With our rich heritage in Texas history, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Galveston District plays a key role in America’s well-being. We keep waterways open for navigation and commerce and serve the nation as part of the world’s largest public engineering, design and construction management agency.

Encompassing the Texas coast from Louisiana to Mexico; an area that spans across 50,000 square miles, includes 48 counties, two parishes and 16 congressional districts, the Galveston District successfully executes our mission of providing vital public engineering services in peace and war to strengthen our nation’s security, energize the economy and reduce risks from disasters.

The USACE Galveston District is one of four districts (Forth Worth, Little Rock and Tulsa) that is part of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Southwestern Division (headquartered in Dallas).

For more information, view our Galveston District Brochure!

USACE has been an active player in the development of the Texas coast for many years, but a milestone was the establishment of the Galveston District in 1880 to oversee river and harbor improvements along the entire Texas coast.  Nearly 20 years later, after the Great Storm of 1900, USACE helped Galveston recover from the deadliest hurricane in American history and build protection against future hurricanes.  That protection, the iconic Galveston Seawall, helped protect Galveston during Hurricane Ike in 2008.  Over the years, USACE’s involvement with the Texas coast has seen the construction and maintenance of 1,000 miles of channel with 16 major deep draft ports along the Texas coast that generate over $9 billion in federal tax revenue through the handling of more than 500 million tons of cargo annually. 

From the natural beaches of Sabine Pass near Port Arthur to the rich diversity of bird and marine wildlife along the Laguna Madre near Port Isabel, the sweep of the Texas coast contains varied and fragile ecosystems juxtaposed with highly industrialized areas that host a national economic powerhouse. The USACE Galveston District is involved in virtually every mile of the 367-mile coastline, and plays an integral role in both the preservation of nature’s treasures that are a living part of the Texas coastal region as well as serving and preserving the industries that fuel commerce and power our nation. 

Tasked with the mission of providing vital engineering services to strengthen the nation’s security, energizing the economy and reducing risks from disaster, the USACE Galveston District plays a role in managing projects along the Texas coastline to protect these valuable resources. These projects and oversight includes:

Mission: The USACE Galveston District is committed to providing vital public engineering services in peace and war to strengthen our nation's security, energize the economy and reduce risks from disasters.

Vision: A great engineering force of highly disciplined people working with our partners through disciplined thought and action to deliver innovative and sustainable solutions to the nation's engineering challenges.