Rookery Islands Habitat Protection and Restoration

The Coastal Bend Bays & Estuaries Program (CBBEP), founded in 1999, leads regional efforts to research, protect and restore the bays and estuaries of the Texas Coastal Bend. A cornerstone of this mission has been to protect and develop rookery islands, which are small but critically important habitats that support waterbirds. As development pressure, erosion and storm impacts accelerate, the loss of these islands threatens nesting success for species already experiencing population declines of up to 70%.

Guided by priorities identified in their own “Bays Plan” and supported in the Texas General Land Office Coastal Resiliency Master Plan, CBBEP has been advancing a coordinated program of rookery island enhancement across the Texas Coastal Bend. 

For over 20 years, HDR has partnered with CBBEP to provide feasibility analysis, alternatives evaluation, engineering, design and regulatory support to stabilize, expand and protect high-value nesting habitat while minimizing disturbance to sensitive species.

HDR has supported a phased restoration approach for Tern Island in the Upper Laguna Madre, beginning with feasibility and alternatives analysis, followed by design and permitting for coastal protection measures. Completed in April 2026, the project addresses long-term erosion through a strategically designed breakwater that reduces wind and wave energy, allowing for the placement of fill material to increase island elevation and footprint. This work preserves one of the region’s few shrub-supported nesting sites, sustaining critical habitat for herons, egrets, pelicans and other colonial waterbirds.

Similarly, in 2026, in the Lower Laguna Madre, HDR has provided engineering, design and construction support services for the protection and expansion of Benny’s Shack Island, a Tier 1 project recognized for its ecological significance. The project includes building a protective breakwater and placing fill to restore and expand nesting habitat, making one of the northernmost and most productive brush nesting islands in the bay system viable for the long term.

Together, these projects reflect a shared commitment by CBBEP and HDR to deliver practical, resilient solutions that protect irreplaceable coastal habitats and safe nesting conditions, all while strengthening ecological resilience for the future.