Coastal Erosion
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Coastal Erosion

The average erosion rate for the 367 miles of Texas coast is 4.1 feet per year.

Sixty-four percent of the Texas coast is eroding at an average rate of about 6 feet per year, with some locations losing more than 30 feet per year. FEMA estimates that every dollar spent on erosion control and mitigation to preserve wetlands and other natural ecosystems, will provide a return on average of four dollars in cost-savings for the future.

When the Texas Coast Erodes

  • Property values decrease and homes and businesses are lost
  • Tourism suffers and local economies feel the impact
  • Farming and fishing industries are impacted
  • Ports, roads and industrial infrastructure are at risk
  • Without healthy beaches, dunes and wetlands to protect the coast, there is day-to-day wear and the impact of major storms like Hurricane Ike is far more severe.

 Fighting Erosion - As steward of the Texas coast, the Texas General Land Office is leading the fight against coastal erosion by:

  • Implementing coastal erosion response projects and related studies through the Coastal Erosion Planning and Response Act (CEPRA) program and other grant programs at the Land Office.
  • Maximizing federal, state and local resources, the Land Office works with all coastal stakeholders to fight erosion where it makes economic sense to do so.