AUSTIN, Texas— Today, Texas Land Commissioner Dawn Buckingham, M.D., is pleased to announce that the federal Sargent Beach Stabilization and Beach Nourishment project, led by the United States Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), in partnership with the GLO, Matagorda County, and the Port of Bay City Authority, recently awarded a construction contract to Orion Government Services, LLC. This critical development means this highly anticipated and much needed project is one step closer to starting.
“As someone who grew up on the Texas Coast, ensuring these beautiful beaches are strong and resilient is one of my top priorities," said Commissioner Buckingham. "The long overdue beach nourishment project, with the additional building of breakwaters, will help stabilize this important stretch of shoreline. I look forward to continuing to work with Matagorda County, the Port and the USACE to revitalize Sargent Beach, giving Texans who call it home a place they can enjoy for generations."
A current look at Sargent Beach in Matagorda County
The Sargent Beach area of Matagorda County has one of the highest historical erosion rates on the Texas Gulf coast. Erosion rates vary from 42.88 feet/year at the shoreline near Mitchell's Cut on the far west area of Sargent Beach to 20-23 feet/year along the "historic" section of Sargent Beach, east of FM 457. Hurricane Harvey in August 2017, plus the series of storms during the 2020 Atlantic storm season, all contributed to the significant loss of any sort of beach or sand in the area, exposing the underlying Beaumont clay and pushing the shoreline landward all the way to the USACE protectional granite revetment along the historic section of Sargent Beach.
This project will first construct a rock terminal groin adjacent to the north side of Mitchell’s Cut and build five (5) nearshore rock breakwaters. Next, the project will complete an approximately 1 million cubic yard beach nourishment effort utilizing beach-quality material to be dredged by USACE from the mouth of the Colorado River inlet. Additionally, GLO funds are being used to rebuild County Road 238 to restore public access to the boat ramp located at the western end of Sargent Beach. These efforts will stabilize the shoreline, slowing the impacts of the significant erosive forces in the area and preventing additional land loss. The beach nourishment component will rebuild a valuable public access feature, allowing the public to once again have ocean access and a place to recreate in this area of Matagorda County.
The USACE estimates the project will be complete in July 2027 and cost an estimated $86 million.
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Dr. Dawn Buckingham made history in 2022, winning a statewide election to become Texas' first female Land Commissioner. As Land Commissioner, Dr. Dawn Buckingham is committed to helping Texans after a disaster, supporting Texas energy, ensuring that every child in Texas receives a high-quality public education, serving Texas Veterans, and securing the border to keep our communities safe.