the GCPD and GLO executed an Interlocal Agreement (ILA), providing over $2 million in GCPD funding to kickstart design activities. Under the terms of the ILA, the GLO will prepare the design of an initial segment of G28 (referred to as G28-1) with oversight, reviews, and approvals by GCPD and USACE. The G28-1 feature consists of approximately 4 miles of rock breakwater along the GIWW, adjacent to Bolivar Peninsula, to prevent coastal erosion and to restore valuable coastal habitat and ecosystems. Upon receipt of Federal funding for construction, G28-1 will be constructed by USACE.

“Completion of the design of this initial construction contract is strategically important as it will position the full Coastal Texas Project for a “New Start” designation and increase the opportunity for and the potential scale of future Federal funding for the Coastal Texas Project,” said Michel Bechtel, GCPD Board President. “We are excited to partner with the GLO to complete the design of this critical ecosystem restoration feature.”

“The Texas General Land Office is proud to lead the design effort for the first segment of the Coastal Texas Project. As Texas’ oldest state agency, we have a long history of protecting our coast, and this project is a critical step in safeguarding our communities,” said Texas Land Commissioner Buckingham. “We’re honored to partner with the GCPD and USACE to move this effort forward, leveraging the GLO’s expertise in designing similar rock breakwaters across the Texas coast to enhance resilience and protect our shoreline for future generations.”

USACE officials also emphasized the significance of moving out on these initial design efforts. “The Coastal Texas Project represents a historic effort to enhance resilience along the Texas coast,” said Col. Rhett A. Blackmon, USACE Galveston District commander. “Starting the design phase of G28 is a critical first step toward delivering the comprehensive protection and restoration solutions envisioned for the Texas coast.” Subsequent activities, to be completed in partnership by GCPD, GLO, and USACE, will include initiating design and environmental clearance activities for the Bolivar Roads Gate System and the Bolivar Peninsula and West Galveston Beach and Dune Systems.

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 increase the State’s ability to withstand and recover from coastal storms, to adapt to rising sea levels, and to maintain the critical social, economic, and environmental systems which serve both Texas and the nation. This includes safeguarding the region’s nationally significant energy, petrochemical, national defense, and manufacturing facilities from storm surge, and preventing significant and long-lasting disruptions to global supply chains.

For more information about the Coastal Texas Project, visit www.coastaltexasproject.com.

G-28 Design Work to Begin March 2025

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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/.

For more news and information about the USACE Galveston District, follow us on Facebook, www.facebook.com/GalvestonDistrict, or Twitter, www.twitter.com/USACEgalveston.

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