Posted on February 18, 2026
By Chris Gray, Gulf Coast Reporter
Just in time for Spring Break, the Texas General Land Office and its partners have restored more than 5,300 linear feet of a popular beach on Galveston’s West End. Even better, it’s one of the beaches where it’s legal to bring alcohol (just not in a glass container).
The GLO noted Tuesday in a news release that it had partnered with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and City of Galveston to deposit more than 378,000 cubic yards of “beach-quality” dredge material from the Galveston Ship Channel along a nearly two-mile section of Hershey Beach between Sunbather Lane and Jane Road, near the Tipsy Turtle Bar & Grill and Beach Pocket Park No. 2.
The goal is to help replenish the island’s shoreline, which the Corps said last year is eroding at nearly 7 feet per year. The project was announced last July; the beach closed to the public in October. In GLO nomenclature, it was designated the Continuing Authorities Program Section 204 (CAP 204).
“As a proud Texan who called Galveston Island home for more than a decade, ensuring West Galveston beach continues to thrive and is safeguarded from storms will always be a top priority,” Texas Land Commissioner Dawn Buckingham said in a release. She vowed to “continue to combat encroaching erosion and fortify the Texas coast from damage caused by tropical storms and hurricanes.”
“We look forward to many more projects such as this to improve our beaches for both our residents and all Texans,” Galveston City Manager Brian Maxwell added.
For perspective, one cubic yard of sand is roughly the size of an average washing machine. According to the GLO and some quick Google calculations, the volume used in CAP 204 is more than enough to fill NRG Stadium. The Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo uses around 25,000 cubic yards of dirt, or 600 truckloads, just to cover the stadium floor.
