The Coastal Texas Protection and Restoration Feasibility Study will identify and evaluate the feasibility of developing a comprehensive plan for flood risk management, hurricane and storm risk management and ecosystem restoration for the coastal areas of the State of Texas. The study will focus on providing for the protection, conservation, and restoration of wetlands, barrier islands, shorelines, and related lands and features that protect critical resources, habitat, and infrastructure from the impacts of coastal storms, hurricanes, erosion and subsidence.
Coastal Texas communities are at increasing risk to storm surge flooding due to wetland loss, relative sea level rise and land subsidence. The purpose of this project is to provide hurricane and storm damage risk reduction to reduce the risk of flood damages caused by hurricane and storm surges. The ecosystem-related purpose of the study is to evaluate ecosystem degradation along Coastal Texas; to formulate, evaluate, and screen potential solutions to these problems; and to recommend sites that have a federal and local interest.
The study will identify critical data needs and recommend a comprehensive strategy for reducing coastal storm flood risk through structural and nonstructural measures that take advantage of natural features like barrier islands and storm surge storage in wetlands. Ecosystem restoration alternatives to be considered include estuarine marsh restoration, beach and dune restoration, rookery island restoration, oyster reef restoration and seagrass bed restoration.
Study Status:
In August 2014 during the reconnaissance phase, early scoping meetings were held in League City, Palacios, Corpus Christi, and the City of South Padre Island, Texas. Comments were received for 30 days following the last scoping meeting. Additional input from Federal, state and local agencies, Indian tribes, and other interested private organizations and parties is currently being solicited with a notice of intent to prepare a Draft Integrated Feasibility Report and Environmental Impact Statement (DIFR-EIS) for the Coastal Texas Protection and Restoration Feasibility Study.
A Scoping Notice announcing the USACE's request for public scoping comments has be sent out via electronic mail to affected and interested parties. Scoping comments are requested to be sent by May 9, 2016.
The USACE is currently requesting additional public scoping comments to:
a) identify the affected public and agency concerns;
b) identify the scope of significant issues to be addressed in the DIFR-EIS;
c) identify the critical problems, needs, and significant resources that should be considered in the DIFR-EIS; and
d) identify reasonable measures and alternatives that should be considered in the DIFR-EIS.