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. 

The 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, the 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, the USACE’  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. 

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

• Barrier island shoreline stabilization
• Beneficial use
• Coastal habitat protection and restoration
• Hurricane and storm protection
• Navigation
• Oyster reef restoration
• Regional Sedimentation Management Plan
• Sabine Pass to Galveston
• Sea grass protection
• Securing freshwater inflows
• Shoreline erosion
• Storm surge
• Texas Coastal Study
• Texas ports (value to the nation): Waterborne commerce and petroleum and chemical
• Texas water supply
• Threatened and endangered species
• Wetlands and coastal ecosystems

• The USACE Galveston District plays a key role in America’s well-being by keeping our waterways open for navigation.
• The district contributes to the safety, economic success and quality of life of local communities by improving navigation channels along the Texas coast.
• The district implements the Environmental Operating Principles on all our projects to ensure environmental success.
• The district carefully balances regulatory decisions to protect the nation’s aquatic resources.
• The district is the nation’s environmental engineer.
• The district maximizes environmental restoration opportunities as part of all our studies, and is building a wetlands area as part of the district’s project.
• The district contributes to the well-being, economic success and quality of life of local communities through beneficial use of dredge material.
• The district provides strong protection of the nation’s aquatic environment.
• The district restores properties and ecosystems, making both again available to the public for beneficial use.
• The district’s environmental projects improve quality of life by promoting sustainable economic development.