On January 10, 1997, the State of Texas received federal approval of the Coastal Management Program (CMP) (62 Federal Register pp. 1439 - 1440). Under federal law, federal agency activities and actions affecting the Texas coastal zone must be consistent with the CMP goals and policies identified in 31 TAC Chapter 26. Requests for federal consistency review were deemed administratively complete for the following project(s) during the period of March 17, 2025 to April 4, 2025. As required by federal law, the public is given an opportunity to comment on the consistency of proposed activities in the coastal zone undertaken or authorized by federal agencies. Pursuant to 31 TAC §§30.20(f), 30.30(h), and 30.40(e), the public comment period extends 30 days from the date published on the Texas General Land Office web site. The notice was published on the web site on Friday, April 11, 2025. The public comment period for this project will close at 5:00 p.m. on Sunday, May 11, 2025.
Federal License and Permit Activities:
Applicant: Port of Corpus Christi Authority
Location: The project site is located in the Corpus Christi Ship Channel (CCSC), Aransas Channel, Lydia Ann Channel, and Gulf of America (Gulf), on Harbor Island, in Port Aransas, Nueces County, Texas.
Latitude and Longitude:
Upland Facility – 27.847348, -97.069298
Intake Structure – 27.851231, -97.012724
Gulf Outfall Structure – 27.8490276, - 97.003990
CCSC Outfall Structure – 27.844214, -97.063512
Project Description: The Port of Corpus Christi Authority proposes to construct a 100-million-gallon per day upland seawater desalination facility, including a seawater intake structure, two outfall diffuser structures, two 14-foot-diameter pipes, one 60-inch-diameter pipe, freshwater product pipelines, and other supporting infrastructure. The intake structure and one outfall diffuser will be located approximately 1.3 and 1.8 miles southeast of San Jose Island, respectively, in the Gulf at depths of approximately -35 and -37 feet mean lower low water, respectively. Approximately 6.7 miles of 14-foot-diameter pipelines will be installed by subterranean tunnel boring machine. Muck soils removed during tunneling will be maintained onsite in uplands during construction and dewatered similarly to dredge material, with a dewatering outfall structure into Redfish Bay adjacent to Aransas Channel. Once sufficient dewatering has occurred the material will be used onsite as upland grading material. Marine life protection screens and a return channel are included to mitigate marine fauna impacts.
The finished water pipeline is proposed to include parallel pipes of 48 - 52” diameter installed by upland open trenching and micro tunneling and/or horizonal directional drilling below marine wetlands, open water, and sand/mud flats. The finished water pipeline will connect to an existing Aransas Pass, Texas, water distribution infrastructure. Additionally, Harbor Island has existing tie-in infrastructure to an active Nueces County Water Control and Improvement District 4 12-inch freshwater pipeline that leads to Port Aransas and Mustang Island, Texas. The applicant does not propose to compensate for temporary impacts to freshwater herbaceous and scrub/shrub wetlands.
Type of Application: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers permit application #SWG-2025-00112. This application will be reviewed pursuant to Section 10 of the Rivers and Harbors Act of 1899 and Section 404 of the Clean Water Act. Note: The consistency review for this project may be conducted by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality as part of its certification under §401 of the Clean Water Act.
CMP Project No: 25-1155-F1
Further information on the applications listed above, including a copy of the consistency certifications or consistency determinations for inspection, may be obtained from the Texas General Land Office Public Information Officer at 1700 N. Congress Avenue, Austin, Texas 78701, or via email at pialegal@glo.texas.gov. Comments should be sent to the Texas General Land Office Coastal Management Program Coordinator at the above address or via email at federal.consistency@glo.texas.gov.