Texas General Land Office funding advances nature‑based shoreline protection and park resilience
The City of La Marque has been awarded $4,985,000 in grant funding from the Texas General Land Office (GLO) Coastal Management Program (CMP) to support critical shoreline stabilization efforts along the western shoreline of Mac McGaffey Highland Bayou Park, a longstanding community green space and coastal access point.
Interim City Manager Barbara Holly was notified of the award on Thursday, March 19, 2026, and Communications Coordinator Colleen Chilcoat attended the check presentation event. The funding will support coordination of environmental assessments and surveys, engineering and design, permitting, and construction of emergency shoreline stabilization using living shoreline or hybrid techniques, including bank regrading and shoreline stabilization measures.
“This grant represents a significant investment in the long-term protection of one of La Marque’s most valuable natural and recreational assets,” Holly said. “Stabilizing the shoreline at Highland Bayou Park will help preserve public access, protect critical habitat, and strengthen the park’s resilience to future storm and tidal impacts.”
The project will be engineered by ADICO, with Director of Public Works Shannon Breaux serving as the City’s project manager.
Protecting a Vital Coastal Resource
Highland Bayou Park provides residents and visitors with shoreline access to Highland Bayou, a tidally influenced tributary of Galveston Bay. The project area includes brackish tidal marsh, shallow estuarine waters, and upland-maintained parkland, supporting recreational amenities such as picnic pavilions, fishing areas, and wildlife viewing.
The marsh ecosystem is dominated by smooth cordgrass and other emergent vegetation, which provide essential habitat for fish, wading birds, and other estuarine wildlife. However, ongoing shoreline erosion and marsh degradation—driven by tidal water level fluctuations, storm surge, and wave action—have resulted in localized bank undercutting, habitat loss, and increased flood vulnerability to park infrastructure.
If left unaddressed, continued erosion could threaten the ecological function of the marsh and the long-term recreational use of the park.
Nature-Based Solutions for Coastal Resilience
The Highland Bayou Park Shoreline and Marsh Restoration Project is designed to stabilize eroding shorelines, restore and protect marsh habitat, and enhance the park’s long-term ecological resilience and recreational value. The project emphasizes nature-based coastal resilience strategies, including living shoreline approaches that work with natural systems to reduce erosion while maintaining tidal connectivity and habitat quality.
Planned improvements aim to:
- Reduce shoreline erosion and bank instability
- Restore and protect marsh habitat
- Improve resilience to storm surge and flooding
- Preserve public access to coastal resources
- Enhance environmental and recreational sustainability
Future Enhancements
If additional funding is secured, Phase II of the project will include trails and boardwalks, further expand public access while protecting sensitive coastal habitats.
March 19,2026, GLO Announcement
Today, Texas Land Commissioner Dawn Buckingham, M.D., announced that the Texas General Land Office (GLO) has awarded approximately $39.06 million to coastal improvement projects in Texas’ Upper Gulf Coast Region through its Coastal Management Program (CMP) Grant Cycle 31 and Coastal Erosion Planning and Response Act (CEPRA) program Cycle 14. Commissioner Buckingham made these announcements at a series of check presentations in League City.
“Living on the Texas coast for many years has shaped my mission at the General Land Office to ensure our beaches are clean, safe, and enjoyable for all Texans,” said Commissioner Buckingham. “The specific goals of these coastal improvement projects vary widely, from marshland restoration and water quality enhancement, to coastwide beach nourishment efforts to combat encroaching erosion. However, we all share the same mission to preserve our coastal lands for future generations. It is an honor to provide the funding these projects need to deliver results to Texans and their families.”
Commissioner Buckingham presented checks in League City to the Artist Boat, City of Friendswood, City of Kemah, City of La Marque, City of Palacios, Coastal Prairie Conservancy, Galveston County, Galveston ISD, Galveston Park Board, Isla Del Sol HOA, Lamar University, Matagorda Bay Foundation, Texas A&M Engineering Experiment Station, Texas Parks & Wildlife Department, Texas State University and the University of Texas at Arlington while announcing a new round of GLO Coastal Resources Project Funding on Thursday, March 19, 2026.
CMP projects receive grant money from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and from the Gulf of Mexico Energy Security Act (GOMESA), along with a partner match. These projects include work ranging from preserving coastal habitat through land acquisition to restoring habitat through invasive species removal, improving coastal water quality management, and increasing public beach access.
CEPRA projects are focused on addressing coastal erosion concerns, implementing work that supports erosion reduction including beach nourishment, dune restoration, shoreline stabilization, habitat restoration, and erosion investigations. CEPRA projects are funded with money from the Texas Legislature, Texas Hotel Occupancy Tax (HOT) and GOMESA along with partner match.
PHOTO: Colleen Chilcoat, Communications Coordinator for the City of La Marque, holds a ceremonial check representing a $4.985 million grant awarded by the Texas General Land Office on March 19, 2026, to support shoreline stabilization and marsh restoration at Mac McGaffey Highland Bayou Park.
