On July 22, 2025, The Texas Trustee Implementation Group for the Deepwater Horizon oil spill released their Final Restoration Plan/Environmental Assessment #3: Restoration of Wetlands, Coastal and Nearshore Habitats (PDF, 316 pages).
The plan identifies six projects for implementation with a total budget of up to $36 million. These projects are intended to restore and conserve wetlands and coastal habitats by using suitable material dredged from nearby dredging projects to create vegetated wetland habitat. The projects aim to restore vital coastal ecosystems while making effective use of dredged material and anticipate restoring up to 1,855 acres of intertidal marsh.
|
Selected Projects |
Potential Acres |
|
Jocelyn Nungaray National Wildlife Refuge Roberts Mueller Tract Wetland Restoration |
550 |
|
Goose Island Wetland Restoration |
40 |
|
Lower Neches Wildlife Management Area Old River Unit Wetland Restoration |
224 |
|
McFaddin National Wildlife Refuge Willow Lake Terraces Wetland Restoration |
218 |
|
San Bernard National Wildlife Refuge Sargent Oil Field Wetland Restoration |
200 |
|
Texas Point National Wildlife Refuge Wetland Restoration |
623 |
The Texas Trustee Implementation Group released the draft plan for public review on January 16, 2025, and held a public meeting on January 28, 2025, to solicit comments on the plan. The public provided six comments that were generally supportive of the restoration plan and proposed projects.
These restoration projects represent a major investment in Texas's coastal fortification, with up to $36 million allocated to restore up to 1,855 acres of vital wetland habitat. By transforming dredged material into thriving marshland, the plan not only revitalizes essential ecosystems, but also strengthens natural defenses against storm surge and erosion. Hard copies of the Executive Summary (PDF, 6 pages) (available in Vietnamese [PDF, 6 pages] and Spanish [PDF, 7 pages]) and Restoration Plan Factsheet (PDF, 2 pages) (available in Vietnamese [PDF, 2 pages] and Spanish [PDF, 2 pages]) can be viewed at the following sites:
- Port Arthur, Texas
Port Arthur Public Library
4615 9th Avenue
Port Arthur, Texas 77642
- Galveston, Texas
Jack K. Williams Library
Texas A&M University at Galveston
200 Seawolf Parkway Building #3010
Galveston, Texas 77554
- Rockport, Texas
Aransas County Public Library
701 East Mimosa Street
Rockport, Texas 78382
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