Posted on July 16, 2025
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) Galveston District (SWG), in collaboration with the Texas General Land Office (GLO), the City of Galveston, and the Galveston Park Board of Trustees, announced their Continuing Authorities Program Section 204 (CAP 204) West Galveston Beach Nourishment Project, July 15, 2025.
The CAP 204 project will use dredged sand from the Galveston Ship Channel to renourish roughly 1.8 miles of Galveston beachfront, from Sunbather Lane to 11-Mile Road.
Coastal erosion on the island—at about 6.86 feet per year—has created a need for beach nourishment projects.
“With erosion rates approaching seven feet per year on the west end, this project is essential to protecting our shoreline, homes, and infrastructure,” said Galveston City Manager Brian Maxwell. “By partnering with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the Texas General Land Office, and the Park Board, we’re turning what would have been discarded dredge material into a meaningful investment in our future.”
The City of Galveston formally requested assistance from the USACE Galveston District to investigate long-term solutions, especially along the west end of the island.
SWG conducted a feasibility study that formulated alternatives to restore the eroded coastline, evaluate the environmental effects of the alternatives, document the project requirements, and provide a scope and cost estimate to implement the project.
In June 2025, the City of Galveston signed a contract with the Galveston District allowing the USACE to oversee the project’s construction efforts through the contracting partner, Great Lakes Dredge and Dock Company.
The CAP 204 West Galveston Beach Nourishment Project will use beach-quality sand that would have otherwise been discarded in an offshore disposal area to nourish the beaches along Galveston Island’s western shores.
“These beach nourishment projects are a very standard USACE practice for slowing down the natural process of erosion along beachfront and coastal areas,” said SWG Project Manager Carlos Tate. “They’re also a great way for local communities to benefit from the work we’re already doing through routine maintenance.”
An estimated 717,000 cubic yards of dredge material will be placed along the shoreline, said GLO Project Manager Carver Wray. The active construction is scheduled to begin in September 2025, Wray said.
Authority for the project is provided by Section 204 of the 1992 Water Resources Development Act, as amended, which authorizes the USACE to conduct projects for the protection, restoration, and creation of aquatic and ecologically related habitats in connection with the construction, operation, or maintenance of authorized federal navigation projects.
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