Project Description
The coastal region extending from the lower Brazos River to east Matagorda Bay has undergone rapid changes in flow and sediment depositional patterns and is confronted by multifaceted challenges including an increasing risk of flooding, excessive sediment deposition, retreat of shorelines, and reduction in freshwater inflow due to industrial and municipal water withdrawal. These challenges threaten the life and properties of residents, economic prosperity, and ecological integrity of the region.
The project executes a Texas GLO Coastal Resilience Master Plan R2-19 “Brazos River and San Bernard River Restoration Strategy and Management Plan”. It includes concerted field campaigns and modeling experiments that will fill major regional data gaps and attain a clearer, holistic understanding of flow connectivity and sediment dynamics along the Brazos River, Gulf Intracoastal Waterway (GIWW) west of the Brazos River Flood Gate (BRFG), the San Bernard River, Caney Creek, and along the Gulf of Mexico. The University of Texas at Arlington (UTA) and TAMU-Galveston will 1) collect sediment core and bathymetric data from the Brazos River mouth to Cedar Cut; 2) configure of coupled hydrologic-hydrodynamic and sediment transport models for the region; 3) assess freshwater inflows along San Bernard River during floods; and 4) perform scenario analysis for flooding, sediment, and San Bernard River mouth stability.
This project addresses several priority issues in the “Brazos River and San Bernard River Restoration Strategy and Management Plan” project in the TCRMP. The project outcomes will inform ongoing and future management plans and restoration strategies—including TWDB regional flood plans, dredging and sediment management strategies, infrastructure measures for maintaining San Bernard River inlet, prevention of shoreline retreat along Sargent beach, and sustaining freshwater inflow to Cedar Lakes. The project team will work with stakeholders to ensure that solid connections be established with existing and emerging regional management strategies and initiatives.
Sponsor: Texas General Land Office
Duration: Apr 2022- Apr 2025