Shoreline and Wetland Protection at the Cohn Preserve (Mustang Island)

Project Description

This project conducted data collection, initial engineering and design, and permitting for a shoreline protection structure along the The Nature Conservancy’s Francine Cohn Preserve’s shoreline in Corpus Christi Bay. This first phase aims to develop design for breakwaters, beneficial use of dredge material to restore lost shoreline and estuarine habitat, and stabilizing structures for inlet stability. The shoreline has experienced breaching and severe erosion due to recent storms and elevated water levels, especially following Hurricane Harvey and the February 2021 freeze that killed off vegetation and resulted in further shoreline destabilization. The secondary benefit of the project is to protect the back bay of Croaker Hole lagoon. This back bay system is a complex mosaic of seagrass and salt marsh vegetation significant for providing habitat to birds and marine wildlife. Further breaching of the lagoon’s protective shoreline will open the bay to erosive forces.