Coastal Restoration Brings Storm Protection and Wildlife Habitat

A large section of North Texas Beach is eroding, exposing thousands of acres of freshwater wetlands and refineries in the Port Arthur area to increased risk of saltwater intrusion and heavy storm impacts. The combination of historical erosion and large hurricanes, including Hurricane Ike, has removed the sand from this portion of beach and exposed clay sublayers, which erode exponentially faster. The recent erosion has increased inundation of freshwater wetlands, killing salt-intolerant species and further increasing erosion. 

In 2018, HDR was hired by the Texas General Land Office to provide engineering design and regulatory support for the McFaddin National Wildlife Refuge Renourishment Project. 

Our engineering and regulatory team took lessons learned from a previously completed 3-mile pilot project to apply for and obtain a Section 10/404 permit amendment. This enabled us to perform design and develop construction plans and specifications to complete the project for the remaining 17 miles. Work on the project site began in early spring 2022 and concluded in early 2025. 

We remained heavily involved in providing construction administration services. With the beach in place, the saltwater intrusion into the freshwater wetlands inland from the beach is mitigated and the beach, dunes and freshwater wetland habitat once again provide storm surge protection to the inland residential and industrial development. The beach now provides important habitat for nesting sea turtles, foraging habitat for migrating and year-round coastal birds, and a safe public beach for everyone to enjoy.