A large section of North Texas Beach is eroding, exposing thousands of acres of freshwater wetlands and refineries in the Port Arthur area to increased risk of saltwater intrusion and heavy storm impacts. The combination of historical erosion and large hurricanes, including Hurricane Ike, has removed the sand from this portion of beach and exposed clay sublayers, which erode exponentially faster. The recent erosion has increased inundation of freshwater wetlands, killing salt-intolerant species and further increasing erosion. 

In 2018, HDR was hired by the Texas General Land Office to provide engineering design and regulatory support for the McFaddin National Wildlife Refuge Renourishment Project. 

Our engineering and regulatory team took lessons learned from a previously completed 3-mile pilot project to apply for and obtain a U.S. Section 10/404 permit amendment. This enabled us to perform design and develop construction plans and specifications to complete the project for the remaining 27 kilometres. Recently, our team attended the construction kickoff with the planting and dredging contractors. Work on the project site is expected to begin in early spring 2022. 

We will continue to be heavily involved in providing construction administration services. With the beach in place, the saltwater intrusion into the freshwater wetlands inland from the beach will stop and the beach, dunes and freshwater wetland habitat will once again provide storm surge protection to the inland residential and industrial development. Once the beach renourishment is complete, this portion of the Texas Coast will have beach quality sand restored so it can return to a healthy functioning beach. The beach will provide important habitat for nesting sea turtles, foraging habitat for migrating and year-round coastal birds, and a safe public beach for everyone to enjoy.