Causeway Rookery Island - Protection and Restoration

Summary

The Coastal Bend Bays and Estuaries Program (CBBEP) will address actions needed to protect important rookery island habitat from wind and wave erosion at Causeway Island in Nueces County. CBBEP previously installed a geotextile tube to protect the north side of the Island from erosion. In 2014, the geotextile tube failed, exposing the shoreline to wave energy and resulting in approximately 45 feet of shoreline erosion in less than a year. CBBEP will use CMP Cycle #21 funding to obtain aerial imagery, prepare an alternatives analysis, and complete preliminary engineering and 70% construction drawings for a structure that protects the north side of the Island from wave action and traps sediment from future beneficial use projects. The project will help restore and re-establish a healthy colonial waterbird population in the Coastal Bend.