Coastal tidal marshes along the Texas coast provide critical habitat, storm protection, and carbon sequestration. Substantial funding is being directed toward their restoration, yet many projects have struggled to achieve long-term sustainability. A key reason is that restoration often is disconnected with the geologic and geomorphological foundations upon which these marshes were originally established. This presentation offers a new perspective by demonstrating how the distribution, persistence, and resilience of Texas marshes are directly tied to their paleo-geomorphological origins.

Drawing on 25 years of geological and geomorphological analysis, our research reveals that a significant portion of Texas marshes developed atop the Mermentau Alloformation, which is a distinctive channel-fill deposit that responded to the inundations connected to sea level rise. This finding shows that that marshes are not randomly scattered across bays and estuaries; rather, their sustainability is linked to specific paleo-landforms, depositional environments, and the hydric soils they created. These soils, formed under unique geomorphic conditions, continue to influence marsh migration, stability, and vulnerability to disappearance.

Our analysis exposes a critical disconnect between current restoration practices and the natural processes that originally sustained marsh ecosystems. Many restoration projects, while well-intentioned, fail to account for the geomorphic and soil-driven conditions that determine whether a marsh can thrive. In 2016, our team restored 700 acres of marsh with a limited budget, earning the Texas Environmental Excellence Award, which was based on their geological-soil conditions and hydro-geomorphological connectivity. This project demonstrated that when restoration strategies are informed by geomorphology and soil science, they can achieve large-scale success even under resource constraints. The concepts learned can be used on other marsh restoration initiatives.