SWG-2026-00244 - Michael Rezsutek-Texas Parks and Wildlife Department - Gulf Intracoastal Waterway - Jefferson County, Texas

Public Notice          Project Plans

The applicant proposes to discharge approximately 36,715 cubic yards of fill into 9.0 acres of the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway (GIWW) along the JD Murphree Wildlife Management Area (WMA) shoreline to construct a 17,870-linear-foot (3.5-mile) rock breakwater in 4 segments. The breakwaters will be constructed of graded riprap (R-300 gradation) to a crest elevation of +3.0 feet, which is an average of 4.5 feet above existing grade at the centerline, with a 3-foot top width and 2:1 side slopes, which equates to a base of 21 feet. Each of the breakwaters are designed with 30-foot-wide fish passes at 500-foot intervals to facilitate the movement of water, sediment, and aquatic species. Fish passes would be lined with rock (approximately 18 inches) to a 0.0 elevation to prevent excess scour at these locations. The riprap will be placed within open water in the breakwater footprints using barge-based equipment and other types of marine equipment, including but not limited to low ground pressure, amphibious equipment (i.e., marsh excavators, Morooka trucks, rolligon trucks, etc.) in shallow, open water areas. Barge size is not expected to exceed 180 feet by 60 feet by 12 feet in size. Barges will travel up and down the alignment between the navigational channel and the GIWW side toe of the breakwater to accomplish construction. Geotextile fabric will be placed in the footprint of the breakwaters prior to placement of riprap using either a long-reach excavator operating from a barge or small John boats. Once the geotextile fabric is in place, riprap will be moved from the barge and placed onto the breakwater locations. This process will continue until construction of the breakwaters is complete. All work will be conducted in open water. There will be no equipment use/access or staging areas on land or in wetlands, and there would be no impact to wetland areas. 

The overall purpose of the proposed project is to slow erosion of the JD Murphree WMA shoreline due to wave action and other natural processes, and to protect/conserve valuable wetland habitat and other assets/resources of importance to the management of the WMA.