The Coastal Bend Bays & Estuaries Program (CBBEP), in partnership with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, is implementing two large-scale restoration projects to address severe shoreline erosion and storm-related damage sustained during Hurricane Harvey on the Blackjack and Matagorda Island Units of the Aransas National Wildlife Refuge. These projects support the long-term resilience of critical coastal habitats that serve as the wintering grounds for the last naturally migrating flock of endangered whooping cranes.

The Dagger Shoreline Protection and Restoration Project involves constructing a five-mile segmented rubble-mound breakwater designed to reduce wave energy, slow erosion, and promote sediment accumulation. This engineered system will enhance habitat stability while improving conditions for marsh and bayside ecosystems.

The Matagorda Island Protection and Restoration Project focuses on repairing and restoring multiple storm-induced breaches that disrupted island integrity and habitat continuity. By rebuilding these vulnerable areas, the project aims to restore natural barrier island processes, protect interior wetlands, and improve the island’s resilience to future storm events.

Together, these efforts will strengthen habitat quality, reduce long-term erosion risks, and support the ecological functions essential to sustaining the Refuge’s wildlife, including the iconic whooping crane population.